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Google Maps Platform Updates Blog Series - Blog #2: A Deeper Dive into the API and Pricing Changes

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Important Update: Following the publication of this blog, Google provided new dates for the Maps Platform transition. Please note the following changes:

  • June 11 –  New APIs and other capabilities of Maps Platform become available. Google begins blocking keyless usage. Standard plan rates continue.
  • July 16 – New pricing model goes into effect. Standard plan rates end.

See Google’s Important Updates page for more details.

Date: May 24, 2018

Author: Jeremy Quam

We hope you enjoyed the first blog in this series, Yes, the Google Maps Platform is Changing – Are you ready?. For part two, we will focus on a deeper dive into the API and pricing changes.

Let’s look at the API changes first.

Google is simplifying the current 18 individual API’s into three products: Maps, Routes and Places. With 25 million updates daily to these three products, you can count on accurate, real-time location information that is scalable for billions of users.

  • Maps – Bring the real world to your users via static and dynamic maps, street view imagery and 360° views. Organizations can customize their maps with reliable, comprehensive data from more than 200 countries and territories.
  • Routes – With 40 million miles of roads navigated, no matter where your users are, Google can provide the best way to get from point A to point B utilizing comprehensive data and real-time traffic.
  • Places – Enable your users to explore the world around them through Google’s rich details of more than 100 million points of interest. Users can find specific places using phone numbers, addresses and real-time signals.

While the pricing changes may appear overwhelming at first glance, they actually allow organizations to scale more easily (pay-as-you-go, set usage parameters) with less downtime and fewer performance issues.

If working directly with Google, you will be required to enable billing via credit card, as well as establish valid API keys for all products noted above. As many organizations do not have the ability to utilize credit cards for monthly billing, Woolpert can help you evaluate your annual usage to determine potential price breaks, better financial planning and more flexible billing options. If you are unsure where to begin with API keys, we can also make sure your API transition is seamless to help avoid error messages and/or disruption of Google Maps within your application.

Want more information on pricing and API changes? Contact us at gm4w@woolpert.com.

Our next blog in this series will focus on how Woolpert can guide you through all of your Google Maps Platform needs. Check back next week for more details.

– Jeremy Quam