This new software was the first time that a virtual globe could be served over the web. In the spring of 2008, Google released a version of Google Earth that ran in a web browser using a downloaded plug-in from Google. This article provides some background on what the Google Earth API contributed to 3D mapping and information for developers on what to expect when planning a migration to Cesium. Former Google Earth developers will quickly be impressed with Cesium's power & stability, rich API reference and relative ease in migrating code.
Web developers who are evaluating alternatives to the Google Earth API should look to Cesium for ease of use, impressive visualization capability and broad compatibility with WebGL.