From launch to closure to open source in a few short months

Vodafone makes Wayfinder code open source

Back in September 2009 we reported this. How full of bright intentions Vodafone was back in those heady autumn days.

Then in March Vodafone said it was shutting Wayfinder, for which it paid €24 million, down. The move followed the launch of free navigation from Ovi Maps and Google onto handsets.

Today, the operator said it was making the Wayfinder code open source to developers.

Remember, Google and Nokia are the operators’ friends, right?

Today’s press release from Vodafone

Vodafone will make its location based services software open source on http://oss.wayfinder.com. The code will be made available on github. The aim is to offer other organisations the opportunity to use a code base which has been developed over the past decade so that they can build new and innovative navigation products which widen choice for consumers.

“Given our decision to stop developing turn by turn location based services as part of our core business, it seemed an obvious choice to make the code we own open source” said Pieter Knook, Director of Internet Services at Vodafone Group. “We look forward to seeing its continued use in all sorts of different applications in the future.”

In addition to making the software open source and in recognition of the specific needs of the blind and partially sighted community Wayfinder Systems will offer all Wayfinder Access subscribers a fixed refund on their existing service. Full details of this will be made available in September on the Vodafone.com website.

Product developers are supportive of the decision. “At Code Factory we welcome this Vodafone initiative and we are willing to add new products to our accessible navigation software product line. Mobile Geo, our GPS solution for Windows Mobile has become a world reference among the blind community and we are now ready to start new GPS projects”, explained Eduard Sanchez, Code Factory’s CEO.