geo api’s #win or #fail
TRANSCRIPT
GEO API’S #WIN OR #FAILJohn Fagan – Axon Active
@johnbfagan
04/18/2023 3
RIP Multimap.com
1995 – Dec 31st 2010 – 15 years old
www.axonactive.com
<html> <body> <img src="http://www.multimap.com/map/gif.cgi?pc=ec1n2ns&width=500&height=500"> </body></html>
Geo API- Inline Maps– circa 1996
Desktop GIS - MapInfo Desktop for Power Mac v4 – circa 1996
1996 - Multimap GeoStack
MapInfo Desktop for power mac
Hacked to make it serve maps over http
MapInfo Desktop for power mac
Hacked to make it serve maps over http
Collins BartholomewRaster maps
Collins BartholomewRaster maps
Multimap.comMultimap.com
gif.cgiMapping API +Caching
engine
gif.cgiMapping API +Caching
engine
MySQLMySQL
Bartholomew & OSGazetteer
Bartholomew & OSGazetteer
places.cgiplaces.cgi
04/18/2023 7
Gif.cgi Geo API
• Application Service Provider (Cloud?)• PAYG Business Model (transaction based)• No installation of software• No Maintenance• No Hosting• Just a HTTP endpoint
www.axonactive.com
Traditional GIS Vendor vs Multimap
Simple & ScaleableCost Effective
Fast
Complex & StandaloneExpensive
Slow
70% of all UK Retail companies adopted Multimap in early 2000’s
>> Fast forward a few years
04/18/2023 11
Traditional GIS Vendors
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 12
Axon Active position
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 13
First project @ Axon
Drive Time Analysis
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 14
Isochrone Requirement
• Drive Time and Walking Isochrones
• Web Service• Cost effective• Fast• de-coupled
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 15
GYM+ Club #FAIL
Provider Isochrones
Google #FAIL
Yahoo #FAIL
Bing #FAIL
Map24 #FAIL
MapQuest #FAIL
CloudMade #FAIL
ViaMichelin #FAIL
Mappy #FAIL
Maporama #FAIL
StreetMap #FAIL
www.axonactive.com
Isochrones not really mass market
04/18/2023 16
ESRI #WIN
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 17
ESRI #FAIL
Hosted Service ?European Coverage?Costs?
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 18
Computer says no.....EU Isochrones
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 19
ESRI – slightly confusing
ArcGIS OnlineArcGIS Online Map ServicesArcGIS Online SharingArcGIS Online Task servicesArcGIS Web Mapping APIsBusiness Analyst Online API ($3.30 report)ArcWebServicesArcGIS ServerArcGIS Online World Geocoding (North America only)Arcgis.com
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 20
Pitney Bowes #WIN
www.axonactive.com
04/18/2023 21
Pitney Bowes #FAIL
€6.40 per isochrone request6 sec per isochrone request
www.axonactive.com
Desktop GIS to the rescue
2010 - GeoStack
xx
xx
Axon Active Platform
Axon Active Platform
xService
xService
PostGISIsochrone cache
PostGISIsochrone cache
MapInfo
pre-compute
MapInfo
pre-compute
Isochrone Service
Isochrone Service
xx
xx
xService
xService
xx
xx
xService
xService
04/18/2023 24
Summary
• Geo industry has come along way #WIN• Routing, Geocoding, Mapping
• But more work to be done to improve accessibility to more advanced spatial functions • Geo API’s should be simple and accessible.• Much can be done
Isochrone API Choropleth API Heat Map API View Shed API Buffer API Point in Poly API
www.axonactive.com
Thanks
john faganAxon Active
ubergeo.com@johnbfagan