MapData leverages Microsoft Virtual Earth for Aussie businesses

Stuart Corner
Friday, 26 October 2007 01:47

Your IT - Home IT

Australian company, MapData Sciences will use Microsoft's Virtual Earth to provide customised mapping solutions for businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

Virtual Earth, http://virtualearth.com, a Windows Live platform launched in September 2006, offers an integrated set of services that combines aerial imagery with mapping, location and search functionality. It combines "navigation tools, aerial and satellite images, perspective land views, real-time user location, traffic conditions, speech interfaces, new and unique map styles and synchronisation." Microsoft says that,  in 2008, 3D and street views will be available for Australian locations.

MapData Sciences has been appointed a reseller for Microsoft Virtual Earth and will combine its MapPoint Web Service with Virtual Earth to integrate location-based services such as maps, driving directions and proximity searches into software applications and business processes.

According to Microsoft, the combination will "provide made to order services for any business, such as: electronic business maps or 'find us here' for companies with one or two offices; online store locators or 'find my nearest' for companies that have multiple stores; driving directions between one or more points (customer to store, town to town, colleague to office) including distance and toll calculators; geocoding or conversion of a street address into geographical coordinates that can then be mapped or entered into geographic information systems (GIS)."

It says the service can also be used for address validation; GPS vehicle tracking services to assist the transport and logistics industries manage driver fatigue; for the guesswork out of territory management and site selection.