Wednesday, October 25. 2006

Oracle and Maps

Charles Babcock blogs at Information Week about how Oracle thinks the universe revolves around it. He notes the 482 features the company added to the beta 11g version of its database.

He points out the new deal with NAVTEQ (you get, as I understand it, some of the company's data with the database - "administrative boundaries for countries, states and cities, as well as major highways and roads") and thus can do lots of mapping stuff, making it akin to "Oracle Maps." (I think that's a leap, but can't say for sure since I've not seen the demo.)

And don't forget the Oracle version of Google Maps. "Oracle Maps?" Oracle 10g and 11g users now have access to Navteq geographic data, which would allow Oracle applications to superimpose their data on a specific geographic setting. Oracle already has the capability to store and retrieve spatial data. Now a customer relationship application can display markers on a map of a territory, indicating promising prospects and nearby reference customers who might know the prospect. Or maybe it just gives the sales representative a map to get to the customer's place of business on time.

In one sense Oracle has realized that to use something like Oracle Spatial, folks need data. They won't try it without it and licensing, loading it can be a challenge. Now, "it's in the box." That's no so different from how most GIS packages currently are shipped, now is it?

The other point worth noting is that Oracle, like GAMY (Google, Ask, Microsoft and Yahoo) are getting into the licensing game. Think the company will offer satellite imagery next? Don't count it out!