Tuesday, March 7. 2006

Free MapQuest API Announced

MapQuest announced the availibility of a free API for use in non-commercial applications at the O'Reilly Emerging Technologies Conference beginning today in San Diego. The company also announced a contest for the "best mashup" using the API; the winner gets $1000 and a free pass to another conference.

Realistically one must ask:

Why'd it take so long? MapQuest is far, far behind Google, Yahoo and Microsoft in opening its API.

Why's it better? The press release says very little about what's available but does note it includes "a core set of mapping, geocoding and routing tools."

Why announce at the Emerging Tech Conference? My immediate response is that this is NOT emerging technology; rather its "old hat." My second thought is that announcing that at Emerging Tech and not a geo-focussed conference suggests how "mainstream" it is. And, of course, you can't give a free pass to a geo conference as a contest prize if you announce the technology to be used in the contest at the geo event...

via Spatially Adjusted

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Hi Adena,

very good questions. Lemme see if I can provide some realistic answers for you

all the "press release" speak aside, the API includes integrated geocoding & routing as part of the API (not separate services) - its a rounded out package of functionality, which we feel moves the bar higher on that key word - functionality. Given O'Reilly's audience, we felt that Etech was the right place to kickstart a dialogue with developers about where we take this thing.

Why it took so long is a much bigger answer than I should put here, but I'll be at Location Intelligence and would love the chance to buy you a drink and tell you all the sordid details of love, betrayal, vengeance, and coffee that culminated in being able to release OpenAPI

Thanks
Ant

#1 Ant (Link) on 2006-03-07 15:06 (Reply)

Yeah, geocoding and routing - or, speaking end-user language, driving directions - was the main reason I picked Mapquest out of three. And it works like a charm for me here so far http://www.funandsafdriving.com/ddirections.html

#1.1 Misha (Link) on 2008-02-04 12:15 (Reply)

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In reply to	[ Top level ]#1: Ant on 2006-03-07 15:06   #1.1: Misha on 2008-02-04 12:15
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