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November 28, 2005
Mapquest Going Down
Posted by Dana Blankenhorn
Mapquest, the AOL-owned first-mover in online mapping, is about to fall.(That's their map of Cancun to the right.)
The Clue here is an AP story that looks like it was ordered-up by the AOL marketing department, but which can't resist showing cracks in the veneer.
The headline is about Mapquest pushing mobile mapping (which is good). The unwritten story is how Mapquest may be signing carriers to exclusive deals that keep rivals off, something that is possible since mobile "Internet" service is not Internet service at all, but private networks controlled by carriers.
Still, there are big problems revealed here, such as:
- Yahoo and Google now have, between them, nearly Mapquest's market share. Not good when you had a multi-year head start.
- Mapquest doesn't offer access to its code base, as those rivals do, so most exciting new applications are going elsewhere.
- Mapquest still doesn't offer satellite images. "Executives deemed them fun but not that useful." Let us decide what's useful, folks.
Mapquest may get along for a while with cellular exclusives, until mobile customers get wise to the cellular giants. In fact, carrier deals may be its one remaining advantage. Beause when compared as an offering to Yahoo, Google and even MSN, Mapquest just doesn't cut it anymore.
Where did Mapquest go wrong? The evidence is right before you. They decide what's good. They decide what's new. They decide what your user experience will be.
Wrong. We decide. You try to decide, we leave you.
And we're leaving Mapquest in droves.
Comments (5)
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Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for over 25 years and has covered the online world professionally since 1985. He founded the "Interactive Age Daily" for CMP Media, and has written for the Chicago Tribune, Advertising Age, and dozens of other publications over the years.
1. Christian Watson on November 28, 2005 04:28 PM writes...
I couldn't agree more. I keep waiting for MapQuest to bring out a new/updated version of its service, but nothing comes. It just looks SO old fashioned now.
I've long since abandonned using MapQuest for Google. However, it's worth noting that lots of regular users still think of MapQuest first when they need to look up a location or get directions. Some recent user testing on one of my web sites showed that overwhelmingly.
Permalink to Comment2. Dan on November 28, 2005 05:03 PM writes...
MapQuest? That thing still around?
Permalink to Comment3. Brad Hutchings on November 28, 2005 09:08 PM writes...
I think you misunderstand their business. Like all of the other big name in consumer driving directions, they license their data from NAVTEQ and render the data in the browser. For the consumer website product, they do it for free to end-users for personal, non-commercial use. Where MapQuest makes money is in packaging the data for businesses. One really nice piece of their B2B package is local points of interest data. A business might want to integrate that stuff into a web service or maybe some kind of handheld device. It's pricey, but think any business with a fleet of vehicles that isn't UPS/FedEx/DHL scale.
Anyway, the consumer site is just pushing the brand. Money is made selling SDKs and repackaged data (as NAVTEQ doesn't do many deals below 6 figures). Having investigated this for a product last summer, MapQuest is by far the most accessible of the big online map players in terms of accessibility to businesses. They actually called me back and talked at length with me about my application.
Permalink to Comment4. John Lamello on November 29, 2005 12:04 PM writes...
The map of Cancun signifies.... what?
Google's "best" Cancun map (just an outline of the peninsula) is here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=cancun,+mx&ll=20.344627,-88.000488&spn=3.502843,6.554443&hl=en
Yahoo doesn't even know what Cancun, MX means.
MSN's map is the best of all the Mapquest alternatives and it's the same or worse than Mapquest's:
http://www.mapblast.com/(de5bjx452nqvq3fogk4dsd55)/map.aspx?L=USA&C=21.12761%2c-86.81386&A=100.33333&P=|1695|&TI=Canc%c3%ban%2c+Quintana+Roo%2c+Mexico
So we now know that Dana used a tiny map of Cancun from Mapquest as an example of how *bad* Mapquest's quality is(?), but we also now know the no service listed by Dana as a serious threat to Mapquest compares favorably to Mapquest's map of Cancun.
Let's move on, shall we?
Mr. Blankenhorn says the story "looks like it was ordered-up by the AOL marketing department". Huh? Then why does the story describe innovations by Google and Yahoo favorably? Why does it point out the serious challenges to Mapquest posed by these popular services? Or is this comment simply a result of Mr. Blankenhorn's opinion that *anything* favorable about Mapquest *must* be a result of the AOL marketing machine?
Mapquest pioneered online maps and directions and they still do a great job. Maybe that's why there are still so many people who prefer to use it...?
As to Blankenhorn's comments about Mapquest signing exclusive deals with wireless carriers... I have no knowledge or opinion, but if the story is "unwritten", Dana, how can you use it to make a point? I can't read about it... where did you read about it?
Dana said, "Mapquest may get along for a while with cellular exclusives, until mobile customers get wise to the cellular giants. In fact, carrier deals may be its one remaining advantage. Beause when compared as an offering to Yahoo, Google and even MSN, Mapquest just doesn't cut it anymore."
I say, "Retire your crystal ball, Blankenhorn... it's as offbase as your Cancun example."
Permalink to Comment5. LVV Technology on November 29, 2005 02:28 PM writes...
I almost always use the Yahoo maps. They are fantastic. Wonderful for real estate open houses. I've tried Mapquest (occasionally in Vancouver BC, Yahoo Maps didn't have coverage). I agree Mapquest, was clunky and ugly - sort of an embarassment to present to site visitors. Talk about squandered opportunity. Didn't know about Google maps (satellite yes, but regular no). Will give them a try as well.
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