Now that Microsoft has introduced the new Bing Maps Version 8, it’s brought a whole host of benefits including making RouteSavvy Route Planning Software faster, better, & more powerful. Bing Maps is a web mapping platform by Microsoft that provides mapping services such as the base maps, geocoding (converting a street address to a point on the map) and routing (getting distance, time, and directions between addresses). The advantage of using Bing Maps for mapping is that it is constantly being updated and there is nothing to install on your computer, and nothing users have to maintain.
RouteSavvy has used Bing Maps for mapping since its introduction and this makes RouteSavvy both cost effective and up to date. A few years ago, Microsoft announced that older versions of Bing Maps were being phased out in favor of newer technologies, which they call Bing Maps version 8. This version supports new web browser features that significantly improve performance up to 10 times faster. With the introduction of Bing Maps version 8, RouteSavvy can take advantage of these new technogies with faster processing of routes and other features that will be available in future RouteSavvy releases.
Highlights of Bing Maps Version 8
Bing Maps Version 8 includes the following new or enhanced features:
- Faster and more fluid map control
- A cleaner, more modern, programming model
- Increased culture support, where map displays and geocoding can be customized to local languages etc
- World Wrap support, that prevents multiple map views when zoomed way out
- Improved routing capabilities
- Traffic data available in or outside of the US
- Mobile browser support
- Many other new geeky features, such as New Map Styles, Spatial Geometry Math, TypeScript definition, Data Binning Layer, Image filters etc
In June 2017, RouteSavvy was updated to Bing Maps Version 8, so RouteSavvy users should start seeing increased performance. RouteSavvy also now supports Bing Maps streetside imagery, so users can see maps and imagery at a street level which can help with understanding addresses and stops. Over time, RouteSavvy will be updated to include other new features as appropriate to enhance RouteSavvy features and value to RouteSavvy users.
