When it comes to using mapping APIs on mobile, it’s hard to think about any name other than Google Maps. However, the truth is that Google Maps doesn’t fit the needs of every developer and/or company. Thankfully we live in a country that allows competition and choice (even though large companies continually try to squash it). There is, in fact, a broad number of mapping solutions available to developers, and with Apple and others recently abandoning Google Maps, we’ve seen a spark of interest in these alternatives. One that’s been working hard to provide a viable option to its customers is deCarta.

deCarta has been a long time leader in location-based services and has a long list of customers and partners. Today, they have announced their third generation JavaScript API for mapping and location services. Offering up everything from turn-key location services (mapping, geocoding, routing and local search) to fully customizable source code.

Those looking for an alternative to services such as Google Maps, will find deCarta’s API’s offer a multitude of advantages such as:

• The ability to customize and differentiate their location services
• Provide access to more advanced functions than offered by Google Maps’ API
• Their own branding, not that of a potential competitor
• Control over the way their content is used
• The ability to monetize the service themselves as opposed to being a publisher for others

If you’d like to learn more about deCarta’s new mapping API solutions, you can check out the full press release below or visit them at https://www.decarta.com/.

deCarta Helps Customers Map Their Own Destiny

Third Generation JavaScript API makes it easy to implement mapping & location capabilities without giving valuable data away to third parties

July 17, 2012, San Jose, CA: deCarta, Inc., a leader in location-based services today announced its third generation JavaScript API for mapping and location services, offering mobile and on-line customers the ability to break their dependence on the big mapping platforms which potentially encroach on their business strategies. deCarta’s new API supports a range of options from turn-key location services (mapping, geocoding, routing and local search) for fast deployment, all the way to fully customizable source code for customers wishing to implement proprietary features and map styles. This allows online platforms and applications to location-enable their offerings while maintaining total control of their data, their user base and their monetization potential.

There has been a recent recognition among on-line and mobile sites that, while services like Google Maps are very good, there are also numerous compromises that come with using these generic platforms. Increasingly, both large and small developers are looking for Map API alternatives that provide them with:
· The ability to customize and differentiate their location services

· Provide access to more advanced functions than offered by Google Maps’ API

· Their own branding, not that of a potential competitor

· Control over the way their content is used

· The ability to monetize the service themselves as opposed to being a publisher for others

Location services are the core enablers that unlock hyper-local information and context for mobile users. Because of the tremendous value of these services, third party platforms, such as Google, have invested billions of dollars and millions of man-years in developing these services, embedding them in their operating systems and then extending them to application developers. However this requires that those companies share, or in some cases, lose control of the value that comes from this location function.

“In the last six months, we have seen a strong market trend towards location services that can be tuned and targeted wholly to a company sites’ brand, content and business model. This has resulted in many hundreds of new developers signing up to our DevZone, ” said J. Kim Fennell, President and CEO of deCarta. “Our new API makes it that much easier for these developers to build and deploy the creative location services that they want.”

deCarta, with its newest version of its JavaScript API built on top of the industry’s leading independent high-volume LBS platform, gives companies the ability to deploy their own mapping properties with the following advantages:

· Write Once, Run Anywhere

o Cross-device API that will allow for building applications that run seamlessly on tablets, smartphones and desktop devices

o Dramatic savings in development costs as customers don’t need to dedicate separate teams to build mobile versions of their desktop apps.

· Control The Look & Feel Of Your Map Experience

o The flexible UI library is highly customizable and allows customers to design applications that reflect their visual style of choice and brand

o Customers can also choose from 5 preset map styles or build their own map style

· Source Code Included with API
o Customers can download the complete source code for the API from the deCarta DevZone, allowing them to get under the hood and customize and extend the API to a fuller extent than otherwise found in the industry.

o Detailed documentation and live examples are available with source code to enable developers to quickly “Snap Together” and build a complete LBS application, thereby significantly shortening development time.

· Highly Scalable
o deCarta’s platform supports some of largest LBS services in the world
o Cloud based service or available as a self-hosted solution

· The JavaScript API leverages cutting-edge HTML5 technologies, including
o Native-like User Experience
o Hardware accelerated graphics, geo-location API, CSS3, Media-Queries, Local Storage

· Fleet/MRM market specific features
o Pin Clustering
o Draggable Shapes
o Customizable Polygons
o Exclusion Zones
o Geo-fencing
o Highly Configurable Routing

deCarta’s JavaScript API is now available for free download and development from the deCarta DevZone. For more information, please visit the JavaScript API Developers Page deCarta’s Corporate Web Site .

About deCarta

deCarta is the leading independent geospatial software platform that has enabled some of the industry’s most successful Location-Based Services (LBS) applications. The company’s patent-rich technology is ideal for high-volume LBS applications in the mobile, internet, enterprise-fleet and automotive markets where scalability, flexibility and reliability are vital. deCarta provides a highly customizable platform that enables application developers to create world class LBS apps while at the same time protect their own brand and unique content and also maximize monetization for themselves. deCarta’s customers and technology partners include Samsung, Inrix, FullPower MotionX GPS Drive, Appello, T-Mobile, Ford, General Motors OnStar, Cybit, NetworkFleet, Teletrac, MapIT, eMapgo, Hotels.com, Loopt, Nokia/NAVTEQ, Sony-Ericsson, TCS, Opera, Optus, Telstra/Sensis, TomTom, Verizon, WHERE/eBay. deCarta is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, California with international offices in Germany, and China. www.decarta.com.