Changes to Google Maps API key pricing

[Creighton Barrett]

Hi everyone,

We are running AtoM 2.3 in Red Hat. For the past couple years, we have been using the "code" field in the geographic place access point to provide latitude and longitude coordinates for each place name. AtoM uses these coordinates to generate static Google Map titles. This feature did not require a Google Maps API key as far as I know.

Over the summer, we noticed that the static maps disappeared. It seems related to some changes that Google made to its Google Maps API. 

I thought the API key was free, but our Communications Officer explained to me that Google needs to enable billing. This is mentioned on the Get API key page that is referenced in a few spots in the AtoM documentation: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key

But it's not clear why you need to enable billing. 

After digging around a bit, I see that Google has changed some of its API pricing and billing: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide/pricing-changes/

And this page: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/usage-and-billing

And one more: https://developers.google.com/maps/pricing-and-plans/standard-plan-2016-update

It sounds like it's not free anymore? Have other AtoM users run into problems with your Google Maps API key? Do we have to pay Google to use a Google Maps API key in AtoM?

Thanks,
Creighton

[Corinne Rogers]

Hi Creighton,

It looks like prior to July 16, 2018 use of the standard API was free up to 25,000 map loads per 24 hours. Now Google requires billing to be enabled but the pay-as-you-go billing still will only kick in after you exceed the free usage limit of 25,000/day. 

• https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-static/usage-and-billing
  

Other users may have more information about this - please let us know if you learn more ab out this!

best regards,

Corinne

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Corinne Rogers, MAS, PhD

Systems Archivist

Artefactual Systems

[Creighton Barrett]

Hi Corinne,

Thanks for the quick reply! This is annoying of Google. I don't know how many members of the AtoM community have been using the Google Maps API to generate maps for repositories or place names, or to add coordinates to digital objects. Has anyone else noticed problems with their static maps?

An alternative could be OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/

They have an API: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/API

And documentation on libraries that can help integrate OpenStreetMap data into other applications: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Frameworks

Cheers,

Creighton

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