Monday, August 1. 2005

Discussing Google with Dangermond

We’ve had numerous discussions about the role of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo’s latest end-user and developer Web mapping options at Directions. This past week, we continued that conversation with Jack Dangermond at the ESRI Conference. In the past Dangermond had warned that we (and others) best “not over-hype” what’s going on. Interestingly, when Joe Francica and I met with him, he wanted talk about Google. “There’s going to be lots of services,” he said referring to Google as one of the many and indicated that Microsoft’s Virtual Earth will be another; Yahoo a third. “The market will decide,” he said.

Dangermond was quick to point out that he indeed thought that Google’s incorporation of mapping technology shines a positive light on the entire industry. But he also pointed out that you still need more advanced systems to do what geospatial professional might call “real work.”

Dangermond believes that Web services such as the Geospatial One-Stop (GOS) and its soon-to-be-created link to National Geographic’s MapMachine will offer professional level alternatives to the new Web offerings. I for one am interested in seeing how the consumer/student geared MapMachine and the more professionally focused GOS interact.

The reason Dangermond wanted to focus on Google in our interview was somewhat telling. It is a concern. It may look positive for the industry, but there will certainly be an impact on ESRI, not too mention others offering similar supporting tools.

It’s valuable to note, too, that from the broader viewpoint, some of the largest technology companies in the world are now in the geospatial market. Data capture tools (GPS, for example) are a commodity and soon Web services for mapping, may be, too, if they are not already. How far they will push into the realm of the professional will be interesting. Will we, as Dangermond has suggested, rent or license geospatial models to plug into our Web mapping tools in the coming years? Will we be able to plug them into Google or ESRI or Yahoo’s visualization service? “This is just the beginning,” said Dangermond. “The market will decide.”

Posted by Adena Schutzberg at 09:32 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (2) |

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