Either Google hasn’t dispensed with its April Fool’s pranks yet, or the company has embarked on a kinder, gentler approach with its products.

The latest recipient of Google goodwill, Google Maps third-party developers, will now see a change in language in the terms of service for the product. ‘Googling Google’ blogger Garett Rogers wrote of the before and after terms of use changes, highlighting the changes between the two.

In the “before” version, Google reserved the right to start feeding advertising into map images at any time and without notice. By virtue of complying with the terms of use, users agreed to display those ads without modification.

Not very friendly corporate-speak, but given the composition of most end-user license agreements these days, not entirely unexpected either.

The new friendly Google provides 90 days notice prior to the commencement of advertising if and when it should decide to start sending ads to Maps. Users can terminate usage of Google Maps in that 90 day window, or provide Google with notice that advertising will not be accepted.

What isn’t clear is what Google’s response will be to a refusal; we hope to hear back from Google about this.

The noted change in terms of service comes in the wake of the launch of Placebase’s Pushpin LE online mapping service. Placebase offers a payment model that offers the Google Maps API, support options, and no advertising or branding on maps they deliver, in contrast to the basic Google Maps service.

—
Tag:

Add to | DiggThis | Yahoo! My Web

Drag this to your Bookmarks.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

Don’t take Placebase’s word for what it can do. CEO Jaron Waldman thinks prospective clients should look at their work, like that completed for the Fannie Mae Foundation’s DataPlace.org project. Or UCLA.

During our phone discussion, Waldman mentioned several good aspects of the very well-known Google Maps project. The open API model used by Google led to its adoption for numerous non-commercial purposes.

Then he ticked off a list of issues commercial developers faced with Google Maps. Unwelcome branding. No support. A lack of customization. The potential for ad inclusions. A ban on commercial or subscription use. No service-level agreements.

Placebase has chosen to target the professional developer market with the release of Pushpin LE. Said Waldman, “Pushpin LE offers them Google Maps capabilities without legal gotchas and brand pollution.”

To attract the developers who know and love the Google Maps API, Placebase embraced that API standard for Pushpin LE. Maps created with Pushpin LE can be viewed in web browsers without needing additional plugins or applications.

Pricing for Pushpin LE starts at an introductory tier of $1,600 for 150,000 transactions per month. Placebase plans to extend the Pushpin LE model with advanced GIS features like data-driven map shading. The company also offers another solution, Pushpin CX, with more advanced features as well.

Waldman observed how Placebase has drawn interest from several vertical market sectors. Features like the map shading he mentioned should be a key selling point to industries with substantial sales forces.

The map-shading and on-the-fly geocoding of addresses impress me as desirable for organizations that have to manage teams of salespeople. Management could designate territories and changes to them as business needs change, publish the map, and have it instantly available to the sales forces.

Instead of a lengthy meeting with PowerPoint presentations and lots of paper-map printing, Placebase could help the business manage those assignments much more effectively.

—

Add to | DiggThis | Yahoo! My Web

Drag this to your Bookmarks.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.