Mapzen, founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York City, was an open source mapping platform company focused on the core components of geo platforms, including search (geocoding), rendering (vector tiles), [1] navigation/routing, and data. Mapzen's components are used by OpenStreetMap, CartoDB, and Remix, amongst others. [2] [3] The components, hosted on GitHub, are written in JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and Python. [4] Mapzen's CEO, Randy Meech, was previously SVP of engineering for MapQuest. [5] Mapzen was supported by Samsung Research America and was known to have hired mapping specialists from Apple. [6]
Mapzen shut down operations in late January, 2018. [7] [8]
On the 28th of January 2019 The Linux Foundation announced Mapzen would become a Linux Foundation Project. [9]
Mapzen's hosted products were powered by open-source components, including:
Gecko is a browser engine developed by Mozilla. It is used in the Firefox browser, the Thunderbird email client, and many other projects.
GNUstep is a free software implementation of the Cocoa Objective-C frameworks, widget toolkit, and application development tools for Unix-like operating systems and Microsoft Windows. It is part of the GNU Project.
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OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveys, trace from aerial imagery and also import from other freely licensed geodata sources. OpenStreetMap is freely licensed under the Open Database License and as a result commonly used to make electronic maps, inform turn-by-turn navigation, assist in humanitarian aid and data visualisation. OpenStreetMap uses its own topology to store geographical features which can then be exported into other GIS file formats. The OpenStreetMap website itself is an online map, geodata search engine and editor.
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data. The foundation was formed in February 2006 to provide financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Free and open-source geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources.
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