Comments on: Time to reset the value of Geodata. http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/ The blog of Ed Parsons, Geographer. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:11:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Travel with an iPhone | HubLog http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1842 Travel with an iPhone | HubLog Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:27:51 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1842 [...] RouteBuddy Atlas – OpenStreetMap, OpenCycleMap and purchased Ordnance Survey maps (though they’re really expensive). [...] [...] RouteBuddy Atlas – OpenStreetMap, OpenCycleMap and purchased Ordnance Survey maps (though they’re really expensive). [...]

]]> By: neil@routebuddy.com http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1841 neil@routebuddy.com Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:54:12 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1841 Graham Dunlop says: "I can pick up the full OS Landranger 1:50k set for a little under 150 quid, to run on my Nokia smartphone with Viewranger. That’s the equivalent of 203 paper maps retailing at £6.99 each. Makes my decision not to buy an iPhone all the sweeter " Bit of a moot point; We haven't released the 1:50K set yet and Viewranger is not on the iPhone. But we have just released Ordnance Survey National Parks for the iPhone, from £19.99. (Viewranger National Park titles for Nokia are from an expensive £60.00 though.) Buy a few and the saving will pay for your iPhone! So how are we doing on consumer pricing Ed? ;-) Graham Dunlop says:
“I can pick up the full OS Landranger 1:50k set for a little under 150 quid, to run on my Nokia smartphone with Viewranger. That’s the equivalent of 203 paper maps retailing at £6.99 each. Makes my decision not to buy an iPhone all the sweeter ”

Bit of a moot point; We haven’t released the 1:50K set yet and Viewranger is not on the iPhone.

But we have just released Ordnance Survey National Parks for the iPhone, from £19.99. (Viewranger National Park titles for Nokia are from an expensive £60.00 though.) Buy a few and the saving will pay for your iPhone!

So how are we doing on consumer pricing Ed? ;-)

]]> By: TB http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1840 TB Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:08:30 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1840 Oh dear: https://secure.wikileaks.org/leak/ordnance-survey-utility-model-2009.pdf Oh dear: https://secure.wikileaks.org/leak/ordnance-survey-utility-model-2009.pdf

]]> By: Graham Dunlop http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1839 Graham Dunlop Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:21:48 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1839 I can pick up the full OS Landranger 1:50k set for a little under 150 quid, to run on my Nokia smartphone with Viewranger. That's the equivalent of 203 paper maps retailing at £6.99 each. Makes my decision not to buy an iPhone all the sweeter :) I can pick up the full OS Landranger 1:50k set for a little under 150 quid, to run on my Nokia smartphone with Viewranger. That’s the equivalent of 203 paper maps retailing at £6.99 each. Makes my decision not to buy an iPhone all the sweeter :)

]]> By: Sarah http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1838 Sarah Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:53:48 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1838 Ed - refreshing and light hearted views on a product! Ed – refreshing and light hearted views on a product!

]]> By: TimW http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1837 TimW Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:44:48 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1837 TG is right. Serious competition to the OS (i.e. products of the same quality, currency, coverage, etc) with cheaper prices and/or more favourable licensing terms will draw customers and force the OS to compete back. TG is right. Serious competition to the OS (i.e. products of the same quality, currency, coverage, etc) with cheaper prices and/or more favourable licensing terms will draw customers and force the OS to compete back.

]]> By: TG http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1836 TG Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:16:23 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1836 @mapperz Good points, however I think the OS would be more worried about substitution risk. No money this way means more money another way. I don't think they make much margin on paper maps anyway - it's just a shopfront to support the brand, as the real business is digital. Just like petrol stations don't make money for oil companies. We can't blame OS for acting like a business. The root issue perhaps is that OS *is* a business. But to fix that many in the geocommunity seem to be barking up the wrong tree. If you don't like a business, the only option is to compete. OSM... UKMap... [?] Thierry @mapperz
Good points, however I think the OS would be more worried about substitution risk. No money this way means more money another way.

I don’t think they make much margin on paper maps anyway – it’s just a shopfront to support the brand, as the real business is digital. Just like petrol stations don’t make money for oil companies.

We can’t blame OS for acting like a business. The root issue perhaps is that OS *is* a business. But to fix that many in the geocommunity seem to be barking up the wrong tree. If you don’t like a business, the only option is to compete. OSM… UKMap… [?]

Thierry

]]> By: Neil http://www.edparsons.com/2009/07/time-to-reset-the-value-of-geodata/#comment-1835 Neil Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:56:08 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=973#comment-1835 Hi Ed - thanks for your thoughts on Atlas, and we're glad you liked the app. As you know Ordnance Survey data has to be licensed, and while the OS can produce paper maps from their own data we (like any licensee) have to pass that cost on. Our current set of maps are the high-resolution 1:25K data, so while they cost more than the paper maps our prices are pretty similar to data from <a href="http://www.mapyx.com/" rel="nofollow">Quo</a>, <a href="http://www.memory-map.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Memory-Map</a>, or <a href="http://www.satmap.com/" rel="nofollow">Satmap</a>. We plan to offer cheaper 1:50K-based maps as well, but decided to start with the highest resolution and work down rather than the other way round. We feel there is value in digital maps over paper ones, as they don't get wet or tear (weather-proof maps being more expensive than standard paper) nor do they take up any space. If you're into hiking or orienteering then storing maps on your iPhone makes a lot of sense, since you can avoid spending ¬£200+ on a dedicated GPS device. Although a built-in WebDAV server might seem like overkill, unfortunately it is really the only syncing option available to 3rd party developers (and is becoming fairly common - it's the same approach used by apps like Files). You copy files on/off using the Finder or Explorer, just like a normal file server, so while the URL looks a little klunky it is pretty simple to do. We would have liked to support Bonjour for a better looking URL, but unfortunately a Finder bug prevented this. Should Apple allow 3rd parties to transfer data over USB, or within iTunes, we'll probably use that approach instead. Although iOSMaps is currently free, it does have some notable limitations. You can only access 1:50K data, you have to be online to download tiles, and like any OpenSpace project there is a daily usage cap (so if too many users are fetching data, you may find yourself without a map just when you need it most). Neil ------------------ www.RouteBuddy.com Hi Ed – thanks for your thoughts on Atlas, and we’re glad you liked the app.

As you know Ordnance Survey data has to be licensed, and while the OS can produce paper maps from their own data we (like any licensee) have to pass that cost on.

Our current set of maps are the high-resolution 1:25K data, so while they cost more than the paper maps our prices are pretty similar to data from Quo, Memory-Map, or Satmap. We plan to offer cheaper 1:50K-based maps as well, but decided to start with the highest resolution and work down rather than the other way round.

We feel there is value in digital maps over paper ones, as they don’t get wet or tear (weather-proof maps being more expensive than standard paper) nor do they take up any space. If you’re into hiking or orienteering then storing maps on your iPhone makes a lot of sense, since you can avoid spending ¬£200+ on a dedicated GPS device.

Although a built-in WebDAV server might seem like overkill, unfortunately it is really the only syncing option available to 3rd party developers (and is becoming fairly common – it’s the same approach used by apps like Files). You copy files on/off using the Finder or Explorer, just like a normal file server, so while the URL looks a little klunky it is pretty simple to do.

We would have liked to support Bonjour for a better looking URL, but unfortunately a Finder bug prevented this. Should Apple allow 3rd parties to transfer data over USB, or within iTunes, we’ll probably use that approach instead.

Although iOSMaps is currently free, it does have some notable limitations. You can only access 1:50K data, you have to be online to download tiles, and like any OpenSpace project there is a daily usage cap (so if too many users are fetching data, you may find yourself without a map just when you need it most).

Neil
——————
http://www.RouteBuddy.com

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