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The route to the best map
Everyone has a different definition of what makes a map better than another. One organization may favor topographical detail while another may value data on restaurants, their opening times and their entry points. The carmaker building ADAS tech in the example above would prioritize information about roads, their surfaces, the number of lanes, direction of travel, speed limit and so on.
Regardless of the map’s specific use, though, it’s universally agreed that great maps are easy to use, rich in detail and as up to date as possible. For centuries, maps have been making lives easier, and we should endeavor to keep it that way.
Harold Goddijn, TomTom CEO, asserts that won’t be easy, though. “The demand for map content, accuracy and freshness is such that no company alone can meet the future requirements of this industry,” he says. The industry needs a new approach.
The solution? “Standardized, interoperable map data, a new standard in mapmaking” Harrell says.
Making the best maps ever: Collaboration and standardization
Harrell elaborates on the case for collaborative, standardized mapmaking.
"We need to move away from siloed mapmaking practices and embrace a unified, collaborative approach to keep pace with the advancing landscape of technology and consumer expectations," he says.
To make that happen, TomTom has taken a central role in the open map data project, the Overture Foundation, to create and define a new open map standard, one tailored for global, big tech applications.
[Read:] Learn how TomTom is standardizing road network data for the Overture Foundation.
“Large companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are embracing this standard. Adoption is spreading to carmakers, application developers and other big tech companies, demonstrating its value and how needed it is,” Goddijn says.