MapForums

April 2007

In the News

Weather Central provides new mapping broadcast solution
On April 16, Weather Central Inc., a broadcast weather solution provider, announced the integration of the Virtual Earth platform into its on-air interactive software applications. Weather Central will now be able to incorporate Virtual Earth’s immersive aerial, satellite and mapping experience into its on-air weather offering providing customers with a photorealistic view of their city within the weather broadcast. Check out the press release at: http://www.weathercentral.tv/Press/M...th%20Final.pdf

DHAP incorporates the Virtual Earth platform into its Toyota Scion.com site
On April 26, DHAP announced that its new interactive Scion.com site will now incorporate the Virtual Earth platform, which will power the site’s mapping and location feature. Re-architecting the Dealer Locator with Microsoft Virtual Earth platform, an integrated set of services that combines unique bird's-eye, aerial, and satellite imagery with cutting-edge mapping, location and search functionality, encourages site visitors to interact with the map tools in new ways, rather than just view a map image.’. Check out the press release at: PR Newswire - A United Business Media Company

British Telecom Tradespace brings small businesses together using Microsoft Virtual Earth technology
As part of British Telecom’s Business Experience Event, held on April 25th, BT launched its new social media and on-demand services for small businesses. One service has been coined BT Tradespace – a dynamic online community that brings small businesses and individual sellers together with potential customers and partners to do business. The free service allows businesses to quickly create and post web content. Each BT Tradespace member’s page includes space for businesses to add blogs, images, podcasts and details of their location powered by the latest Microsoft Virtual Earth technology.
For more information about BT Tradespace go to Home page - BT Tradespace

Tesco Re-launches Store Locator with Microsoft Virtual Earth
Tesco, one of the UK's largest retailers and supermarket chains, revamped its online store locator application to include the ability to search by city, town or postal code, complemented by map, aerial or composite views of Tesco store locations across the United Kingdom by utilizing Microsoft’s Virtual Earth platforms immersive mapping capabilities. Improvements to the user interface also enhance the overall customer experience online. Store Locator - Tesco supermarket - Tesco.com

Recent Updates - Microsoft Virtual Earth

Virtual Earth updates its API
In April, Microsoft released Virtual Earth 5.0, an updated version of the Virtual Earth platform. With this update and enhancements to the Virtual Earth API, organizations can utilize the unique imagery, dynamic maps and various content layers to provide a tailored experience for their end-users. By combining comprehensive support for feature customization, richer features for end-users, and a new level of control and flexibility in the platform, Virtual Earth provides the ability to create unique environments to connect with customers. For more information on this update visit: http://www.microsoft.com/virtualeart...s/default.mspx

UltraCam-X Deliveries
Early 2007 saw initial customer deliveries of the new UltraCam-X large format digital aerial camera, first announced at the 2006 ASPRS Annual Meeting along with the Microsoft acquisition of Vexcel Corporation, the provider of the camera. The camera succeeds the UltraCam-D that led the aerial imagery industry in worldwide camera sales in 2004 and 2005, its first two years on the market. The UltraCam-X boasts larger image format capabilities over competing offerings, as well as a simplified data flow, improved robustness and an ability to collect an unlimited number of images in a single aerial mission. For more information on the UltraCam-X, visit http://www.vexcel.com/products/photo...amx/index.html

Recent Updates - Live Search Maps

Ratings and Reviews available on Live Search Maps
On April 3, Microsoft announced several new updates to Live Search Maps offering including a new ratings and reviews functionality allowing U.S. customers to view ratings of restaurants and other businesses within the Live Search Maps interface. Previously, 3D functionality for Live Search Maps was only available on IE. With this update, customers who use Firefox as their web browsers are now able to enjoy the immersive 3D mapping experience available with the Live Search Maps offering.
Check out the team blog for more information at: Virtual Earth / Live Maps and visit Live Search Maps at Live Local Search to check out the new updated offering.

Live Search Maps Outlook Feature
On April 3, the Live Search Maps team updated its Live Search Maps for Outlook plug-in, a free mapping add-in that seamlessly integrates location based information such as maps, driving directions, travel times and now 3D imagery into Outlook calendar appointments. To install this plug-in, please go to Live Search Maps.

Live Search Maps expands 3D, Bird’s-eye and aerial imagery in the US and abroad
Throughout April, Live Search Maps expanded its 3D, Bird’s-eye and aerial imagery to several US and international markets. 3D imagery of buildings is now available for seven new cities including cities in the UK, Calgary, Canada, San Diego, CA and Portland, Oregon. Additionally, several areas have been updated with Bird’s-eye imagery including 73 new cities in Italy and several cities in France including Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo.
For a complete list of cities that have been updated with new 3D, Bird’s-eye and aerial imagery please visit the team blog at: Virtual Earth / Live Maps.

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