[Huawei Developers] Martin Bieber:
Maps are an integral part of life. Whether you’re going on an adventure hike, hailing a ride to get to work, trying to order food delivery from a nearby cafe, or just exploring a new neighbourhood you have just moved to, I bet the apps you’re using will always have a map and location function.

With a usage level this high, many Huawei developers need to integrate map-based functions when developing apps. This is exactly why HMS Core has included Map Kit, Site Kit and Location Kit as part of its Core Kits and capabilities.

Map Kit provides developers with basic capabilities such as map presentation, map interaction, route planning and supports various local lifestyle and transport businesses. Site Kit lets you provide users with convenient and secure access to diverse, place-related services. Location Kit combines the GPS, Wi-Fi, and base station location functionalities into an app to build up global positioning capabilities, allowing you to provide flexible location-based services targeted at users around the globe.

To launch these services that bring conveniences to users and developers alike, Huawei formed a map team. Right at the start, the team only consisted of 20 to 30 people and very few of whom had any formal training in the map industry.

Looking back on those early days, we were really flying blind. But as time went by, the team gradually filled out with new blood and included several fantastic industry experts. Each expert who joined the team was provided with a full suite of helpers to allow them to assimilate quicker onto the project so they can bring more value to the team. Many of these newcomers have grown a great deal since joining and, through a lot of hard work and a pioneering attitude, each has become a key pillar of our team’s success in their own right. We always used to joke that “the early bird catches the ***” … but he also must work the hardest.

Following the advice of our expert team members, we gradually formed a pyramid based on technical ability while maintaining a flat management structure. This enhanced the entire team’s development, deployment, analysis and problem-solving capabilities.

Now, Huawei Map Engine provides comprehensive location and mapping tools in 200 different regions and countries. Our map rendering has been enhanced by over 30% and key location indicators improved by over 20%, allowing us to surpass our initial goals in terms of performance. The service provides reliable and efficient location and mapping for app developers, supporting the worldwide expansion of the entire HMS Core ecosystem.

Throughout the development process, the team has adopted a variety of excellent new accessibility practices. For example, by proposing an integrated SDK decoupling cloud server, we were able to provide complete access to Map Kit and Location Kit to one of Singapore’s leading taxi apps ComfortDelGro in just three weeks.

Mapping and location services are a constantly evolving sector. It might be helpful to think of it like a living organism, with an algorithm engine as the brains, map data as the heart and the map ecosystem as the lifeblood. In the near future, Huawei will be able to perfect this comprehensive mapping ecosystem by combining those kits with a new app and data platform.

The new ecosystem will also introduce new algorithms and business models, such as AR maps, visual location and navigation services, AI-powered data generation, high-precision geo-positioning and other new technologies that will help to determine the future trajectory of the industry. At the same time, machine learning from accumulated data will help improve the accuracy and performance of existing algorithms and ultimately provide users with a better experience.

As always, the future is full of challenges and uncertainties. But watch this space, because our entire mapping team is confident of tackling this challenge head-on and creating a more competitive array of location services for our users.

*The article is written by HUAWEI’s Map expert.

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