Multimap Releases Free Map API

Andres Ferrate, October 27th, 2008

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Multimap, the UK-based online mapping provider that was acquired almost a year ago by Microsoft, has released a new API that allows users to embed customized Multimap maps in web pages using a single line of HTML code. This new functionality is similar to the existing custom map embedding functionality provided by Google My Maps and third party integrator Map Channels.

As reported by Virtual Earth, an Evangelist’s Blog, here are the highlights for the Multimap Free API:

• We launched a new service for small businesses, personal websites and hobbyists this week.
• The service, available for free from Multimap.com, provides a single line of HTML to cut and paste into a web page.
• The user gets a slippy map in a choice of map styles (TeleAtlas, Ordnance Survey and Barts) or aerial for anywhere in the world (US included, using Virtual Earth maps and aerial).
• The pasted HTML includes four hyperlinks back to Multimap.com:
  1. See this location on Multimap (for a bigger map, POI, business listings, etc)
  2. See this location in Birds Eye
  3. Get directions to this location
  4. Get directions from this location
• The service is limited to 50,000 transactions per year and cannot be used for internal applications such as business intelligence (BI) and customer relationship management (CRM)

Below is a sample Multimap for Krabi, Thailand:

You can also view a map of Krabi and get directions to or from Krabi on Multimap.com.

Although not necessarily a feature-rich API, this new release from Multimap provides the public with an alternative set of maps that leverage Multimap’s diverse set of European, Asian, and North American data. In terms of customization and functionality, it is quite limited compared to Google My Maps.

Multimap does provide a JavaScript API (our Multimap API profile with list of Multimap mashups) and several web services that allow developers to use the Multimap service to create more complex and sophisticated mashups. As we’ve noted before, mapping continues to be one of the more popular categories in our API directory.