MSN Virtual Earth and Local Search News
MSN Virtual Earth News Story RoundupLinks to
news stories about MSN Virtual Earth from the Detroit News, XML
Journal, Telematics Update, Washington Post, Earth Times, and many more.
MSN Local Search News Story Roundup
Links to
news stories about MSN Local Search from the InternetNews, CRM
Knowledge Base, Networking Pipeline, Addict 3-D, the Seattle Times, and
many
more.
Bill Gates Demos Virtual Earth
At
“D” Conference in
Carlsbad, CA, Microsoft founder Bill Gates presented his vision of MSN
Virtual Earth, an exciting new component of Microsoft’s
Search vision
that gives consumers a deeply immersive search experience where they
see what it’s like to be in a location and explore what they
can do
there.
Microsoft Launches Local Search Beta
MSN released
a beta version of a new Local Search service, enabling consumers to
quickly retrieve local results from business, residential or local Web
sites, often accompanied by informative maps and aerial images. This
initial beta release is the first step by MSN® Search toward
delivering a broad local search vision, which encompasses geo-local
search, mapping technologies, mobile search, local business and
residential databases, and local Instant Answers related to news,
events, movie times, weather and more.
ORBIMAGE Announces Agreement With Microsoft
ORBIMAGE Holdings Inc. announced that its
subsidiary ORBIMAGE Inc. signed an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to
supply high resolution global satellite image data for MSN Virtual
Earth, a key component of MSN Search. The agreement was unveiled at the
O'Reilly Where 2.0 conference in San Francisco during a keynote
presentation delivered by Stephen Lawler, general manager of the
Microsoft MapPoint business unit.
Web Services Take Differing Paths on Maps
From the International Herald
Tribune - "Later in the summer, Microsoft plans to
introduce a competing service, Virtual Earth, with software that will
enable programmers to use it in similarly creative ways. So far, the
uses have been noncommercial. But Yahoo, Google and Microsoft are
creating the services in the expectation that they will become a focal
point in one of the next significant growth areas in Internet
advertising: contextual advertisements tied to specific locations."
Tech Firms Compete to Conquer the Globe
From the Detroit News -
"A war of the virtual worlds is starting between search engine company
Google Inc. and software maker Microsoft Corp., as the two tech rivals
race to bring competing digital versions of planet Earth onto the World
Wide Web."
MapPoint News
Data2Map, Empowering Data Integration
for MapPoint UsersCARTASITE, a
technology solutions provider that empowers the
enterprise with time and place intelligence to deliver an immediate
operational advantage, today announced the availability of Data2Map, a
software application that enhances the power of Microsoft MapPoint
2004. Data2Map fully takes advantage of MapPoint 2004 to deliver
enriched data layering capabilities. Data2Map enhances the MapPoint
2004 position of an enterprise mapping platform.
Winwaed Software Technology Releases MileCharter v1.3
vMileCharter
v1.3 has just been released. Upgrades are free for all existing
registered users of MileCharter. This is considered a maintenance
release and has the following changes: - Straight-line distance
calculations are speeded up about 10-20 times. - Excel tables with up
to 65500 rows are now supported.
MapPoint Add-In for Keyhole
Maphole is a
Plug-In for Microsoft MapPoint which will launch and orient Keyhole to
view satellite imagery of the currently selected location of MapPoint.
Obviously, you must have both Microsoft MapPoint and Keyhole installed
on your system for MapHole to work.
Mapping-Tools.com Releases GridImp v2.0Mapping-Tools.com
announced Version 2.0 of their GridImp product for MapPoint. GridImp is
designed to plot gridded data in MapPoint - a type of data that cannot
normally be plotted in MapPoint. Gridded data can be indexed in various
coordinate systems and text file formats. Version 2.0 adds the ability
to define custom linear input coordinate systems, and to use UK
Ordnance Survey Grid References.
MTI Welcomes Log Creek Timber as Horizon Trucking Customer
Further
improving business operations is Horizon Circle of Service, software
that automates the dispatch process based on messages sent from the
drivers on their QUALCOMM mobile units. With accurate GPS
positions and Horizon Mapping, Log Creek staff can see on a
MapPoint map where all of their units are.
NAC Signs LBS Deal with Telus
This
application is designed for all GPS cellphones to provide address
management, locating, navigating, local business searching, cellphone
tracking and friends' location monitoring services for more than 30
countries in North America, Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific
region (the geographic data is provided by Microsoft MapPoint Web
Service).
Action Engine to Support Windows Mobile 5.0
Applications
running on the Windows Mobile 5.0 release of the Action Engine Mobile
Application Platform will include one-touch integration with a variety
of device software, including Microsoft Outlook email, Microsoft
MapPoint maps and driving directions, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
and core device functionality, like messaging and telephony.
Switchboard Using MapPoint Web Service
Switchboard
announced the launch of its new send-to-mobile capabilities along with
enhanced mapping and listings features. The new updates help users
quickly access in-depth information on local businesses and include
integration with mobile devices, new mapping abilities from Microsoft
MapPoint Web Service and enhanced data for movie theatres and ATMs.
Tech Students Win at Microsoft Imagine Cup
From Technique -
"Peter Pesti and John Gibby, first and second-year master’s
students in Computer Science respectively, developed and submitted a
mobile location-based application called mGraffiti. This program allows
users to store text messages at any point on a global map covered by
Microsoft’s Terra Server, creating virtual “hot
spots” that can be accessed and read by other users."
MapPoint Location Server News
Sprint and Microsoft Deliver Real-Time Location ServicesIn conjunction with
the
national market launch of Sprint Business Mobility Framework by Sprint,
Microsoft Corp. announced the available integration of the
Microsoft®
MapPoint® Location Server (MLS) with Sprint's network. Sprint
becomes
the first U.S.-based mobile operator to deliver real-time location
services with MLS.
1-800-GOT-JUNK? partners with Sprint and Microsoft
1-800-GOT-JUNK?
announced a partnership with Microsoft and Sprint. As
part of a new case study, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? will utilize MLS Software
into their fleet of junk removal trucks starting May 16, 2005. As one
of the fastest growing companies in North America, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
continues to pursue technological advances to better manage their fleet
operations in the United States and Canada.
Indus Boosts Field Service Management Capabilities
Indus
International announced the expanded field resource
optimization capabilities of its Service Suite® software
solution via
an integration to the Microsoft MapPoint Location Server. This
integration will further enhance Indus' robust service management
solutions by giving Service Suite users seamless access to Web-based
mapping services combined with real-time location data, significantly
improving clients' ability to locate, track and manage their mobile
assets and mobile workforce.
Cubistix Unveils SecureTrakker
Cubistix
announced the national availability of SecureTrakker, a web-based
tracking and auditing application that provides real-time location
tracking for small and mid-size businesses to cost effectively manage,
track, and protect their mobile workforces and fleet assets.
SecureTrakker takes advantage of the national availability of the
Sprint Business Mobility Framework and Microsoft availability of the
Sprint location provider for MapPoint Location Server (MLS).
Sprint Wireless Users Get Location Services
From RedNova -
"Sprint recently launched its first location-based wireless service for
business users. Called Business Mobility Framework, the service lets
users locate and track assets and employees. The carrier is using
Microsoft's MapPoint Location Server software to support the service."
Sprint, Microsoft Launch New Vehicle Tracking Capabilities
Location-Based Services Are Finding Their Place
Sprint, Microsoft Launch New Vehicle Tracking Capabilities
From Telematics Journal
- "Immediately on the heels of today's national market launch of Sprint
Business Mobility Framework, Microsoft Corp. announced the available
integration of the Microsoft MapPoint Location Server (MLS) and
Cubistix unveiled its SecureTrakker."
Location-Based Services Are Finding Their Place
From destinationCRM - "GPS
and similar technologies' versatility and power will help the segment
see significant growth, despite slow consumer and business adoption."
Ship2Save Uses MapPoint Web Service for Tracking Goods
From Frontline Solutions -
"Ship2Save has developed a system for tracking goods in transit using a
combination of active and passive RFID, cellular communications, and
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology." The RFID-based
Unit-in-Transit System "is based on Microsoft's MapPoint Web Service
and a Bell Mobility Microsoft MapPoint Location Server. RFID tags on
individual goods or pallets are linked to a UITS system in the truck,
and constantly monitored over cellular and GPS technology."
