Aug/Sept 2007

Getmapping, which claims to be the UK's leading provider of aerial imaging, has announced the release of what it calls an 'imagery API' for mobile devices.

The API (application programming interface) is said to give developers access to Getmapping's entire archive of aerial photography of Britain at a variety of zoom levels up to 12.5 cm per pixel.

The company says the clarity provided by the photography should allow mobile users to able to see details as small as garden furniture and road markings anywhere in the country.

For the technically-minded, the API is a lightweight REST-based interface that should make it easy for application developers to integrate Getmapping's imagery into mobile services.

Getmapping says it is the only business to 're-fly' the country at 12.5cm resolution. It is also a reseller of professional mapping, oblique photography, height data, OS maps and third-party aerial photography. It works for a wide variety of industries including press and media, local authorities, construction sector, environmental consultants and the public.