Getting Started With Amazon Location Service

Introduction

As we think about maps, generally we relate to Google LLC, better known as Google Maps Platform. Competitors such as Amazon and Microsoft have come up with better applications that are cost-effective and have newer, improved features. Today we are going to learn about Amazon Location Service that helps us to add location data to our application.

Let’s Get Technical

Amazon Location Service includes points of interest, maps, tracking, routing, geocoding, geofences. As a result, users can create complex location-based applications with affordable data, tracking, geofencing features, and built-in indicators for health monitoring.

With the help of Amazon Location Service, we can have total control of our organizational data. It anonymizes all queries sent to data providers by removing customers’ information.

AWS account doesn’t store sensitive tracking and geofencing location data, such as facility, asset, and employee locations. It enables us to protect sensitive information from third parties, protect user privacy, and lessen the security risks associated with your application. Neither Amazon nor third parties have the right to sell or use our data for advertising purposes when we use Amazon Location.

Amazon Location is fully integrated with AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon EventBridge, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).

Features of Amazon Location:

1. Maps

   Amazon Location Service Maps is the backbone of many location-based service features and allows us to view geolocation.

2. Places

   We can use Amazon Location Places to offer our app search capability, convert addresses to latitude and longitude coordinates, and restore a coordinate to a street address.

3. Routing

   Amazon Location Service Routes helps us discover routes and estimate travel time based on the up-to-date roadway and live traffic data. Build features that permit our application to request the travel time, distance, and directions between two areas.

4. Geofencing

   Amazon Location Service Geofences give the application the capacity to distinguish and act when a device enters or exits a defined geographical boundary known as a geofence. Consequently, send an entry or exit event to Amazon EventBridge when a geofence breach is recognized. This lets us start downstream activities such as sending a notification to a target.

5. Trackers

   Amazon Location Service Trackers lets us recover the location of devices running our tracking-enabled application. Ready to also connect trackers with Amazon Location Service geofences to assess our gadgets’ area overhauls against our geofences. Trackers can help us decrease costs by shifting position upgrades that haven’t moved recently, putting away or assessing them against geofences.
   
   Image Source: Amazon.com

Amazon Location Service offers us various developer tools to use. It includes AWS SDK and sample code to combine them with open-source libraries and mobile and web SDKs.

Amazon Location gives cost-effective location-based services (LBS) utilizing high-quality information from worldwide, trusted providers Esri and HERE.

Regions:

Endpoints:

The syntax for Amazon Location regional endpoints:

protocol://service-code.geo.region-code.amazonaws.com

Service Code:

For example, the Regional endpoint for Amazon Location Maps for US East (Ohio) would be:

https://maps.geo.us-east-2.amazonaws.com

Working of Amazon Location Service:

Image Source: amazon.com

Amazon Location Service helps us to add locations to our application securely. With the help of Explore tool, we can manipulate the map, create geofences around the area of interest, search for locations and send the device location to the tracker.

We can build or create resources, choose from different map styles or data providers. Once we have our resources, we can install SDKs that match our development environment and use the service. For monitoring, we can use AWS CloudTrail and CloudWatch.

Use Cases:

1. User engagement and geomarketing – Businesses can utilize location information for better engagement and market to their customers. For example, Amazon Location can trigger an event that prompts a notice when clients request a tea on their mobile Furthermore, you’ll construct geomarketing features so that retailers can send discount coupons or show advertisements to customers who are close to target stores.
2. Asset Tracking – Amazon Location Service Trackers lets us recover the location of devices that are running our tracking-enabled application. With asset tracking features, we can build several arrangements that optimize remote staffing, secure shipment en-route, and maximize dispatch efficacy.
3. Delivery – Integrate location features into delivery applications to store, track, and coordinate the departure location, delivery vehicles, and their destination.

Best Practices for Amazon Location:

Security:

1. Use of IAM users and roles to manage, limit, and control the access.
2. Follow the least privilege principle.
3. Use monitoring and logging to track resources.
4. Use secure connections.

Resource Management:

1. Use regional endpoints.
2. Follow the terms and conditions of data providers.

Billing and Cost Management:

1. Use of CloudWatch to track resources. Set alarms to notify about the usage.

Pricing:

Amazon Location service provides us with three pricing plans. The application will use Amazon Location Service to make requests for various types of location information. We can select one of the following pricing plans for each of the Amazon Location Service resources we create for our application. In addition, we can use multiple plans within the same account.

AWS Location Service Customers:

Users or customers are building a location-based application using AWS Location Service.  This service has made users integrate maps, routes, geocoding, tracking applications easier.

1. PostNL:

   PostNL is an e-commerce and postal logistics provider in the Netherlands. With the help of AWS Location Service, they can track the movement of quarter-million unique loading devices. It provides real-time visibility to track and analyze assets.

2. MobileLog:

   MobileLog service helps businesses and tracks their deliveries and vehicles in real-time. With the help of AWS Location Service, they got rid of microservices that they were maintaining to deliver and track assets.

3. Coolstays:

   Coolstays use maps to show weekend rental or flats in a country or city that provides the best experience to users. With the help of AWS Location Service, they saw a 28% improvement in tile load speed and a 50% decrease in cost compared to previous providers.

4. GeoGaurd:

   GeoGaurd uses geolocation-based security, location fraud detection, and protection of digital content. It helps industries like OTT broadcasting, content rightsholder, payment processing, banking, and cryptocurrency exchange by providing security against geo-piracy and location-based fraud.

GeoGaurd application is installed on over 400 million devices worldwide. It helps them in identifying and counter both the current and new threats.

Conclusion

AWS Location Service helps businesses to add location-based services into their applications. It is used in geo-marketing, asset tracking, delivery applications, and maps without sacrificing the privacy of users,  quality of data, cost, and data security.

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WRITTEN BY Rahul Kumar Sharma