GlobeXplorer Flexes Its Muscle
For all the talk about Google Maps being the new powerhouse behind the web mapping revolution, you can’t forget about the company that enables Google to do what they do. Ask.com’s mapping tool isn’t anything new, but it does have better imagery than Google has (at least in the areas I looked) thanks to the latest GlobeXplorer data. Ask.com, Zillow and Homepages all use GlobeXplorer’s product. Don’t forget who holds the cards in this game.
In Sweden, where I checked, Ask.com certainly has the highest resolution imagery, but the images are at least 30 years old. The Swedish parliament building is shown before significant renovations conducted in 1971-1978, and all the cars are antique models. This has value in and of itself, of course:-)
GlobeXplorer is first and foremost an indexer and distributor of data. It acquired AirPhotoUSA and hence owns that company’s aerials. I do not believe it owns any other data or data providers, but rather partners with them to deliver their data.
Remember, says Mr. O’Reilly, if you can’t own the content, own the indexing/delivery of that content. That’s exactly what GE does, and does well.
Good old Mr. O’Reilly. I think he’d marry Google if he could.
Seriously I don’t think James was implying that GlobeXplorer was the owner of the data. He did include navteq and teleatlas in his post. I think he was just reminding everyone that if you have a great idea, you don’t need google to get it done.
The jury is still out on Zillow (I know Adena doesn’t like it), but I think if it is able to weather the storm, they will create a business model much like Google has with great delivery. GlobeXplorer seems to be making quite the run lately with their data sales (or resales) and I think that shouldn’t be lost on everyone.