MapForums

I already have a "fleet application". It took over a year to develop and my primary client already has a demonstration copy. They like it a lot and other clients have expressed interest. Microsoft did an impressive job with Mappoint. I've read all of the reasons for the change to the EULA in Mappoint 2003. There probably isn't anything I can do about it. The part that hurts more than anything else is that I can't even buy a license to make my application legal with the 2003 version. The pricing for 50 vehicle fleets is bad enough but there is no price for a 51 vehicle fleet. Microsoft has left me with two choices. Change to another mapping package or throw away a year of development cost and kill the product.

Hi,

Did you think about the possibility to set the minimum location update frequency to 15 seconds? That way, it isn´t considered as real time or near real time and the new restrictions won´t apply.

I understand that in that case you should just buy one license for every user no mather how many vehicles ...

Greetings, Jack.

Since the EULA refers to 'vehicles' but not cell phones, it appears to me that I could give each driver a cell phone and track their vehicles via their cell phones. The new Microsoft Location Server (MLS) is designed to do just that. Thus, we avoid the $249/truck license fee and the <50 fleet limitation as well. Does this scenario make sense?

Bob F

I think BobF is missing the point. The Location Server is the big theat. The EULA change is just a small battle along the way. If everyone had the same costs we can compete. While are developing/growing the tracking market, Microsoft is planning a new product that will compete directly with all these Fleet applications using cell phones.

First Microsoft adds constraints to their EULA (they could buy Navtech if they wanted) and then they offer a competing product without real time tracking, and no $250/vehicle.

John

The new EULA basically eliminates MapPoint for Fleet Applications. They must have looked at BobF's comments. They also restrict MapPoint from being used for cell phones or any portable device.

Grant.

I guess we will all re write our apps in another product.

LDC , is your fleet application WEB based?
JM

It looks like John's post on Aug 28, 2003 is coming true. Microsoft's stratagy seems to be very well thought out.

First Microsoft encourages fleet tracking companies to grow the market.

Second they add confusing language to the EULA which seems to restrict use for Tracking. (But they don't seem to enforce it. Hmmm, I wonder why?)

Third, they come out with a product that is directed right at business users, which is the core business of the fleet tracking companies.

Finally the coupe de grace, (this is my guess) Microsoft targets Fleet Tracking companies clients. (They even know who the MapPoint users are.) They starts enforcing the EULA and within 1-2 yrs, they are the only company left providing fleet tracking with MapPoint.

Ever feel like you've been taken?

Do you have any specific proof of that, or are you just a slashdot monkey?

EULAs are always confusing. It is quite hard to enforce EULAs if you don't know if someone is violating it.

It is expected that Microsoft would come up products that scale to thousands of users, that's what they do. You can't accuse them of doing that unless you are a slashdot monkey.

look at what micorsoft is habitual at doing, 1) they are not strong in a particualr software space that some else owns ( ellison ?oracle) early mid 90's they develop their own platform with hooks into their o/s license and suport the hell out of SQL server to get market share and the HOARDS of devleopers going DOwn this road with customers

once they are down the road and deploying with customers and the u turn is expensive for customers and developers , they change the rules of hte game and or jack the shit out of the prices, I.E SQl server

This is so microsoft, one of these days