Microsoft Introduces 3.8 Terabytes Update

Microsoft has announces the introduction of a 3.8 Terabytes update to its Virtual Earth Platform. The Redmond Company's next-generation mapping and location service has grown over the past week in more aspects than one.

On March 27, 2007, Microsoft applauded the inking of a collaboration with InfoNow, a top provider or channel visibility together with location services to companies. Via this partnership, Microsoft Virtual Earth extended its capabilities across a fresh audience of over 20 million consumers worldwide that tapped InfoNow LocationInsight accessing various information about businesses and services.

"InfoNow LocationInsight is a unique offering in the market, and already has an impressive established user base of leading, global companies," said Erik Jorgensen, general manager of the Virtual Earth and Live Search Maps Business Unit at Microsoft. "InfoNow is a great partner to extend the reach of Virtual Earth to these companies and the millions of their customers who are looking for a better way to find, discover and explore a specific location."

But Microsoft has not stopped at the InfoNow migration to the Virtual Earth Platform. The mapping and location service also grew by 3.8 TB of imagery updates. The initial announcement was centered on the Chicago Birds Eye, however, Microsoft's offerings are more diversified than meets the eye.

In fact, the Chicago imagery collection is just a small part of the 3.8 TB update. The "3.8TB update features dozens more cities of Birds eye coverage as well as some high res ortho imagery from the Ultracam and GlobeXplorer. Lots of European Birds eye, including some countries we had not previously covered at all," revealed a member of the Live Maps / Virtual Earth team.

Here is a list with the new cities with Birds Eye Coverage around the world that will be accessible through Virtual Earth:

United Kingdom - Bedford, Chesterfield, Hull, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Morecambe, Carlisle, Tamworth, Aylesbury, Exeter, Kettinger, Newport, Pontypool, Stafford, Rugby, Taunton, Torbay
Germany - Bremerhaven, Celle, Delmenhorst, Esslingen, Ibbenbuerren, Oldenburg, Osnabrueck, Rheine, Wilhelmshaven, Aachen, Bremen, Flensburg, Fulda, Hamln, Herford, Minden, Muenster, Wetzlar, Ahlen, Arnsberg, Emden, Lippstadt, Wesel, Kassel, Neustadt
Italy - Naples, Bolzano, Cagliari, Trieste, Messina
United States - Chicago, Ventura County California, Broomfield Colorodo, Pinellas Florida, Charleston South Carolina
Spain - Pamplona, Seville
Switzerland - Bern, Geneva
The Netherlands - The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht
Norway - Oslo, Trondheim
Belgium - Antwerp
France -Grenoble, Limoges, Tours
New Ultracam Hi resolution Ortho Imagery - Austin, Cheektowaga, Calgary, Glendale, Toronto, Manhattan, Hamilton, Portland, Buffalo, Ottawa
GlobeXplorer Orthos - Ventura, St. Louis, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Bernardino County, Riverside County