I have been interested in GIS applications like WAZE for some time now. Not nessarily for the new and exciting functionality found within, but more for the way the data is being collected and then used on a map.  With the growth in GPS enabled mobile devices and smartphones, we have essentially armed everyone carrying these devices with the tools for collecting location based data and then sending it back to a data hungry database. This has enabled developers to focus more on functionality and reporting capabilities as opposed to creating, collecting and maintaining data which has always been the basis for development. Therefore, the more users that use an application, such as WAZE,  the better the application and/or data becomes over time. Essentially the application users themselves become the data stewards for enhancing the application and keeping the data fresh and up to date. The WAZE product takes this approach by developing tools that allow users to create, maintain and even share the very data they are using within the application itself. This of course only enhances the product the more users who download and begin using it on a daily basis. You can take a guided tour of the Waze App by clicking here.

Waze is a social mobile application that enables drivers to build and use real-time road intelligence. The service includes constantly-updated road maps, alerts on traffic and accidents, and data providing users with the fastest route to get to wherever they need to go.

Map and traffic updates are automatically collected and generated as users drive with waze activated, but drivers can also actively report and update other users with what’s happening on the road including accident alerts, police traps, weather hazards, cheap gas offers and more. And the best part? Because the map and all of its content is driver-generated, waze is completely free for users.
from www.waze.com

The WAZE application is FREE and available on Iphone as well as Android and can be downloaded from their respected marketplaces.

Related posts:

1. Google releases v2.0 of Google Maps (Mobile) With “My Location”
2. Online Training – GPS Mapping for GIS – June 11
3. LizardTech announces GeoExpress 7 release
4. Map your LinkedIn Connections
5. Talk about “Building Integrity into the Data.”