14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft plans nothing short of a massive expansion of Bing Maps with the addition of 3D map data and visuals designed to kick up a notch the recently introduced Streetside feature. At the start of this month, the Redmond company unveiled the new Bing Maps Beta built entirely in Silverlight. Via Streetside, Bing Maps offers users street-level imagery harvested from approximately 100 U.S. cities, presenting the evolution of the feature introduced approximately 2.5 years ago with a Live Search Maps technology preview. Although delivering only limited coverage for the time being, additional street-level content designed to take advantage of Silverlight’s 3D capabilities will be offered in the future.
In this regard, Microsoft announced that it had partnered with NAVTEQ. The Redmond company indicates that NAVTEQ will be responsible with supplying 3D map data and visuals to power new mapping features in Bing Maps Beta, per their technology agreement. NAVTEQ and Microsoft have a long history of working together, with the collaboration already over a decade old.
“Microsoft is extremely enthusiastic about this new chapter in its relationship with NAVTEQ and is focused on bringing the mapping experience alive for our consumers, using street level visuals powered by NAVTEQ,” stated Erik Jorgensen, corporate vice president of MSN at Microsoft. “The opportunity to work more closely with NAVTEQ and leverage our respective technological strengths for the overall advancement of this type of data collection is a true ‘win- win’ for both companies, and for consumers.”
The software giant is promising that users will see monthly updates of Streetside imagery, in the same manner as the company’s aerial photos and satellite imagery releases. NAVTEQ will use Microsoft technology to capture street-level photos, namely the Vexcel UltraCam.
“NAVTEQ continues to believe that the quality of data collection, which provides the building blocks for the underlying digital map in any navigation or location-enabled device, is paramount to a superior user experience. Microsoft shares this view, and openly welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with NAVTEQ in new ways to accelerate the development of technologies which we believe are crucial to the growing expectations of consumers using NAVTEQ maps,” added Cliff Fox, executive vice president, NAVTEQ Maps.