There has been a lot of discussion and presentations about the benefits software as a service, data as a service and cloud computing over the last 2 conferences. Providers such as Google, Yahoo & Microsoft have been pioneers in this area. But what is available beyond the basic applications of Mapping, Routing and Geocoding. What services are available that tackle more sophisticated spatial analysis and data processing functions? Do we still need the Desktop GIS, or can we pick and choose what we want from the cloud? What is this so called "GYM" club doing to offer more advanced API’s? How are traditional vendors responding to this change?"
This presentation aims to tackle these questions and also uses a real world example of a customer requirement for spatial analysis in which a ASP (Application Service Provider) Geo API solution was the preferred approach. The presentation will initially set some context; discuss history and evolution of Geo API’s and finally talk through the case study and recommendations.
5. Desktop GIS - MapInfo Desktop for Power Mac v4 – circa 1996
6. 1996 - MultimapGeoStack Multimap.com gif.cgi Mapping API +Caching engine places.cgi MapInfo Desktop for power mac Hacked to make it serve maps over http MySQL Collins Bartholomew Raster maps Bartholomew & OS Gazetteer
37. Much can be doneIsochrone API Choropleth API Heat Map API View Shed API Buffer API Point in Poly API www.axonactive.com 9/29/2010 24
38. Thanks john fagan Axon Activeubergeo.com@johnbfagan
Notas del editor
Hi, my name is John Fagan and I am going to talk about Geo API’sAny body went to wherecampeu?
I am sure most of you have not heard about Axon ActiveWe are start-up company that among many things uses gis technology to solve customer problemsThe founder originally founded Endoxon....But i would like to segway, this might be a bit random, but i would like a moment to recognise the end of arguably one of the most well known geo websites in UK.....and that is Multimap.com
Yes, as of the end of this year Multimap.com will no longer be. I guess most of you would not care, as you have not used Multimap for yearsWhy am i mentioning this?Well i spent the best part of my working career at Multimap, plus there is a valid reason that Multimap were succresful at building geo api’sMultimap was not just about the consumer siteIt was all about the Business Services, the consumer site was just a play ground to test new services
Building Geo API’s that allow mainstream customers to embed maps in their sitesThis could be achieved by the average joe web developersimple imgsrc tag to embed a mapUsing simple terms such as pixels and postcodesWeb developer did not need to understang GIS or know about itIn fact freshly off my GIS degree at Kingston, Sean Phelan said we are not a GIS comapnyBut we did need GIS technology to run Multimapand in the very early days we used a Desktop GIS
Later we worked with ESRI and they hacked Maplex (desktop) and built a automation object to work with MapObjects, so we can serve maps over the web
OK, the GEO API we built, but it was not very excitingTraditional vendors had a lot more to offer and far more exciting compared to the web 1.0 mappers who just served up maps, no flexiblity, the same type of map, same projectiong over and over again
Geo API’s should be simple and accessible.
Fast forward a few years and there are a lot of great companies with far better geo api’sBetter coverage, more data types, more functional etc..
Even traditiona vendors providing api solutions
Axon Actives position is to sit above all these providers and use the best bits to meet our customers needs (when they have a geo requirement)For me, starting at Axon Active, this was an attractive proposition. For so many years i had been involved in building Geo APIs and tracking the industry seeing what else is available,Now I have the opportunity to use all the great technologies available on the market today
as a gisindudstry are we really in the mainstream. still a lot of in accessible technology locks up on the desktop of server softwarewhercampeu brain storm – came up with these ideasCompanies to watch ? Googles Fusion Tables and GeocommonsGeoIQ product (for visualisation)