A few days ago, lThe Linux Foundation announced that Mapzen (an open source mapping platform) it is now part of the Linux Foundation project. Mapzen focuses on the main components of the map display, such as search and navigation.
Provides developers with open software and easily accessible data sets. It was launched in 2013 by veterans of the cartography industry in combination with urban planners, architects, movie makers, and video game developers.
Randy Meech, former CEO of Mapzen and current CEO of StreetCred Labs, said: “Mapzen is pleased to join the Linux Foundation and continue our open and collaborative approach to mapping software and data.
Shared technology can be incredibly powerful, but it is also complex and challenging. The Linux Foundation knows how to enable collaboration between organizations and has a great reputation for hosting active and successful data and software projects.
Mapzen rises from the ashes
Several veterans of the mapping industry launched Mapzen in 2013, and it went live in 2015, operating as a viable business with employees until January 2018, but their mapping technologies had already proven robust and popular.
Even when it was shutting down, the company announced ways for users to get long-term support after his disappearance, indicating that he may not really be dead yet.
Now Those concerns are less as the Linux Foundation takes control of Mapzen technologies. to keep the mapping platform under development and use by the open source community and users around the world.
Mapzen open projects and resources are used to build applications or integrate them into other products and platforms.
Because Mapzen's resources are open source, developers can easily build platforms without the restrictions of other commercial vendors' data sets.
Mapzen is used by organizations such as Snapchat, Foursquare, Mapbox, Eventbrite, The World Bank, HERE Technologies, and Mapillary.
With Mapzen, it is possible to take open data and build maps with search and routing services, update your own libraries and process data in real time. This is not possible with conventional mapping or geotracking services.
It offers a unique geographic focus that allows us to innovate widely on how our platform thinks about events and their locations. Mapzen is an incredible project and we are delighted to see him join The Linux Foundation.
Everything is for the common good
If Mapzen hadn't moved into the Linux Foundation, Samsung would have kept the copyright to open software that is actively developed and widely used by many other companies apart from it.
Open licenses would have been applied (unless they have been modified by the copyright holder), but everyone agreed that a clear and permanent home for all Mapzen IPs after shutdown it would be much better, and much more in the spirit of the Mapzen project from the beginning.
Now any business or individual can continue to work on the software with confidence.
At this point, no Mapzen employees will be working for the Linux Foundation. This move is only to establish copyright and license clarity in software and data that are heavily commercialized in many companies and organizations.
Mapzen is operated in the cloud and on premises by a wide range of organizations, including Tangram, Valhalla, and Pelias.
Jim Zemlin, CEO of the Linux Foundation, said: “Mapzen's open approach to software and data has enabled developers and companies to create innovative location-based applications that have changed our lives.
We look forward to extending Mapzen's impact even further around the world in areas such as transportation and traffic management, entertainment, photography and more to create new value for businesses and consumers.
According to the official press release, the Linux Foundation will align resources to advance Mapzen's mission and grow its ecosystem of users and developers even further.