There no doubt that the mantle of premier online mapping solution well and truly belongs to Google Maps however, if you’re a business wanting to take advantage of Google Maps, it can be quite an expensive proposition to obtain the required licensing. The other major alternative is Bing Maps but the general sentiment is still that isn’t as feature reach as the Google frontrunner.
If the main barrier for you is cost then there is an alternative in the form of OpenStreetMap.
As the name would imply, this site provides street mapping for free under an open license plus it provides the ability for users to improve the map (once you have signed up an account and verified it). You’re able to add various points of interest to the map and you can even update attributes such as number of lanes on a given road. These bits of information could be handy to others if you have good local knowledge of areas that have yet to be mapped or areas that are partially mapped but need some extra attention to make usable.
It’s a great way to help build something that is free for the masses to use and perhaps make sure that services that use OpenStreetMap get the most accurate information possible with minimal delays.
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