Google rivals join forces in online maps

Google was notably absent from the list of companies teaming up in Overture, which said its goal is to expand membership to speed up progress. — Dreamstime/TNS

SAN FRANCISCO: Google rivals on Dec 15 unveiled a project to make freely available data sets for map features to be built into online offerings.

Alphabet-owned Google dominates online mapping, selling its services to other companies or platforms and using location and navigation capabilities to enhance its other offerings, including online advertising.