NEW ORLEANS, April 10, 2002 — Today at Microsoft®
Tech
·Ed 2002, Microsoft Corp. launched MapPoint®
.NET, its first commercially available SOAP/XML Web service. MapPoint .NET is a programmable platform for mapping and location-based services. Developed and hosted by Microsoft, MapPoint .NET enables ISVs, solution providers, carriers, portals and enterprises to quickly and easily embed maps, driving directions, distance calculations, proximity searches and other location functionality in applications, Web sites and services.
Companies can capitalize on the business value of location technology on any device by integrating MapPoint .NET into their public Web applications, wireless solutions, business productivity applications and enterprise solutions.
“With MapPoint .NET, location becomes an ingredient of a software solution and functions within the context of whatever work people are doing to help them gain insight into business productivity and efficiency,” said Michael Graff, general manager of the MapPoint business unit at Microsoft.
Web Services Model Minimizes Cost and Complexity
The MapPoint .NET service offers companies a cost-effective way to unleash the power of location in their applications and services. MapPoint .NET aggregates location functionality and related data into a single Web service. Microsoft abstracts developers from traditional data management complexities such as sourcing, integrating, managing and updating geographic data, and allows them to choose from a rich set of services. Microsoft also offers transaction and subscription-based pricing models. And because the .NET Platform supports open standards such as SOAP and XML, MapPoint .NET puts location solutions within easy reach of any developer.
“MapPoint .NET opens the door to location intelligence and extends its value beyond the few organizations that can afford to invest heavily in GIS resources and multiple data providers,” Graff said. “This technology enables any developer to bring the power of location into imaginative .NET solutions.”
MapPoint .NET features map data covering the world. It can find street addresses in the United States, Canada and 11 Western European countries. Maps and driving directions can be served automatically in nine languages. MapPoint .NET version 1.0 was released in September 2001 and has been powering the maps and driving directions behind Microsoft’s popular MSN® Carpoint®
, MSN HomeAdvisor (TM) and MSN MapPoint Web sites, as well as the mapping features on Expedia.com and the driving directions for the voice portal Tell Me Networks.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MapPoint, MSN, Carpoint and HomeAdvisor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual products and services mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information on MapPoint .NET:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2002/apr02/04-10mappoint.asp
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