Google lower prices for Google Maps API and continuous support on iOS
A few days before the launch of its annual conference, Google announced lower fares for developers who have adopted Google Maps.
In October 2011, Google introduced new conditions for the use of programming interfaces for its mapping service like Google Maps. The Mountain View company explained in effect that publishers whose user base generates more than 25,000 classic card each day and 2500 personalized cards will be charged a fees. Since the introduction of this pricing formula, developers have turned to alternative and freeware solutions. This is particularly the case with Apple or Foursquare that rely on open source openStreetMap service.
These costs were bearing the costs of server maintenance. For every thousand additional maps generated, the developer would donate $4 to Google. This rate was divided by 8 to 50 cents. Also, Google is no longer supporting the difference between standard cards and personalized cards and adds that "these costs will only affect 0.35% of the sites regularly that exceed the limit of 25,000 cards issued each day for 90 consecutive days".
Meanwhile, the next version of Maps on iOS 6 will not revolve around Google Maps, but on technology developed by Apple and from its various acquisitions including Placebase, Poly9 and C3 Technologies. If Google loses a major client, the California firm does not, however, would abandon its efforts on Apple's mobile OS. Indeed, the specialized site 9to5Mac reports that Jeff Huber, vice president of Commerce & Local department at Google, recently said about the Street View feature, "we want to deploy an extraordinary experience for Google maps on IOS".
Re: Google lower prices for Google Maps API and continuous support on iOS
Google will launch its own standalone application to rival the Apple platform. It would not be strange, since there is Google Earth application on the App Store and it also has a good number of downloads. Perhaps even taking advantage of this application and applying some improvements? For now we know for sure that Google will offer its new three-dimensional mapping system in IOS in a few weeks.
