A few days ago, Arab search engine Ayna launched a beta version of Ayna Maps, a service that provides interactive maps of places and businesses for all major Arab capitals in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Ayna is one of the first Arabic search engines in the region, and now aims to grow its search services by providing more types of information like its new street level map service covering 26 cities in 17 countries and presented in Arabic and English.
Ayna maps aims to provide detailed street level mapping that is not available through any other online service, including Google, Yahoo, and MapQuest; in order to give businesses and individuals alike the possibility to easily locate and add points of interest. As of the launch, Ayna Maps are preloaded with over fifty thousand searchable points of interest available in Arabic, English and French to meet the needs of local audiences.
Businesses will be able to mark their physical location on a map to guide their customers, and easily embed the marked map in any web site along with their contact details, such as name, address, phone, email, and a descriptive summary.
Cities covered by Ayna maps include: Beirut (Lebanon); Damascus (Syria); Baghdad (Iraq); Amman, Aqaba (Jordan); Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Madina (Saudi Arabia); Kuwait City (Kuwait); Doha (Qatar); Manama (Bahrain); Dubai, Abu Dhabi (UAE); Muscat (Oman); Sanaa (Yemen); Cairo, Alexandria, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurguda (Egypt); Khartoum (Sudan); Tripoli (Libya); Tunis (Tunisia); Algiers (Algeria); Rabat, Marrakech (Morocco).
Ayna Maps future releases include providing routing and directions, updating map data, and publishing submitted points of interest for businesses in the region. A mobile version of the map service will also be launched soon.
The idea is a very useful one and really needed in the region, and for an initial beta release it is pretty good; Hopefully future versions will have more detailed and revised maps, with more integrated points of interest.
But what’s the difference with google map? Why we change ?
But what’s the difference with google map? Why we change ?
They would offer a better accuracy, but it seems to be flash based.. and it seems to be flaky in my FF..
But hey, if it’s ruuning good, I could have places.ae make use of this.
They would offer a better accuracy, but it seems to be flash based.. and it seems to be flaky in my FF..
But hey, if it’s ruuning good, I could have places.ae make use of this.
Pretty useless right now, they should have tagged it Beta or Alpha
Pretty useless right now, they should have tagged it Beta or Alpha
@Startup Tunisie: Well Google Maps doesn’t really give much detail on the map view, even though the satellite view is very good. Ayna Maps aims to provide a better detailed map view.
@Michael: It’s still in beta, and I think they still have some things to work out, and I think some maps have to be revised, for example the map of Tunis has some wrong street names, but hopefully future versions will be better, and yeah, it could be cool to have place.ae use their maps too.
@GaouZief: Well it is in beta right now, hopefully it’ll get better as it matures as a service.
@Startup Tunisie: Well Google Maps doesn’t really give much detail on the map view, even though the satellite view is very good. Ayna Maps aims to provide a better detailed map view.
@Michael: It’s still in beta, and I think they still have some things to work out, and I think some maps have to be revised, for example the map of Tunis has some wrong street names, but hopefully future versions will be better, and yeah, it could be cool to have place.ae use their maps too.
@GaouZief: Well it is in beta right now, hopefully it’ll get better as it matures as a service.
@Startup Tunisie: Not only Google doesn’t really give much detail on the map view, it doesn’t offer the street names in Arabic (it offers an interface in Arabic, but no details in that)
@Michael: It still is in beta, and it’s not as easy as it may sound, and it’s not flash based. some online pocket guides are already testing the new features.
@GaouZief: it is in beta.
@Mohamed Marwen Meddah: Thank you! and concerning the street names, it needs lots of revision, and lots of human power, we are working on it 24/7.
@Startup Tunisie: Not only Google doesn’t really give much detail on the map view, it doesn’t offer the street names in Arabic (it offers an interface in Arabic, but no details in that)
@Michael: It still is in beta, and it’s not as easy as it may sound, and it’s not flash based. some online pocket guides are already testing the new features.
@GaouZief: it is in beta.
@Mohamed Marwen Meddah: Thank you! and concerning the street names, it needs lots of revision, and lots of human power, we are working on it 24/7.
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