Amazon, Meta, & Microsoft Team Up for Map Project to Rival Google, Apple

Technology giants Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft, along with mapping and location technology TomTom, have launched their collaborative worldwide open map dataset that could rival Google and Apple Maps.

The launch was done through the companies’ project organisation, the Overture Maps Foundation (OMF). In a press release, OMF unveiled that the open map includes data for about 60 million places across the globe.

Titled “Overture 2023-07-26-alpha.0,” the dataset also contains four unique data layers for these places. This consists of consistent and real-time transportation network data, over 59 million Places of Interest (POI) records, more than 780 million unique buildings footprints, and national and regional administrative boundaries translated into 40 different languages.

OMF likewise shared that the initiative is done to meet the growing user need for attribution, recency, and accuracy in maps. The dataset also aims to help developers create apps with cheaper and more comprehensive mapping data.

“The Overture 2023-07-26-alpha.0 release is a significant step in establishing a comprehensive, market-grade open map dataset for our constantly changing world. The Places dataset, in particular, represents a major, previously unavailable open dataset, with the potential to map everything from new businesses big and small to pop-up street markets located anywhere in the world,” said Marc Prioleau, executive director of OMF.

Currently, the data is publicly accessible via OMF’s website for feedback solicitation. More updates will also be done for future releases.