Microsoft is killing off the Bing Maps Token Service on March 30, 2012, and is reminding customers that they should move to Bing Maps Keys before that.

Bing Maps Platform customers who want to ensure that their applications will be able to access the Platform past that day should move to Bing Maps Keys in due time.

The upgrade will apply only to the following Bing Maps Platform API’s: Bing Maps AJAX Control v6.3 (and earlier versions), Bing Maps SOAP Services, and Bing Maps Silverlight Control.

“Please be sure to upgrade any of your applications that are using the Bing Maps Token Service to Bing Maps Keys before this date to ensure that your access to the Bing Maps Platform is not interrupted,” Microsoft notes.

Moreover, the company explains that the use of Bing Maps Keys also brings a series of other benefits when compared to the Bing Maps Token Service.

Some of these would include:
- Improved performance in accessing the Bing Maps Platform (i.e. the elimination of the requirement to call the Token Service prior to calling the Bing Maps API’s).
- Unlike Bing Maps Tokens, Bing Maps Keys do not expire.
- Enhanced management and reporting of your Bing Maps Platform usage (i.e. you can assign a unique Bing Maps Key to each of your applications to separately track the Bing Maps usage for each of your applications).

Developers who are unsure whether their application is currently using the Bing Maps Token Service can verify that in a simple manner, Microsoft explains.

The Bing Maps Token Service is being used when the app is calling or referencing to one or more of the following Bing Maps Platform URL’s: http://s.mappoint.net/mappoint-30/GetClientToken; http://common.virtualearth.net/find-30/common.asmx; or http://findv3.mappoint.net/Find-30/Common.asmx.

At the same time, they can go to the View My Bing Maps API Usage section of the Bing Maps Account Center, which provides a Legacy (MWS + Token) Usage Report by Category report. They can also access the Transaction Usage by Category report, available in the View Usage section of the Bing Maps Customer Services Site.

If specific Bing Maps API types are being listed there, then the app is relying on the Bing Maps Platform (a list of these APIs is available on this post on the Bing Maps Blog).

Those devs who would like to learn more on what migrating from Tokens to Keys is all about should head over to this MSDN article for that. They will learn how to upgrade the app to Bing Maps Keys using the Bing Maps AJAX Control, the Bing Maps Silverlight Control, or Bing Maps SOAP services.