Cowen & Co., an industry analyst firm that specializes in covering Web services, released a statement today discussing its findings on the success of online mapping solutions.
To no one’s surprise, the analyst found that Google Maps is the de facto leader in the space, while its rivals, Yahoo Maps, MapQuest, and Live Search Maps have slipped well behind Google. According to the analyst, much of Google’s success is due to the fact that its competitors simply don’t have what it takes to keep pace.
“Since our initial survey in July 2007, innovation at (AOL’s) MapQuest and Yahoo Maps has stagnated,” and although Microsoft has improved Live Search Maps, it remains the least popular of the four top services, said Cowen and Co. “Yahoo and MapQuest do not have the resources to keep pace and are forced to aggressively monetize a declining franchise in the maps segment.”
The analysts cited Google’s Streetview and public transportation services as main reasons for its success and its continuing investment in improving its mapping solutions places it further ahead of its competitors.
i use google maps because 9/10 over its competitors because it offers correct results.
Kind of surprised that they limited their comparison to just a few online services. Internet TripTik has been rated best for routing, finding places without having to know an address, customizing routes, etc.
accuracy comes from google geo-group budget for new data (hundred million+?) it’s a big world to map and their commitment is remarkable.
yahoo is toast (but still plugging away), mapquest will ride the slide of their brand to the bottom (wherever that is) and goog and msft will duke it out over the next decade…to our benefit.
too bad google is hamstrung by internal release process…because microsoft is rolling out new features much more agressively (see new 3D clouds (beautiful!) and speech driven mobile map apps (useful!)
Are we talking about the same Google Maps? I stopped using it because it kept asking me to drive through a wall.
Mapquest’s got the best directions, but the worst interface. I liked Live Maps until they switched to the new beta, which drops server connections to frequently to be stable.
And don’t forget Google Ajax too, to keep publishers websites and blogs fresh with relevant content..:-)
surveys about maps are stupid
agree. was there any doubts that google map was the best
?it seems everyone already knew this.
There’s this amazing entire field called “geography,” they talk about maps a lot.
Google maps may own the consumer sector, but that doesn’t actually mean it’s a useful research tool – and if it is used as a research tool that it functions well.
There’s a whole slew of remaining questions in the online maps sector that are more involved then “which map dun be used by consumars mostest?”
Yes Google Maps totally rocks. Recently completed a large google maps related app and working with the API was a breeze. Plus, playfulness and interactivity with a google maps application is of high level.
google maps is powerful coz of street view services only.
and these are available only in US.
What abt other countries???
have a look at Yahoo! India Maps
and it will give you everything you can think of from a online map service.
and then compare it to google maps.
google maps is nutz before yahoo! maps
Street View is now available in France, Italy, Australia and Japan. The feature is 14 months old within the US, and the cities just keep on coming. Getting it in India would be nice.
i dont get it. live maps is quite a bit better than google maps. ive lost count on the number of times google maps has been wrong, or the interface has been so broken that i cant find anything.
the latest update to live earth is fantastic – 3d buildings, weather, fast, etc.
You are correct. Live maps is better, but not too many people know of it. The Microsoft hatred is so great in the media that such products do not get the required publicity and so people don’t know.
Ditto. Live maps has better aerial resolution. I’ve written programs using both and find the APIs similar. My only gripe with Live maps is that the license seems to be more restrictive than Google for non-commercial use.
Most tech journalists have their money in tech stocks, especially Google, so it’s in their own interests to promote the company they’re invested in.
Plus, there’s this obscene infatuation with trying to be “cool” in the tech world, at the expense of any sort of fact-based approach to journalism.
I agree – Virtual Earth API is better. Microsoft has bundled practically everything in there and offers more flexibility on custom data set overrides, points along a route, etc.
we are facing a apex of innovation. how much better can maps get. were spoiled with the powerful tech we get for free. from what i see we have about enough innovation in this arena. its only cool and flashy for so long than its time to get back to work. if Gaggl could only do to search what it has done with maps “innovate” maybe it would improve user experience. they might not make a lot of money like they do now spamming alorithm results and addense widgets but in the end they could say they truly care about the user.
CompassLocator.com
Live Maps is better than Google Maps. In fact, Microsoft tends to have better products than google, but doesn’t market them affectively. Another example is MSN Video. It’s essentially done what Hulu has done only 5 years earlier (syndicated TV content). But nobody’s ever heard of it.
Google is investing in this app, not because we use it to get from here to there, but because we are teaching Google how to think like we do, that is the real value.
No pre-downloadable maps: useless for mobile devices, roaming data is very expensive.
I use google maps because it’s so simple, and there’s really no clutter at all. Mapquest? I haven’t used Mapquest in years.
No surprise there, Google is definitely on the cutting edge of the mapping technology but there is a limit to its’ growth. I can’t imagine everyone migrating to Google, especially because of growing number of conflicts of interests.
On the other hand there is still a huge gap between the professional GIS world and the consumer, which can be translated into a huge opportunity. I am bias since this is the market we are trying to address with UMapper
mapquest still wins on brand, ask your mom, but 500 people in google geo team (counting contractors) are sure to make an impact one way or another.
microsoft bird’s eye view is still the best view of any location, and msft is coming on strong where it counts, powering business mapping sites and investing in the future (see new 3D maps with real clouds/vegetation) if they every launch their stillborn streetviews they’d be rolling right along with mtn view. (until the laser scanned street views come out anyway)
let em duke it out…we all reap the benefits.
It’s really easy to navigate through G Maps…. API is pretty simple but too effective.
MSFT should have bought MapQuest a long time ago, simply for the brand name recognition… and then resisted renaming it “Windows Live Search Mapquest”
If people don’t know about your product, a successful (as in well-designed) brand name is one of the key ingredients. You need your meme to spread. Live Search Maps is a total generic and just won’t get it done.
Then there is of course the issue of perceived openness: I know of dozens of Google Maps/Earth mashups, and have never heard of one Live Maps mashup (I’ll admit that I haven’t actively looked for either).
MSFT has over two decades instilled a strong association with “The Powerbroker” archetype in the publics mind, by bullying all and sundry among other things. Such associations are hard to reverse, even if they were to no longer hold at this point (in case there truly were a kinder, gentler MSFT at this point). Note MSFT’s recent ads as fitful attempts to undo the archetype and soften the image, which I see as extremely unlikely to succeed.
Their best way forward is to buy other, already well-functioning brands and leave them alone branding-wise, such as Mapquest (most people could care less if the back-end were operated by MSFT).
Get more details on MSFT’s branding problems here:
http://business...nding-on-a-dime
I use Google Maps exclusively for both personal and work. I have integrated Google Maps into a site I did recently for a realtor because it’s clean and very easy to use, both from my point of view as a developer and because the navigation is clean (like most, if not all, things Google does).
It’s just a bloody map! It gets us from here to there. Let’s not work ourselves into a frenzy beating this on to death.
Web applications like search and maps are feeling old to me. Google maps is the best but oldish. Functional and good for Google, but the market needs new.
If I were the competition I would stop development on current maps and take a big shift to something game changing. The world should stop chasing Google and let Google wake up one day and find out that the game has moved – it’s over “there”.
http://afewtips.com
Just give it time . The next google is on the way .
“Better” all depends on what you use it for – Mapquest’s aerial photos of suburban and rural areas are more detailed than Google Maps.
Guys sell sell sell.
I have used mapquest alot , but I’m starting to like google maps.
http://gatesand...s.blogspot.com/
LIVE Maps is the BEST. New Landmarks features have been added today.
3D buildings etc.,
@godzilla – I agree Live maps is the best
You can compare them for yourself http://www.rock...es/map-compare/ All three maps are sync’d making it easy to compare them
IMO it goes – Live, Google, Yahoo
The battle wont be over until someone gets some real traction in real time geolocation services. When I can pull my phone out of my pocket and see what happened last week in this exact spot we’ll have a winner.
Last time i compared the US traffic of GMaps and YMaps there were pretty close in terms of uniques US visitors (132M for GMaps and 129M for YMaps). Given the fact that Yahoo is much stronger in Asia than Google, i’d say there is a good chance that Yahoo is #1 in maps globally.
another step closer for Google to take over the world.
I like using Schmap http://www.schmap.com up and coming mapping community!
Like in all business sectors there is room for more than just one or two mapping websites to shine in this competitive area.
At work I need to locate places several hundred times daily. Google maps is a bit clunky and many times innacurate.
Live maps is far more accurate, smooth and quicker.
As it has been said, it is fashionable to hate Microsoft – they seem to have 2 strikes against them with whatever they develop.
Google nowadays after going public is quickly becoming Big Brother. They know how you search, they assail you with ads based on your search, they collect data about your surfing habits, install a toolbar that is basically spyware.
google will soon take over alot of other main fields the regular internet users use they got the technology