[ktta]

I mean the second they decide to license their Google Earth data including the cleanups they do on it, their offering will be unparalleled. There's no other org who has gone through this expensive process other than google.

Even if they decide to shut it down soon, the value companies and scientists get out of it will be worth it.

[Boothroid]

Presumably you are talking about the vector dataset? I think most of the raster imagery comes from commercial aerial imagery sources (certainly they have no monopoly whatsoever on that). I think there are other global vector datasets that are broadly comparable, no? Streetview excepted.

Maybe also worth pointing out that Google's record in geo isn't without its failures.

[Doctor_Fegg]

> the second they decide to license their Google Earth data including the cleanups they do on it

Haha. Good luck with that. Google doesn't give its geodata away.

[ktta]

We'd all be surprised, sure. But Google's biggest bet is cloud and I think they are willing to sacrifice a few things for the big win.