For more of the latest information on social media marketing, please visit our official blog page at http://blackboxsocialmedia.com/topics/blog/

2. Should Apple
Create Its Own
Online Maps
Service?

3. Maps are still indispensable no
matter what. That’s why having a
handy touch screen phone with full
featured maps makes traveling
easier. Imagine carrying a device
that can guide you anywhere you
go. Not just that, the maps also
provide info about the best places
to eat or shop anywhere you are.

4. When we speak of maps nowadays,
what comes to mind first is Google.
Google Maps has become an
indispensable tool in navigation,
other than those who use GPS.
Maps has been redefined with the
development of Google Street
View.

5. How about the others?

6. Apple Maps
Apple recently announced that they
are planning to develop their own
maps and will be released as an app
in their iOS 6. Basically, this will be in
direct competition with Google
Maps, the biggest in all of the mobile
mapping applications.

7. Some sources point out to the 3D
feature of the Apple’s map as its
biggest edge over Google’s current
offerings. According to techland.com,
the map is just one of the many
features included in Apple’s new
operating system.

8. According to searchengineland.com,
this new app from Apple includes
maps with local search, crowd-
sourced local traffic, navigation
directions (including turn by turn
guide), and 3D mapping that includes
flyover animation. And it will be
integrated with a new version of Siri.
Just imagine that.

9. Beyond Google Maps
Apparently, there is a need for map
applications. The world-going-
mobile-scenario goes together with
the world-needs-more-accurate-
maps-trend. Web mapping is
becoming more indispensable as
more people use mobile phones.
Maps remain the same but the trick
is on how they are presented – just
like Street View.

10. There are actually a lot of
applications and companies that
offer online maps. It is important to
note that it’s not all about Google
Maps, we also have maps from
Yahoo, Microsoft (Bing), and others.
Furthermore, there are many
country-specific mapping services.

11. The figures regarding mapping-
related services drastically jumped
since 2009 (by 243% this 2012), and
up by 73% from last year. According
to ProgrammableWeb, there are
currently 240 mapping-related
services where people create maps,
process mapping data, and simply
access maps.

12. With the influx of mobile devices
and web access anywhere, it is
expected that more and more
people will access maps in their
devices. So how often do we access
maps in our phones or tablets? And
in the case of Apple, why do they
need to create their own maps?

13. Map Checking
According to the data from
mobithinking.com, the most common
activity by the Americans in their
mobile phones is checking maps. The
trend really never changed since
2010, wherein majority of Americans
used their phones to access maps and
to get directions. In the early part of
2011, the same trend is consistent.

14. In May of 2011, more than 48 million
accessed maps through their
phones (although there was a decline
of 2 percent compared to the previous
year). Most of them (88.9 %) also visit
mapping sites while in their vehicles.

15. One of the reasons why Apple should
start their own mapping system is that
more iPhone users actually access
Google Maps than Android users.
According to the latest report from
comScore.com, in EU5 (France,
Germany, UK, Spain, and Italy), iPhone
users are the ones who access maps
the most in their mobile devices
(53.4%).

16. Android phone users only ranked
2nd (39.8 %), and followed by
Microsoft phone users (34.5%).

17. Apples Offer Something
New
The biggest selling point: interactive
3D rendition of maps!
That’s it. It will still be the same old
map. Google is also catching up with
the 3D map craze by dispatching their
own planes to gather information that
will be used to generate 3D images.

18. Practically speaking, accessing maps
not just provide the users with
directions but also provide the map-
maker with the data regarding
consumer behavior, which is very
important for advertising. This is why
Google invests a lot in making their
maps better. Because Apple users
access the maps more compared to
Android users, this is an area that
Apple ought to control.

19. But let’s see what happens
after the iOS 6 software is
released.

20. Closing Thoughts
So what’s with all the hype with
Apple having their own map
application?

21. In my own opinion, it’s the execution
that makes the difference when it
comes to Apple products. They
usually offer services that are not so
unique or have been in the market
for quite some time. But they sell it
well, sometimes beyond
expectations. It really has something
to do with a feature or product being
branded as Apple.

22. Now that Google will have a new
competitor in its mapping service,
maybe they’ll do something to again
re-define mapping. Let’s wait and
see.