Recalling Intergraph’s long history in hardware, servers and desktop software solutions, this iOS and Android based app may seem like a departure for the company, although it is very much a sign of the times. Intergraph has launched Intergraph Mobile MapWorks, an iOS and Android tablet-based app for viewing, editing and updating field asset information in real-time. It can be downloaded from Apple’s iTunes and the Google Play app stores. Field asset information can be accessed easily through mobile apps like this one, with very intuitive interfaces. Local government professionals use tablets as a matter of course in their field work, and find this type of application to be a perfect fit.
It looks as though Microsoft Corp. is moving into a paradigm shift with its move toward a $7 billion acquisition from Nokia to thrust it into the mobile market. Nokia will still remain a company after Microsoft buys the company’s handset business. While Microsoft is acquiring what Nokia is best known for, the Finnish company is holding on to two if its major businesses: networking and mapping. Microsoft has been hoping to take a slice of the mobile market from smartphone moguls Apple and Google, and meanwhile has been partnering with Nokia for three years.
Apple’s iPhone 5 maps aren’t anywhere near as good as Google’s Maps, according to an article in ZDNet, but it doesn’t seem to matter because the two companies needed to separate since they are competitors in the mobile mapping market. What may occur however, is that new options might be in the stars.
The iPhone 5 is accompanied by a lot of buzz, and some of that is pretty exciting. Customers of past iPhone models will be pleased to know that the iPhone 5 is made of all glass and aluminum, making it the thinnest yet. It measures 7.6mm thick, 18 percent thinner than previous iterations. It features “Ultrafast Wireless,” thanks to GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA and LTE.
On Monday Apple introduced a new version of its mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads that will bring a host of new features, including maps that let users soar over a three-dimensional rendering of a city, according to an article in The New York Times.
As was mentioned in this blog of a pre-announcement of Google Earth for mobile “(Pre-announcement of Google Earth for mobile made at Google event”) last week, the new map software replaces Google data with Apple’s own mapping system. This is a big step for a company that has considered Google a close partner up until now. Since Apple introduced the iPhone, it has relied on Google data to drive the mapping software. When Google released its Android platform, however, relationships between the two companies began to disintegrate. Not surprisingly as Android is the top mobile operating system in the world, putting Apple and Google head to head in several different markets.
Esri President and CEO Jack Dangermond talked to Computerworld magazine about the importance of mobile and cloud, the role of GIS in organizations, big data and consumer vs. enterprise mapping.
In October, Apple publicly announced its acquisition of its third mapping company since 2009 when it acquired C3 Technologies. C3 Technologies is a 3D mapping technology, Apple’s second acquisition of 3D mapping, after Poly9 was acquired last year.
Although it has just been announced, the acquisition actually occurred last year and is said to be worth around $240 million. The acquisition is expected to change Apple’s relationship with Google Maps, from which it outsources technology for its GIS mapping technology. This could ultimately really change mapping on the iOS platform.
Some pundits call C3 Technologies’ mapping solutions “Google Maps on steroids,” as the video shows.
Apple said that it is working on a crowdsourced traffic database to improve its traffic mapping service and speculation suggests that they will use their mapping database provided by Placebase, another of their acquisitions. This would mean cutting ties with Google, but that shouldn’t be happening any time soon as Apple recently renewed its partnership with Google.
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