Google Maps and to a smaller extent, Microsoft’s Bing Maps, are the major online mapping platforms attracting developers right now. The once dominant MapQuest has been working hard over the past year to update its platform in order to get back in the game. From an end user perspective, the MapQuest brand seems to be more engaging than Google Maps, though the latter has more monthly traffic.
But without developers using the platform to innovate, MapQuest won’t stand a chance at the end of the day. A preview announced yesterday of its MapQuest 6.0 Platform: JavaScript SDK seems to have made some serious upgrades for developers. Not only is the new SDK easier to use, according to the company, it also has a completely revamped, more modular code base that has a much smaller footprint resulting in a faster response time.
The most significant new feature addition is that of Draggable Routes which allows developers to create applications, inside of which end users can edit their routes right from the map. MapQuest also reorganized its developer documentation so it’s more linear and easier to follow.
You can check out the 6.0 SDK here.
