GIS/Mapping solutions that provide easy access to routing data

Question

I'm look for a GIS/Mapping tool that will give me easy SERVER-SIDE access to route information (specifically, trip time and distance) in an ASP.NET web application.

From what I can tell, Google and Yahoo maps do everything client-side in javascript, but neither provide services to retrieve just the route information. I'm interested in both free and paid products. Also, if you have experience with a product I like to hear about what you think (complexity of API, runtime performance, likes, dislikes, etc.)

Answer 1

We've had success with using the web services from Map24 (http://developer.navteq.com/site/global/zones/ms/index.jsp) to do some GIS-y type things. They have a web service for doing routing (http://developer.navteq.com/site/global/zones/ms/map24webservices/map24routingservice.jsp) which I had a quick play with last year.

There's a bit of a learning curve wih their APIs but once you get past it their stuff is quite powerful and performs really well.

Phil

Answer 2

ESRI's ArcGIS Server and ArcWeb services provide point-to-point routing. You have full control over creating the data (if you want), changing the data, customizing parameters, and even adding dynamic cost analysis. Server might be a bit heavy-weight for JUST routing as its a full mapping and analysis server system. ArcWeb is an online service where you can buy just the services you want.

Another option is Oracle Spatial. They have some built-in networking/routing capabilities to do point-to-point routing. I personally have been unable to get it to work, but I've heard second/third-hand comments that it works, but has the normal complexities of Oracle (i.e. not a DIY job).

MapQuest also has a comprehensive set of API's (much better than Google or Yahoo IMHO) that can do routing without a map. Not sure what their licensing/costs are and how they compare to Google/Yahoo for non-personal use.

(One note: many of the "free" services require you to pay a license fee for non-personal use... they might ignore you until your traffic gets high enough for them to notice so watch out)

Answer 3

Arc Web Services is going away and is now becoming ArcGIS online.

This means a whole new updated sdk for developing arc web applications for web sites.

If you need a really advanced routing system developed a company called routesmart makes dll based route solver solutions for client server apps and now web applications using ArcGIS 9.x

All ESRI api's are complex. You have to just start using it and when you gain experience in it you will feel more comfortable.

Since ESRI has somewhat of a shrinking monopoly on certain aspects of GIS capabilities it will be interesting to see what Google and others develop to create some decent competition for the GIS world. Until then all encompassing GIS solutions will not be flexable or easy to work with and expensive.

One major gripe I have with ESRI products is rather ethereal however it seems to be a recurring theme I have experienced in all of their product lines.

You do a code\db\whatever update and test. It doesn't work. You try again without making changes and it still doesn't work, but if you try one more time it suddenly works. It's like ESRI has coded everything to fail 2 times first before any change to a point release, mxd, sde data, or python code to begin performing as intended. As strange as this may seem if you have ever worked with their products you know this because you have experienced it yourself. This may have to do with my lack of understanding but all my GIS friends tend to agree with me on this point.