Apple's efforts to create its own mapping software has led to a different set of maps for its new mobile operating system built specifically for China.
苹果公司(Apple)在自主开发地图软件的过程中,专门针对中国打造了一套用于新版手机操作系统的地图。
When the Silicon Valley company released its iOS 6 mobile operating system last week, customers who upgraded their devices began to complain that one of the marquee technologies a new maps app to replace Google's GOOG -0.03% maps service had misplaced or missing labels for businesses, landmarks and roads.
在这家硅谷公司上周发布iOS 6移动操作系统后,更新了操作系统的用户开始抱怨说,新系统的主打技术之一──取代谷歌(Google)地图服务的新地图应用--存在误标或漏标商户、地标和道路的情况。
Customers in China, however, found more detailed maps covering their country than those overseas, in part because their data is provided by AutoNavi Holdings, a Chinese mapping company that makes auto navigation systems as well as virtual maps and satellite images. AutoNavi is also the most widely used mobile mapping service in China, with 45% market share, according to Analysys International.
但中国的用户却发现国内地图比国外地图更加详细。部分原因在于,他们的数据是由制作汽车导航系统、虚拟地图和卫星影像的中国地图公司高德软件有限公司(AutoNavi Holdings)提供的。高德也是中国使用最广的移动地图服务,据易观国际(Analysys International)的数据显示,它占有45%的市场份额。
But in a sign of the continued isolation of China's Internet from the rest of the world, Apple hasn't integrated AutoNavi with information from Dutch navigation system maker TomTom, which helps to power Apple's mapping service in other parts of the world.
但苹果并没有把高德的数据和荷兰导航系统制作商TomTom提供的信息整合到一起。TomTom为世界其他地区的苹果地图服务提供支持。这也显示中国的互联网仍就没有同世界其他地区融合在一起。
When customers in China attempt to look at other countries in street-detail mode, the maps outside China lack features such as landmarks and public transit stops. The Chinese maps also don't include functions available on Apple's international mapping software such as spoken driving directions or the 3-D flyover technology that Apple has developed for several cities. The Chinese maps do provide written driving directions to get from one place to another.
中国用户想以放大到街道的模式查看其他国家的地图时,会发现那些地图缺少地标和公交车站等内容。另外,中国地图不包含苹果国际地图软件上的一些功能,比如语音驾车指引,以及苹果为多座城市开发的3D俯瞰技术。中国地图倒也提供从一个地方到另一个地方的文字驾车指引。
If customers in China turn on the satellite image feature or layer road and place names on top of the satellite image, they can only see China, while the rest of the world is left black.
中国用户要是打开卫星影像功能或将道路、地名叠加在卫星影像之上,那么他们就只能看到中国,世界其他地方全是黑的。
Integrating the two would take time due to a number of complexities, which include integrating map search databases and coding, a person familiar with the matter said.
一位知情人士说,把两者统一起来将需要时间,因为其中涉及到一些复杂情况,比如地图搜索数据库和编码的整合。
Due to sensitivities over government and military installations, only 11 companies in China have licenses to do comprehensive mapping, and half of those simply exist to support the government.
由于政府和军事设施的敏感性,中国只有11家公司拥有全面测绘地图的牌照,其中一半只为支持政府工作而存在。
The separated technologies Apple has built for the Chinese markets underscore the challenges it faces building its own maps technology rather than relying on Google's offerings. Mapping experts say creating a comprehensive set of digital maps requires a lot of time and integration of data from many sources to ensure they're all accurate, something Google has been doing since 2005.
苹果专门针对中国市场开发技术,凸显出它开发自有地图、摆脱对谷歌地图的依赖所面临的挑战。地图专家说,制作一套全面的电子地图需要耗费很多时间,还需要整合来自多种渠道的数据,以确保数据全部准确。谷歌从2005年以来就一直在做这件事。
Apple still has refinements to make both globally and in China. Searches for businesses and landmarks in China often turn up incorrect results.
苹果不管是在全世界还是在中国都还需要改进。在中国搜索商户和地标也会经常出错。
Ultimately the maps will likely prove popular with Chinese customers, however. AutoNavi already provides data for Baidu's widely used mapping services, and the Chinese mapping company has spent years accumulating databases of businesses, location names and roads. Google also integrates AutoNavi into its own mapping service.
但最终,苹果地图可能还是会受到中国用户的欢迎。高德已经在为百度(Baidu)用户众多的地图服务提供数据,并花了很多年的时间积累商户、地名和道路数据库。谷歌也将高德整合到了自己的地图服务中。
Although Apple's iPhone sales in China doubled in the third quarter, the growth slowed from more than fivefold in the preceding one. Apple is facing increasingly fierce competition in China from rivals such as Samsung Electronics and HTC, which are unveiling pricey devices with big screens and fast processors, and local players such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE, which are offering less expensive phones with competitive specs.
虽然第三财季苹果在中国的iPhone销量实现翻番,但相比前一个季度四倍以上的增速还是慢了下来。苹果在中国市场面临着激烈的竞争,三星电子(Samsung Electronics)和宏达国际(HTC)不断推出大屏幕、处理速度快的高端手机,而华为(Huawei Technologies)和中兴(ZTE)等本土厂商也在出售规格有竞争力、价格更便宜的手机。
To gain an advantage, Apple likely chose AutoNavi because it provides the best overall data and system out there compared with its Chinese competitors, according to Jake Lynch, an analyst at Macquarie Group in Shanghai.
麦格理集团(Macquarie Group)驻上海分析师林奇(Jake Lynch)说,苹果之所以选择高德,可能是因为和其他中国的竞争对手相比,高德提供的数据和系统整体而言是目前最好的。
Mr. Lynch said AutoNavi invests twice as much capital in its products when compared to its nearest Chinese competitor, NavInfo, which holds 43.2% market share. 'AutoNavi's overall experience and accuracy is the best of the competitors,' he said.
林奇说,高德对产品的投入比仅次于它的中国竞争对手、市场份额为43.2%的四维图新(NavInfo)多出一倍。他说,高德的整体体验和准确度是竞争对手当中最好的。