Oakland Becomes the First Major City to Replace Google Maps Engine With CartoDB
Since Google announced in January that it was phasing out Google Maps Engine (GME), many customers have since found themselves in search of a suitable replacement. With only six months of GME support left, it’s starting to become clearer what those replacements will be. One replacement that customers are beginning to turn to is CartoDB.
The City of Oakland is the most recent example of a customer migrating their data from GME to CartoDB. "CartoDB represented a non-disruptive GME replacement for the City" said, Brian Kimball, a Spatial Data Analyst for the City of Oakland. “But as we learned more about it, we quickly recognized that it provided several powerful tools for configuring different elements of our applications while preserving same Google Maps user experience our end users are accustomed to seeing.” The City of Oakland worked closely with its existing consulting firm, Onix Networking, a certified Google Partner, on the migration process. Dal VanDervort, Vice President of GIS at Onix Networking commented, “Considering the time and resources the City had invested into GME, CartoDB was the most obvious replacement. The actual migration was a very straightforward process, and we now have opportunities looking ahead to incorporate CartoDB’s rich geospatial analytics and visualizations into applications for citizens and city officials.”
CartoDB has positioned itself as a next generation SaaS mapping platform, both for its ability to handle large volumes of static and dynamic geospatial data, as well as its rapid development of location intelligence applications. With capabilities like this, CartoDB has gained popularity as a strong candidate to replace GME. “We are working diligently with our partners, like Onix, to help customers migrate from GME. By integrating our core technology with Google Maps, we’re providing customers smooth transition along with great advantages unique to the CartoDB platform,” says Javier de la Torre, CEO of CartoDB. “We understand that it is a critical time for GME customers and will continue providing them with focused support to achieve a positive outcome.”
By moving to CartoDB, City of Oakland officials will benefit from a range of new opportunities to build geospatial applications on behalf of its policy makers and citizens. They have also set the stage for other cities and corporations seeking an alternative to GME to consider making the move to CartoDB.
For more information, visit cartodb.com/solutions/