MapQuest Offers Free API

MapQuest announced on their blog this morning that they are offering developers the "MapQuest Platform: Free Edition." According to the announcement, "We’re giving developers greater flexibility and choice by enabling them to develop in a variety of programming languages and environments, they can even mix and match: Java, C++, .NET, JavaScript, AS3 (Adobe ActionScript: Flash, Flex, AIR), and our newest API: FUJAX (Flash Under JavaScript and XML), which allows developers to write in JavaScript, yet leverage the power of Flash."

Key aspects of the API include:

1. Aerial imagery and hybrid views
2. Smooth zoon
3. Globe view
4. Smart Rollovers
5. Smart panning or "flickable" viewing
6. "Decluttering" of POIs
7. Unlimited Worldwide maps
8. Unlimited geocoding: single, batch, reverse
9. Routing
10. Tools to upload map updates.

MapQuest says that starting with the 5.0 release of their APIs that they’ve rebuilt it from the ground up. Their current version is 5.2 and version 5.3 is in beta (available now for download)