Should I stop supporting HERE and BING?

[Mario]

I've just made a quick check on which providers are used for the Map Panel over the past 4 months:



I wonder if keeping up support for Bing and HERE is really needed.

Note: IMatch uses and has to maintain two separate 'code paths' for the map panel.
One is used on the OpenLayers library, which supports multiple map providers (OpenStreetMap, Bing, HERE) and a separate code path for Google.
OpenLayers stopped supporting Google a couple of years back because they did not play well - or something like that.

Keeping HERE/Bing working is not that much extra work (except extra testing) as long as things works. If there are changes in HERE/Bing and this requires changes in OpenLayers and, in the end, in IMatch, it will be work for me. Not sure when, or how much.

But for less than 10% of all requests (!) who use HERE and Bing Maps, ... I don't know.
I have not checked how many users work with Bing / HERE, but I doubt it is more than a handful.
14 users for Bing, and 9 for Here. From all users participating in telemetry, which is substantial but only a part of all IMatch users out there.

[Jingo]

I personally use HERE all the time as I find it offers top notch reverse geocode and location data (and I like having another option on the market).  If you did remove support for HERE, I would just use my HERE GEO app to get the data (and/or re-add it back to the MAP app so long as the app remains uncompiled) but do prefer the convenience of using the standard routines (and not having to support my own apps). 

Up to you of course.. not sure how much "maintainence" is really needed as the API hasn't changed much.. but there is always the chance some coding is needed.

[Menace]

What Jingo said. :-)

[DigPeter]

Never use them.

[jch2103]

I use Google probably 95% of the time, but I've used HERE a number of times to check a different 'look' for the base map. I have found that useful (different image dates, etc.). I've never set up a Bing account, so have never used it.

[mastodon]

I use OSM for detalied map and Google for satellite/composite map, BUT sometimes BING map is better (has better resolution, than Google)

[Ron_S]

Please keep supporting HERE and BING.

I use Google most of the time, but I really appreciate having the option to use HERE and BING. I prefer that these options be left in place unless it becomes very difficult to support due to future major API changes.

[pmbvw]

I most use Open street map  for map view
Google for Satellite-View 
and often Here
but never BING.

It is good to have an alternative (Google and Here or Bing)

If google doesn't work like in the following topic (My VISA-Card expired and I can't use Google for a month)
https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=10556.0
I have Here or Bing in the meantime.

[Carlo Didier]

OSM except for satellite and composite maps.

[sinus]

Keeping HERE/Bing working is not that much extra work (except extra testing) as long as things works. If there are changes in HERE/Bing and this requires changes in OpenLayers and, in the end, in IMatch, it will be work for me. Not sure when, or how much.

I do not use Here or Bing.
But if it is not a lot of work, I would leave it as it is.
Because othere wise you will disappoint about 10% of users (I guess, you have not all data for knowing exactly).

If Here and Bling require a lot of work for you, when changes are done, then it will maybe the moment to think about it again.

[wolboe]

I think like Markus!

Wolfgang

[loweskid]

I haven't used the map panel yet but I expect I will do so at some time in the future.  My preference would be Bing - the reason being that, in the UK, Bing gives us the option of selecting the Ordnance Survey maps.  Zooming in changes the road maps to the OS 1:50,000 maps, then zooming in further to the highly detailed 1:25,000 maps.

Having the Ordnance Survey's 1:25,000 maps available for the whole of the UK equates to 494 paper maps, which would cost nearly £4.5K to buy..!

https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/maps/

[Mario]

I haven't used the map panel yet but I expect I will do so at some time in the future.  My preference would be Bing - the reason being that, in the UK, Bing gives us the option of selecting the Ordnance Survey maps.  Zooming in changes the road maps to the OS 1:50,000 maps, then zooming in further to the highly detailed 1:25,000 maps.

Having the Ordnance Survey's 1:25,000 maps available for the whole of the UK equates to 494 paper maps, which would cost nearly £4.5K to buy..!

https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/maps/

Interesting. Did not know that. You have to be in the UK (or use an UK proxy to see these special detail maps).
Not sure if this would also work in the Map Panel in IMatch, but I guess it should. No easy way for me to try this.