Enabling Developers with Real-Time Transit Data

The Challenge

Microsoft wanted to provide its developers and customers with a way to add and visualize public transit data in Azure Maps, which provides geospatial context to web and mobile apps through maps, routing, traffic, and time zone capabilities.

“Developers and customers alike [were] asking for a comprehensive mapping solution that brings together location awareness with public transit data to provide a full picture,” said Tara Prakriya, Group Program Management for Azure Maps and Connected Vehicles, Microsoft.

The Solution

Microsoft chose Moovit’s transit APIs to enable better integrations between Azure Map apps and public transit data. The integration enables Azure developers to build richer apps that use the most accurate public transit data in the world. Information provided will include A-to-B trip planning, nearby stations, stops and lines with multimodal options. Transit line information like scheduled and real-time transit arrivals, list of stops and route guides will also be included, as well as detailed and multimodal step-by-step itineraries, service alerts and transit maps.

Results

Besides thousands of web and mobile applications being able to integrate real-time public transit data, the Transit APIs have been a crucial part of two major partnerships:

World’s First Truly Comprehensive Multimodal Trip Planner
Moovit, Microsoft Azure and TomTom Partnership

Moovit, Microsoft Azure, and TomTom have partnered to create the world’s first comprehensive multimodal trip planner. Powered by Moovit’s Transit APIs, with driving and parking information from TomTom’s APIs, developers are able to build apps that integrate multimodal trip planning into their IoT, mobility, smart city, and logistics solutions.

Helping Make Smart Cities More Inclusive
Moovit, Microsoft Azure and Aira Partnership

Through its mobile app or smart glasses, Aira connects people who are blind or low-vision to trained professionals, called Aira agents, who can see a users’ environment through their smartphone camera and help them navigate.
In partnership with Moovit and Microsoft Azure, Aira agents can now get information on multimodal trip planning, transit routes, and itineraries to help guide users more effectively with better, real-time data for the optimal user experience.

Microsoft can also integrate Moovit’s public transit data in its first-party applications and services. For instance, Azure Maps could provide proactive notification by Microsoft Cortana about a person’s commute by providing real-time transit information.

About Microsoft

Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.