Opinion - Plotting the future of mapping

Things are moving fast in the mapping world - the near-ubiquitous presence of Google StreetView in the UK, and the news that the Ordnance Survey is now offering free access to much of its mapping data, have added to the perception and value of mapping data for consumers and business alike.

But what’s next, and how are the uses of maps and mapping data likely to develop further? From Smartphone innovations, GPS and augmented reality, an explosion of gaming and entertainment applications is approaching. Yet, challenges remain – most notably maintaining the quality of mapping data and security concerns are working against the unrestricted success of new mapping developments.

We have all benefitted from the tremendous changes in mapping services brought about by the likes of Google and others in recent years. In the business context, this has had the knock-on effect of raising expectations on a number of levels – what type of new mapping services and data can be applied to business situations, and in particular how can these services be more effectively delivered and how much will they cost?

But in general terms, business mapping users currently see a very different kind of offering. We often see large and complex products offering functionality for all, the problem being that most users do not need many of the features on offer. This mirrors the way in which products are priced – even if you need a mapping product for vital business functions, but only use 50% of the available features, pricing is set for having access to all of them. While this has all worked very effectively for many years, it’s not a reason on its own to stand still forever.

It’s clear that there is now a real need to move to a model which mirrors developments in other areas of technology, and we can take a lead from some of the most successful. Just as the iPhone has revolutionised the way we prefer to access and purchase mobile services and applications, we now need a new approach to the delivery of mapping data and products to provide users with online, on-demand access to precisely what they need, when they need it.

Among all these possibilities remains a need to protect and enhance the quality of data available to business users. In the consumer world, access to free data has been almost universally welcomed and has been tremendously successful across the board. For businesses, accuracy is more vital and broader access to free data, as in the case of Ordnance Survey, does not automatically bring with it cheaper services. It’s vital to remember that data is just that – data, it still needs to be correctly interpreted and utilised for each business need.

But in time all these developments will create a product landscape where business mapping is offered as a much more versatile set of options, which can be cherry picked by users for their precise requirements. It will also open up completely new opportunities, where developers and specialist users can apply their own expertise to pursue new ideas such as the development of mapping apps, and realise new ways to make money from their knowledge.