Mashups combine information from different Web sites into an integrated experience, often layering information over maps to create a visual navigable picture of a particular event or phenomenon.
They're fun and fairly easy to create and duplicate, but is there any way to make any money here? Map technology providers like Google and Microsoft are widely expected to begin selling geographically
relevant ads on their maps, but what about the companies that enable consumer-generated mashups? Platial, for one, lets people create personalized maps where they can tell stories and show where and
how events transpired. The company, which bills itself as "The People's Atlas," plans to launch a local advertising system in the next few weeks, but in a different way from Google and Yahoo, a
company executive told CNET. The problem with monetizing these personalized maps is the small geographic spaces that they cover. This factor limits both the user base and the possible inventory.
Mashups also involve using software from the Googles and Yahoos of the world, which means they might expect royalty fees if people start to make money. For marketers, mashup ads that appear on real
estate sites could prove to be a worthwhile buy, as sellers try to highlight the surrounding neighborhood of a given house.
Read the whole story at CNET News.com »
