Ericsson Labs new Web/Mobile Maps API allows developers to add map functionality to their applications.

Hjalmar Olsson is one of the research engineers at Ericsson Labs who, together with partner Idevio, helped launched the Maps API earlier this year. He says: “It’s a great tool for making prototypes and trying out new, innovative ideas.”

Olsson says that the API is mainly intended for students, start-ups and hobby developers but anyone is welcome to use it. 

The Web/Mobile Maps API is actually two separate APIs, but with the same back-end: one for web applications and one for mobile applications. The mobile version comes in two flavors: one for Java ME and one for Android.

What kind of applications can you create with it?

You can create a wide range of applications, starting with very simple ones, such as adding GPS data to a map. You can also create more complex applications with layers of information on top of maps. All you have to do is sign up to Ericsson Labs, get a developer key and use that to get the maps you need. And there are examples and tutorials available on the web site to guide the less experienced developer.  

This API is suitable for applications that add value to people’s personal lives. For example, imagine taking a stroll with your mobile camera, and after taking an interesting picture, you just add it to a map at the position where you took it, attaching maybe a piece of written information. Developing an application like that from scratch would take some effort and that is where our API fits in. We want to help developers concentrate on their ideas and what interests them, rather than spend years on developing software.

For the map data we use two suppliers: Tele Atlas and OpenStreetMap. The latter is sort of a “Wikipedia” for maps, a non-commercial initiative which has grown enormously and now has a huge database of map data to choose from.

Do you see any trends in relation to your API? 

Maps and location-based services are definitely here to stay, so I would say it is more than a trend. Look for instance at the rapid uptake of car navigation systems, or maps in web applications. 

What feedback have you had so far?

Generally it has been positive although it is a bit too early to say anything definitive. Since the release of the Android version of our mobile API, we have noticed an increased interest on internet discussion forums.

What are your plans for the future?

Soon a new version of Android Maps will be released, with support for OpenStreetMap data and a completely new interface for static images. As for the longer term, we do not have any definitive plans, but there are quite a lot of discussions on the web today around satellite, bird and street view maps. We might do something related to that.

To view examples of services that the API can be used for, go to Ericsson Labs’ applications web page. 

By Benny Ritzén