Multimap.com an independent Britsh mapping company, famous here long before Google Maps, has been aquired by Microsoft for around $25m. The deal is an important one for Microsoft to keep pushing against the dominance of Google Maps and Google Earth. Neilson Net Ratings places Multimap as the UK’s second largest mapping site between Google Maps at the top and Google Earth in third. With around 4 million unique users (compared to Microsoft’s own effort with 600,000 unique users) this aquisition puts Microsoft in a strong position to grow and compete with Google.
The competition for mapping is an important one in the overall battle for search supremacy. Not only are mapping sites very useful, they are a great canvas for delivering local ads, something Google is already doing well. This boost for Microsoft should help accelerate its capability to offer targeted ads with volume, the all important ingredient that is still missing from its own paid search offering.
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