Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, TomTom And Others Join Linux To Disrupt Google Maps' Dominance

A number of Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL rivals are coming together to create a new wave of geolocation apps and snatch the crown from Google Maps. 

What Happened: Global nonprofit organization Linux Foundation announced the formation of Overture Maps Foundation, a new effort to develop interoperable open maps data as a shared asset. 

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“We are excited to facilitate this open collaboration among leading technology companies to develop high quality, open map data that will enable untold innovations for the benefit of people, companies, and communities." - Jim Zemlin

About Overture Maps: https://t.co/TpPey0gTSb pic.twitter.com/OoYjau9o3Q

— The Linux Foundation (@linuxfoundation) December 15, 2022

Tech giants like Meta Platforms Inc. META, Amazon Inc. AMZN, Web Services, Microsoft Corporation MSFT and TomTom TMOAY, a Dutch geolocation company, have come out in support of this project. 

The Overture Maps Foundation project promises to use global data from these companies and from outside to build accurate and complete maps.

Linux also said that this project will level the playing field for anybody looking to develop up-to-date geolocation services or maps without paying for expensive commercial data, which may or may not be accurate, reported Gizmodo. 

Google Maps has mapped more than 220 countries and territories. It is also the most-downloaded GPS app by far, the report noted. 

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