How APIs are changing the GIS Industry

jmilner@esriuk.com

@JamesLMilner

loxodrome.io

James Milner

It's fair to say it's not just about desktop anymore

Much of many web GIS's are underpinned by APIs!

Application

Programming

Interface

Packaging up requests in easy to use and understand ways

Normally we're talking about 'web APIs'

Over HTTP or (HTTPS!)

GET, PUT, POST, DELETE

An example:

A Feature Service is an API

http://ilovecloudbuilder.cloudapp.net/arcgis/rest/services/Support/WorldCities/FeatureServer/?f=json

Even map tiles have APIs

Tech Companies with public web APIs

Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud
Microsoft
Google
Most of them

We're working on GIS as a service via APIs

developers.arcgis.com

If it's okay with you, I'd like to show you why APIs are cool

+441254790245

with City, Country

i.e. Paris, France

Lets put it into context

Andreesen Horowitz (2014)

Alongside this ~30% of the world will be able to produce & consume geospatial data

Pew Research (2012)

We can estimate at least 50% of people will be using software every day

Andreesen Horowitz (2014)

“Developers may be the constituency in human history that has the greatest reach that humanity has ever seen”

Rob Spectre - Twilio

Alongside this APIs have massively simplified app creation

i.e. Uber

Google Maps (Mapping)
PayPal/Braintree (Payments)
Twilio (SMS)

They have abstracted very hard problems that would be tricky to solve alone

Geo has never been more relevant or lucrative

Average Geo Startup -  £2.9 million 

Projected value of EU GIS industry by 2016 - £2.3 billion

With so much reach, is there a way we can make GIS more common place?

GIS is (generally) tackling big niche problems

Utilities networks
Complex 3D visualisations
Big imagery data
Streamlining field workers
Real time logistics

GIS is complex, but it needn't have to be complex to use

What would it take to make GIS common place?

Simpler to understand
Easier to use (better UX)
Have wider coverage
Be quick to adapt
Integrate into an 'social' & 'app' culture

Startups are also doing this on the API and consumer front i.e.

what3words (API + App)

Indoor Atlas (API + App)

iGeolise (API)

Citymapper (App)

Mappilary (API)

Maptiks (API)