Microsoft Releases Bing Maps iOS SDK
Microsoft’s march to compete is continuing to plow forward. Recently they’ve been making their presence on iOS known. They release OneNote, PhotoSynth and of course, the Bing iPad app that’s great. In their latest move, they’ve released a Bing Maps iOS SDK. What’s it do?
This new SDK gives developers a set of Objective C classes to develop iPhone and iPad applications within Xcode, along with documentation and several sample projects to help them get started quickly. The iOS map control supports Bing’s road, aerial and hybrid aerial map styles, and includes the ability to add pushpins to the maps and access the user’s location via the GPS to locate the phone on the map.
In keeping with our focus on performance across the Bing Maps platform, we have separated the Bing Maps Controls from the Bing Maps services to lighten the load. This means you can use the Bing Maps iOS Control in conjunction with the Bing Maps REST Service (Geocoding and Routing) to build a fully featured mobile map application. Additionally, you can hit Bing search services to pull local listing information.
And as always, developers can integrate Bing Maps into consumer-facing mobile applications for free (you can read the fine print here). We think you will find that the terms of use are less restrictive than what you find with the Apple Map Kit, with no sacrifice in functionality.
They also remind people that there’s a Bing Maps SDK for Windows Phones and a Codeplex SDK for Android. Put this into the context of Microsoft signing a deal with RIM the other day and of course there’s Nokia’s Ovi mapping being integrated. It’s pretty clear that Microsoft is starting to flex it’s muscles a bit in the mapping world. And here’s Microsoft expending itself without sacrificing its own platform. Game on.
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Good. Whatever it takes to get more mapping shit both on WP and Microsoft mapping shit elsewhere and people who code elsewhere coding other places, good. As a “consumer” phone (which is what Microsoft calls WP), really, navigation shit is paramount, should be among their top priorities whether it’s their own software or enabling and seducing devs out there to crank stuff out like the few things you’ve posted.
What would make your WP experience better, what I’m describing or more EAS shit? More map shit. Google Maps plus Microsoft’s magic touch with their better street view, whatever, just give the people something soon one way or the other.
Good to see Doug with some constructive criticism and opinions. Yes, WP7 needs better mapping and navigation services, especially outside the U.S. Hopefully Ovi Maps will help with that. It also needs better instant messaging applications. Get off your ass Microsoft and bring you Messenger app to WP7, and how about bring your Bing app up to date with your BIng for iOS app. Photosynth too please.