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Microsoft plays catch up - buys Web Mapping Company. Too little too late?
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Microsoft, the technology conglomerate recently acquired a British online mapping company (Multimap). An acquisition that is clearly bound to boost its Windows Live bouquet of services. Multimap is a company that provides street maps, local information, and also provides directions.
It is basically a “me too” Google Maps with a few enhanced features. The added advantage that Multimap has is that it can build private label mapping tools for companies eg. it has built them for the Hilton and Ford Motor Co. Microsoft currently has Virtual Earth - a Google Earth kind of property, and also has maps in its search feature. Multimap is likely to benefit both these brands.
They say that large companies often do not need to be the best innovators - they can identify trends and look to acquire them and capitalize on them. Microsoft i think has identified the revenue making potential of making customized maps for large multinationals. This is also one way in which it can differentiate itself from Google.
The roadmap for Microsoft would obviously be to bolster its current services in the online space and bring them on par with leaders Google and Yahoo. Apart from that it has to look for such opportunities to differentiate itself. Microsoft is currently No. 3 in Search related queries after Google and Yahoo. It claims that its search engine is as effective as Google’s. Google quite clearly has proliferated beyond search into other Value Added Services. In terms of a time lag - i would say Microsoft is about 6 - 8 months behind Google in terms of Innovation and Service capabilities.
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