Map-Data Vendor Selection for Google Maps' South Korea Launch

Google Maps plans to launch in South Korea and will license its map data from a local supplier. Three domestic vendors are candidates. How would you decide which one to work with? ```hint Sort the requirements first Before comparing the three, list what the launch needs from the data and mark which requirements would rule out a vendor on their own. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Which data layers must the vendor supply: the road network and addresses, points of interest, public transit, live traffic, or all of them? - Must we sign exactly one vendor, or may we license different layers or regions from different vendors? - Do Korean rules limit where licensed map data can be stored and processed, and does that rule out any vendor or any of our existing systems? - Is the first aim to serve visitors who already use Google Maps at home, or to compete for local users of the domestic map apps? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - The launch goal and the users it serves first, and how they define good data for this market - The data layers needed and the selection criteria, with knockout requirements separated from those that can be traded off - How each vendor's claims are tested with evidence before a contract is signed - The commercial, strategic and regulatory risks of relying on a local supplier, and how to contain them - A recommendation process and the post-launch metrics that show whether the choice was right ### Follow-up Questions - The vendor with the best data also runs a map app that competes with Google Maps. Does that change your choice, and how would you protect Google if you still sign with it? - One vendor is strongest in large cities and another in rural areas. Would you combine them, and what does merging two sources cost? - A year after launch, users in Korea report map errors far more often than in comparable markets. How do you tell whether the vendor's data or Google's own processing is at fault?