My company develops software products for Realtors. We include an integrated mapping module, which we will need to replace soon (the API and data format will no longer be supported). How big is the MapPoint runtime redistributable stuff? I read that you cannot separate it out by geographic area, so all of our end users would get data from all of North America. Also, how much does a runtime license cost (for redistributing the OCX with our applications)?

The total size of the \Program Files\Microsoft MapPoint\ folder as installed on my machine is 873 MB. This is the full installation, but doesn't include anything installed to the Windows system folders. If you want to require that the data CD be used, you can knock the total size down considerably, since the Data sub-folder is 857 MB.


You are correct that you have no control over the geographic area that is installed. You get everything.


The licensing requirements should be worked out with Microsoft. Start at the MapPoint home page. Information is provided on volume licensing. Generally, each person using MapPoint needs a license for the product, not just a runtime, but I am not sure about all of the licensing programs. At one popular online source, full MapPoint 2002 costs $228.61.


- Walt Cygan


More: See 11/27/2001 postings on the mappoint newsgroup named: "MapPoint runtime license" for more information from Eric Frost and Chris Gebhardt. I tried e-mailing this to you but it couldn't be delivered.