[android-developers] Geocoder and Geocode Web Service availability/performance issues

Hi there...

I have a reasonably successful Android app that is heavily geo biased.  Within the app I use both the Geocoder class (getFromLocationName()) and also Maps API v3 geocoding search and the Maps API Geocode web service.

The reason I use both is because every couple of months the Android Geocoder class just goes AWOL and a group of my users endure horrible performance and variable responses to their queries so I need a backup.  Unfortunately its rarely the same group of users each time and doesn't seem to happen in a specific area.  I used to suspect it was problems with the carrier backend connecting to the Google servers or the users local data connection that was the issue.

It was never a huge problem as it seemed to usually resolve itself pretty quick or I could always ask them to swap to the web service as a backup.

Over the last few months though the problem seems to have become endemic - and it also seems to have spread to the web service.  It is causing me a lot of headaches and adverse feedback for my app.

I'm now suspecting that Google must be doing some sort of major overhaul of their infrastructure (at least in N America).  I have noticed that the map tiles seem to have been spruced up a bit and there is a new new 'sort of google' app Field Trip that appears to be a field trial for a new Android Maps API (about time too).

Has anyone else been experiencing similar disruption and/or does anyone have the inside track on what could be causing the problems?

Nick

(I cross-posted this note to the Google Maps API Web Services group)

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