14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has made available a new Bing Maps software development kit for developers that are building projects on top of Apple iOS.
The Bing Maps iOS SDK can be downloaded from the Redmond company’s Download Center, where it’s offered free of charge.
“This new SDK gives developers a set of Objective C classes to develop iPhone and iPad applications within Xcode, along with documentation and several sample projects to help them get started quickly,” the software giant explained.
Devs can take advantage of the Bing Maps Objective-C control in the SDK in order to embed maps directly into native iOS applications.
Just as it is the case for the SDK, the mapping integration service is also available free of charge.
Developers that are also considering the Apple Map Kit as an alternative, should make sure to read the licensing agreements that come with the technologies, as they’re bound to find Microsoft’s less restrictive.
In terms of functionality, with the iOS map control devs can leverage Bing’s road, aerial and hybrid aerial map imagery and data. Additional features such as locating the phone on the map by tapping GPS information are also available.
“In keeping with our focus on performance across the Bing Maps platform, we have separated the Bing Maps Controls from the Bing Maps services to lighten the load,” the company said.
“This means you can use the Bing Maps iOS Control in conjunction with the Bing Maps REST Service (Geocoding and Routing) to build a fully featured mobile map application. Additionally, you can hit Bing search services to pull local listing information.”
Of course, Microsoft made a point out of stressing that iOS developers are not the only ones that can easily take advantage of a Bing Maps SDK.
With Bing Maps SDK for Windows Phone and the SDK for Android, the company’s mapping, search and location technology is platform-agnostic, serving developers which care about porting their applications to multiple mobile operating systems.
The Bing Maps iOS SDK is available for download here.