Wikipedia has just given the announcement that they will switch from Google Maps to the open source Open Street Map, for both the iOS and Android systems.

This has been a very popular move for many different organizations and websites. Google Maps was the frontrunner in this area but is now being toppled over by Open Street Map. The year before, Google was able to add rate limits that the users can use with the Google Maps API. However, there were some defects that emerged on the interface which did make a lot of its users quite happy.

Many other websites and organizations have defected such as Foursquare, Apple, and Microsoft. These companies have been heavy users of the Google Maps and since their previous choice was not answering their needs then they have all moved to something they feel that is entirely better for the purpose that they want which is Open Street Map.

With Wikipedia’s move, there may be others who may be enticed doing the same thing. Soon, many of the organizations and websites that are relying heavily on maps may find that the Open Street Map is more useful to them compared to the Google Maps. If this is something that Google Maps cannot address soon then soon, most people will move to Open Street Map for their mapping needs.

For the apps that are currently on phones and other mobile devices, the new iOS version of Wikipedia will feature something that is similar to its Android app that was launched back in January of this year. There will be options that will allow the users to share what they have read and then save the pages that they would like to read again in the future or for offline viewing when the internet is not available for connection. Both the app versions will have a search bar. The Android version of the app will have a user interface that will be compatible with tablets soon. The updated apps are available from the respective stores such as the Apple iTunes, Android Market, and Google Play Store.