AWS Amazon Location: New Mapping Service for Developers

Amazon has unveiled Amazon Location, a new service designed to help developers integrate location-based functionalities into their web and mobile applications, as announced today.

The service leverages mapping information sourced from both Esri and HERE Technologies, delivering the fundamental mapping data and points of interest expected from a mapping solution. It also includes integrated tracking and geofencing capabilities. However, it currently does not include a route calculation feature.

According to AWS’s Jeff Barr in today’s announcement, the goal is to simplify and reduce the costs associated with incorporating maps, location services, and related features into applications. “Previously, accomplishing this has been relatively complex and costly, often locking developers into the ecosystem of a single vendor,” Barr explains.

Fundamentally, Amazon Location enables the creation of customized maps utilizing data and styling options from its partner network—with plans to expand this network further—and provides access to a comprehensive database of points of interest. These represent the essential components of any mapping service. Beyond these core features, Location also provides native support for trackers, allowing applications to receive and display location updates from devices on a map. This functionality can be combined with Amazon Location’s geofencing functionality to trigger notifications when a device—or anything attached to it—enters or exits a defined geographic area.

Although it may not offer the same breadth of features as platforms like Google Maps Platform, AWS asserts that Location will be a more economical option, offering a range of pricing structures—including a complimentary three-month trial—starting at $0.04 for 1,000 map tiles. While AWS pricing can become more intricate, the initial rates appear competitive.

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A direct comparison of AWS’s tile-based pricing model with Google’s plans is difficult, but it’s important to note that Google Map Platform charges $2 per 1,000 requests for static maps once the initial $200 of monthly free usage has been exhausted.

Google’s mapping services have experienced developer dissatisfaction due to several pricing adjustments. AWS has the potential to benefit from this situation with its new platform, particularly if it continues to enhance its feature set to address the current limitations of the service.