Microsoft teams up with Multimap

Microsoft has signed an agreement with online and mapping location-based services firm Multimap to develop products and services based on Redmond's MapPoint Web Service.

Multimap will add MapPoint to its service portfolio by integrating and reselling MapPoint web services with its Storefinder and dealer locator services. But it will also continue to provide services based on its own online mapping platform.

MapPoint Web Service supports Simple Object Access Protocol and Extensible Markup Language to integrate location-based services such as maps, driving directions and proximity searches into applications and business processes.

The collaboration also extends to forthcoming MapPoint offerings, including the recently announced MapPoint Location Server.

Michael Graff, general manager of the MapPoint business unit at Microsoft, said in a statement: "Multimap's strong industry expertise and presence in the UK and Europe puts us in a unique position to help businesses throughout Europe realise the full potential of location technology without having to invest in expensive or hard-to-deploy geographic information systems."