Despite the growing popularity of mobile mapping portals, PC-based mapping sites continue to attract more visitors. While Asia-Pacific is currently lagging behind North America and Europe, it is expected to bypass both regions by 2013 with 245 million visitors, driven by the increasing popularity of local Chinese portals Sohu and Baidu.
�In the US, the protracted battle between Google Maps and MapQuest has finally been won by Google surpassing its competitor in terms of visits for the first time in April 2009,� says ABI Research practice director Dominique Bonte. �The unique Google Street View feature, the availability of Google Maps for mobile on the iPhone including the recently launched crowd-sourced traffic information, and geo-enabled location toolbars have all been deciding factors.�
At the same time, navigation vendors TomTom and Nokia continue to integrate their online mapping portals into their mobile offers. The TomTom route planner takes into account real-time traffic information for immediate departures or historic speed data for future trips to determine the best route. Nokia increasingly positions Ovi Maps as a differentiator � as evidenced during the recent Booklet 3G netbook launch � blurring the boundaries between fixed and mobile mapping solutions.
NAVTEQ has launched its own mapping portal including directions, local search, traffic, drive time calculations, junction and exit views, and transit information providing an impressive showcase of its capabilities.
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