Google Maps API: An Overview
Google Maps API is a free service offered by the major search engine allowing websites to embed Google Maps on the web pages or mobile applications. From business point of view, this service offers added features to companies that want to add maps to their freely accessible websites, mobile apps or their internal websites.
By integrating Google Maps API for your business, you allow your site visitors to visualise location based data and get engaged with the embedded interactive maps. Some of the beneficial features of this free service for businesses include-
- Street view allowing visitors to get directions through street route.
- Geocoding web service allowing 100 000 requests per day.
- Directions web service allowing 100 000 requests per day with 23 waypoints per request.
- Distance matrix web service allowing 625 elements per query (1000 elements per 10 seconds or 100 000 elements per day).
- Elevation web service allowing 100 000 requests per day with 1 000 000 samples per day.
- High static Maps API maximum resolution.
- 4X static Maps API maximum scale.
- 2048 x 2048 street view image API maximum resolution.
- Protected fusion tables layers.
This service is publicly available for businesses and allows internal deployments, reselling services with Google Maps, control of advertising and private asset tracking. These features provide added advantages to your business website-
- Accessible on mobile devices.
- Worldwide map coverage.
- Customisable features.
- Allows web developers to create maps quickly.
Businesses can license Google Maps service as an embedded feature for their stand-alone device or software. For more information about OEM licensing, contact a Google Enterprise Sales Manager.
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