Using OpenStreetMap's tile servers

I've just submitted an update to the old Icon Map visual in Microsoft AppSource, which should go live very soon. The primary objective was to fix a security vulnerability identified in one of the underlying open-source libraries. This update also includes a number of other bug fixes that have been made since the previous release, which was a number of years ago.

During the build process, a warning appeared that the current method of coding the formatting panel is about to be deprecated. I will no longer be able to use that code going forward. Therefore, this will be the final update to the old Icon Map visual, as updating to the newer API would require significant work.

Another noticeable change in this update is a more prominent warning about using OpenStreetMap (OSM) map backgrounds. While this is highlighted in the documentation and sample file, it is now also emphasised in the visual itself.

OpenStreetMap data can be used in free and commercial products, provided the appropriate attribution and copyright notices are maintained. You can find more details here: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright. As a long-term contributor to OpenStreetMap, this is something I'm particularly passionate about.

So, what’s the situation with using OpenStreetMap backgrounds in Icon Map? While the use of the data is permitted, the use of the OpenStreetMap Foundation's servers is not: "OpenStreetMap data is free for everyone to use. Our tile servers are not." (https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles/).

The foundation's switch2OSM website is even more explicit: "Apart from very limited testing purposes, you should not use the tiles supplied by OpenStreetMap.org itself. OpenStreetMap is a volunteer-run non-profit body and cannot supply tiles for large-scale commercial use. Rather, you should use a third-party provider that makes tiles from OSM data, or generate your own." (https://switch2osm.org/using-tiles/)

It’s worth noting that other providers who offer free use of their services may stipulate specific requirements, such as use only for non-profit or public-facing sites.

This is why Icon Map provides the ability to use Mapbox tiles or a custom URL to configure a commercial provider or your own tile server. Please use the OpenStreetMap backgrounds only for testing purposes.

It’s also worth mentioning that other Power BI map visuals may not even adhere to the copyright, attribution, or usage policy, nor offer an alternative. At least four of the commercial Power BI map visuals provide OpenStreetMap layers hosted on the OSM servers. Some also offer backgrounds from other providers without providing the appropriate attribution, and some are not using the required API to access other commercial base map providers, possibly breaching those usage conditions.

This is a complex area, and it's something I wanted to address head-on when building Icon Map Pro. Icon Map Pro provides its own background map tile service, hosted by Tekantis, built using OpenStreetMap data and included within the visual's licence fee. As you can imagine, providing a map service with global coverage is no small undertaking, but it means that we are not dependent on using anyone else's servers for our maps.

Icon Map Pro also enables you, with the appropriate API key or credentials, to use other providers' background maps instead of the Tekantis hosted maps. This means that we also use the JavaScript APIs for Google Maps, Mapbox, Esri, and Maptiler where appropriate, to ensure that we comply with their licence terms, showing logos and attribution messages where required. This explains why you may see the Ordnance Survey, Google Maps, MapTiler, Mapbox, OpenWeatherMap etc logos overlaid on your maps.