September 13, 2007

Creating digital maps and maps content for Jordan

Satellite image of Jordan

I’ve been digging into the GIS (geographic information systems) for the past year. I attended where2.0 conference in San Jose, Google Developers day, Yahoo Where2.0 camp ..etc. and met many mapping companies representatives, developers, cartographers, neorographers…ect.

First of all there are only two companies that collect the data: Navteq, and tele-Atlas who provide the data to be used by platforms like: multimaps, Google maps, Yahoo maps, MSN Live, Mapquest, Autocad and others who compete with each other to provide mapping services.

According to my talks with Tele-atlas and Navteq in June 2007 they did not and is not interested in collecting the data for Jordan. They recently covered most of the middle east but all the other platforms didn’t provide the services yet.

The GAM are trying to organize the parcel services so when Navteq or Tele-atlas comes to Jordan they will have a strategic local partner.

What does that mean to us?

Getting road maps with driving directions “Geo codding” is not a 5 day work, and can’t be done by a simple GPS devices, or not even by the GAM alone. It needs millions of dollars with expertise to collect such the data and Geo code it.

Each country have a different numbering and road systems. When tele-atlas went to china they faced difficulties in the existing numbering system but they did it.

I bet they were both shocked when they saw our streets and that why the GAM is developing the street numbering which will be done by the end of this year.

Moreover, I wanna mention that Autocad mapguide depends on landmarks to collect data and not streets which I believe best fit cities like Amman, Cairo, Tunis, etc.

But now I have to say this:

It’s just the beginning for many many many initiatives and opportunities.

If anybody is interested to play with maps and create miracles please contact me @ emadsalameh@gmail.com.

Related Posts:

GAM uses GIS to enhance performance

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

Type rest of the post here

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Emad, as this mapping system is for sure a step ahead for the country, I do not really think that new blue numbering has to do anything about it as it bears the same numbers of the metal plates placed on buildings. which make it for visual use only.

Amman Voice said...

What I meant by developing the street numbering system is to create a GIS parcel system for every address. GIS can integrate georeferenced imagery as data layers or themes and link them to other data sets to produce georeferenced representations of data. The GAM is developing this data now. As for the new bulky blue numbers seen on buildings, I agree that it's only visual.