The website averages 20 to 30 million unique users every month, which makes it the third most-trafficked mapping website after Google Maps and Waze also owned by Google , according to John Chipouras, general manager of MapQuest. Next, let's look at the basic underlying technology that makes a mapping tool like MapQuest work. There is a lot of highly complex, not to mention proprietary technology that makes an online mapping service like MapQuest work, but here's a quick overview.
The core technology of online mapping is a process called geocoding , in which the street address of a location is converted into specific geographic coordinates longitude and latitude. Once a location is geocoded, it can be pinned to a precise location on an online map.
The maps themselves are created by MapQuest using satellite images and road data purchased from other companies like TomTom, a Dutch location technology creator. The online maps consist of millions of pre-drawn "tiles" that live on MapQuest's servers. You can zoom in on an individual tile or zoom out to see hundreds of tiles covering an entire city. Each tile is a baseline vector image into which other data can be plugged in, like the locations of businesses, restaurants or other points of interest.
MapQuest doesn't collect all of this location data itself. Instead, it partners with dozens of data providers who specialize in gathering geocoding data for restaurants, gas stations, hotels and more.
Of course, all of those data-rich maps are only useful if users can easily navigate through them. That's where MapQuest's search engine comes in. When a MapQuest user searches for " Hawkins Dr. Results are optimized by anonymous feedback, using the search results chosen by past users to deliver the best options going forward.
Once the user chooses a location, it's time for the routing engine to plot the fastest and most direct route to the destination. This requires a very sophisticated algorithm that can juggle many variables at once: types of roads one-lane vs.
All data is crunched in fractions of a second to calculate multiple routes, each with an estimated arrival time and how much it will cost in fuel to get there. Like other online map and directions services, MapQuest offers both a website MapQuest. Let's start with the website first. There's a prominent search bar on the top left of the screen where you can search for a location by name, address or keyword "pizza".
Below the search bar are shortcut buttons that highlight nearby points of interest: hotels, food, shopping, coffee, grocery and gas. Once you select a location, MapQuest. Each route includes the following information: how long it will take to get there via this route, current traffic conditions and the "estimated fuel cost.
But let's be honest, how many people still search for directions on a website? Since our smartphones have built-in GPS, most of us use mapping apps on our phones that provide turn-by-turn directions in real time. The MapQuest app includes all of the features of competing map apps, plus a few extras. Like the website, the MapQuest app offers multiple route options with the distance, time and traffic conditions of each route, but there are no estimated fuel costs on the app. The app makes up for that omission with several other cool features.
There is a long and scrollable list of "layers" you can add to a map that go beyond the hotels, gas stations and grocery stores included on the website. A slide out menu on the right side of the app gives you the option to add a variety of layers to the basic map: traffic data, satellite imagery, hotels, food, and gas, among others. You can also personalize it by adding your own options to this menu: "In-N-Out Burger" or "Starbucks," for example, if you crave burgers or pumpkin spice lattes while you head down the highway.
In the app's left hand menu, you've got more options, including buttons for "Go Home" and "Go to Work. When you navigate to a location, the app automatically adds traffic information, showing areas where congestion is in yellow or red instead of the normal bright blue used to highlight your route. It monitors traffic conditions every few minutes. If the app determines that congestion will significantly delay you, and has an alternate route you can use, it gives you a full page pop up alerting you and giving you the option to reroute.
It even shows how much time you'll save, what street you're going on instead, and your estimated time of arrival at your destination. MapQuest is aware of this and has developed an app version of their software. Still, many cell phone owners do not see the need to download the app when a navigation app they believe to be superior is already resident on their phone.
Many people contend that Google and Apple Maps are superior to MapQuest and that they are better able to provide solutions to your navigation needs. However, many of the people making these judgments have never taken the time to perform a side-by-side comparison. To make the best choice as to which navigator you should use, you really have to try them side-by-side and check the results.
0コメント