The market research firm Ovum recently released a report about web mapping that I reported on here. They’ve now published a critique of Google Maps that points out the limitations in functionality and terms of use.
“While Google Maps is a widely adopted and comprehensive mapping and satellite imagery tool, there are certain limits around functionality and the terms of its use which make it less suitable for mapping applications requiring more precise and detailed geographical reference data for activities such as building planning, the provision of private and public services, and fleet management.”
This online report goes on to discuss map scale, map precision and accuracy, and licensing restrictions. It’s good to have the attention of a large market research firm in the geospatial space. Ovum is a widely respected entity that is headquartered in the UK, and they indicate that they’ll continue their coverage, including an upcoming post that explores ownership and fees associated with licensing map data. This is an area of particular interest with the UK’s Ordnance Survey.
