Saturday, July 30, 2005

Microsoft and Google in Sky Fight


Internet companies have taken to the skies in a battle for aerial supremacy.

On Monday, Microsoft introduced a preliminary online feature that combines street maps with photographs taken from airplanes and satellites. The product, MSN Virtual Earth, is intended to give users more detailed driving directions and an easier way to search for local businesses.

The release follows Google's recent foray into aerial imagery, including last month's preliminary introduction of a free three-dimensional mapping service, Google Earth. After downloading some software, users can zoom over cities and mountains like a bird.

Google and Microsoft are engaged in a major battle over Internet users. Each has unveiled a series of features designed to keep users loyal and grab a bigger share of the lucrative search-engine market.

Aerial mapping isn't new to the Internet. TerraServer, a Microsoft-owned site, has been available for years, and so has another Web site, TerraFly.

The point of aerial images on the Internet -- in addition to the utility for users -- is the potential for local advertising. For example, a user who types in a search for cars while looking at a view of the Bay Area gets a sponsored link for a car rental company below Yellow Pages listings for different automotive related businesses.
Excerpts taken from an Entireweb newsletter.


Posted by: Jethro | 11:43 AM |