There is a new website created under Google’s huge wings and that is morethanamap.com. First off let’s examine its usefulness and gather as much information as we can on it.
What does the website do?
It showcases how individual developers, businesses that creates apps and other websites use the Google Maps API to enrich the user experience on their platform. Through morethanamap.com, Google Maps functionalities such as Street View, traffic data, location data and tons and tons of real time information which can be converted into interesting visualizations are all on the front page to be seen by developers from around the world. In the website, product demos are displayed that will demonstrate how exactly the Google team in charge of Google Maps wants developers to take advantage of their work. And since it’s obvious that there is no other Mapping API from anywhere that can challenge the Google Map API, location based software can surely benefit from the large spectrum of real time data streamed by the API.
Once inside the site not only would a developer get the taste of the many creative ways their peers are using the power of Google Maps but Google also offers a full presentation of first hand testimonials. There are videos on the site that shows the interviews of some startup companies’ owners and how they have manage to use the Google Map API in such a fashion that they have prompted Google to highlight their creative work to be set as examples. The Google Map team also has a video up in the site that expresses what they want to see from the developers moving forward.
Reasoning Behind the Launching Of This New Site by Google
Google has had the Google Map API for quite a while now. That being said, it’s only logical to ask why the sudden highlight with this new website when you’ve had the technology all along? Many believe that the foray of Apple into the mapping service triggered this response from Google. And I have yet to meet a person that would argue with this theory.
The fact is, mapping, in recent years has been an integral part in mobile computing. Today there are about 800,000 websites and applications (most of them on mobile) which relies on the Google Map API for the data which powers their service. Interpreting these numbers is easy; it just means that whoever dominates the mapping technology also has control with the application market industry. In addition, anyone who has ever owned a smartphone should know this – the phone that has the better app market, has a better chance of grabbing the consumers’ wallet. We all know that Google is now a major player in the illustrious smartphone industry through its very own mobile platform Android – and is now turning to be a cash cow for the tech giant.
The Website’s Launch Is a Slap On The Face Of the Competition
It’s no secret that Apple has been struggling to get its own mapping service off the ground. In recent news Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has even issued a statement saying sorry to consumers about the lackluster of their newly launched attempt to break further away from Google’s services.
Having said all that, it is no coincidence that morethanamap.com publishes in broad daylight all the services that Google Map API has that are considered the shortcoming of Apple’s iOS map.
About Contributor: Sunny Popali is SEO Director at http://www.tempocreative.com/, Tempo Creative is an Arizona Inbound Marketing firm that has served over 700 clients since 2001. Tempo’s team specializes in digital and internet marketing services including web design, SEO, social media and strategy.