Unexpectedly coinciding, many individuals, groups, and companies are developing digital mapping tools in various forms. With so many households creating digital maps, will the day soon come when everyone can use this smart and convenient tool?
The Compass of the Digital Age
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Searching for directions on the Internet via www.diadiem.com |
When I arrived at a café for PDA users to install some applications for PocketPC, I was offered a free installation of a digital map for the Hanoi area called HandMap. If I wanted to install the map of Vietnam and other countries called SmartMap, I would need to pay a few USD.
However, even with just HandMap, the convenience is evident as the streets of Hanoi are at my fingertips, even though this tool only serves as a replacement for the traditional paper map I am used to.
Mr. Tuan, the leader of the Vietkey Group, shared with me about a digital mapping application in South Korea that I found fascinating. When I got into a friend’s car speeding through the streets of Seoul, a digital map system installed in the vehicle provided directions wherever needed.
The specialized device resembled a PDA installed in the car. It could display coordinates, routes, distances, remind about red lights, and even warn the driver if they took a wrong turn…!
Mr. Tuan mentioned that such systems are quite common in many countries, with some offering 3D maps that provide a lively interface close to reality, along with rich data to prevent digital maps from being ineffective in finding routes.
He estimated that the cost of installing such a system in a car ranges from $700 to $1,000, which is similar to the price of a PDA, including GPS, software, and data…
Currently, in Vietnam, there are increasing numbers of websites offering Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. Although not yet sophisticated, they are capable of meeting the diverse needs of users, from determining routes, bus lines, hotel and restaurant addresses, tourist attractions, to finding the shortest paths…
Three trees together make a tall mountain!
| Some websites integrating digital maps – Online map bank (http://basao.com.vn) with maps of 61 provinces, services related to real estate, cultural-socio-economic information, transportation, hotels-restaurants, tourism… – Website of the Hanoi Transport Corporation (TRANCERCO, http://www.hanoitranserco.com.vn) guiding bus routes. – Location page (http://www.diadiem.com) with a map searchable by company name, phone number… – Ho Chi Minh City website (http://www.hochiminhcity.gov.vn) featuring maps of the entire city and its districts. |
Compared to actual demand, the existing forms of digital maps in Vietnam are still at a rudimentary level. Training courses on digital mapping, GIS, GPS… are still being launched. As technology becomes more widely applied and urgent, the number of Internet, phone, and handheld device users in Vietnam is rapidly increasing, so digital maps will not lack opportunities to thrive.
The potential for commercialization has been recognized, leading some entities to target this market. At the recent Vietnam Intellectual Property Awards 2005, the product diadiem.com from Vina’s Shelter made it to the finals.
After widely announcing the product, during the recent Lunar New Year, the team members collaborated to build an information and guidance page based on the digital map, assisting residents of Ho Chi Minh City in celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Dog in 2006.
MDV, also based in Ho Chi Minh City and led by “80s director” Nguyen Thanh Trung, has planned a project to display maps for the entire territory of Vietnam on the Internet.
Trung described that with just a mobile phone or computer, users could access the Internet to find any location updated in the system across Vietnam. For instance, to reach a café in Ho Chi Minh City, one only needs to have a phone…
The Vietkey team is also aiming for a similar product. According to him, the system has achieved about 40% completion, and the final outcome will not only include searching and locating but also guiding users to desired addresses. This system will primarily target drivers and will be used on PDA devices.
Mr. Tuan mentioned that the collaboration of many individuals and entities in creating digital maps is inevitable, as technology and the need to use it are now ready. Some new cars imported into Vietnam already come equipped with GPS… “If we don’t do it, others will, and that’s nothing surprising,” Mr. Tuan shared. This system has been in his plans for quite some time but has not been completed for various reasons…
In Vietnam, PDA/Internet and GPS — the two foundational elements for digital maps are already present. However, digital mapping itself is still in its early stages of development. The question remains: when will these three elements “come together” to make this tool’s convenience accessible to every citizen? Many are working on digital maps, but which will be the product that reaches everyday life and competes with international products?…
Bui Dung
