The move by Amazon Web Services to launch a new service that lets developers add maps and location-based features to applications is likely to create some interesting competition for Google. While it is true that AWS Location Service is nowhere near Google Maps currently, the Cloud giant has the deep pockets and tech bandwidth to improve quickly. The AWS service is built on high-quality geospatial data from Esri and HERE — two of the biggest location data providers in the world — and plans to add more partners.
“Priced at a fraction of common alternatives, Amazon Location Service gives you access to maps and location-based services from multiple providers on an economical, pay-as-you-go basis,” according to AWS Chief Evangelist Jeff Barr.
No prizes for guessing who Barr was referring to as the “common alternatives”. Coming at a fraction of the cost, the service gives developers — especially small and medium ones — a choice when they are still grumbling about price hikes that Google made for its Maps APIs.
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Microsoft’s Azure Maps also provides own location service, and will be a likely competitor in this space.
How it will help
Developers can access charts via application programming interfaces or AWS command line tool, as well various value-added capabilities built on the core map dataset to simplify application development. For companies that already run workloads on AWS, the new service should have particular appeal since sourcing location data through the same Cloud platform that hosts their applications should be easier.
“You can use Amazon Location Service to build applications that know where they are and respond accordingly. You can display maps, validate addresses, perform geocoding (turn an address into a location), track the movement of packages and devices, and much more. You can easily set up geofences and receive notifications when tracked items enter or leave a geofenced area. You can even overlay your own data on the map while retaining full control,” Barr said in a blog post.
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In the blog, Barr also lays out on the services and tools that are available, and gives step by step instructions as to how users can use them.
The announcement, made during Amazon’s virtual event re:Invent, is also another example of the company’s increasing attention to the geospatial space. Earlier this year, Amazon announced a new business unit focused on Aerospace and Satellite Solutions that would provide services across the Space value chain – right from rocket launches, to human spaceflight support and robotic systems, to geospatial imagery and IoT solutions.
