The feature is already available for many metropolitan areas in the United States. The US company also plans to publish bird’s-eye-view imagery for large parts of Europe. Around 120 German cities can currently be explored from the air, although several major cities—including Hamburg, Essen, and Cologne—are still missing.
Virtual Earth gives internet users access to road maps and satellite imagery and also includes a route planner. Unlike rival Google Earth, Microsoft’s service runs in a browser. “Installation on the local computer is not necessary,” Amrehn emphasizes.
Microsoft creates the 3D data from aerial photographs that it either purchases or produces through its subsidiary Vexcel. “Calculating the model of a city such as San Francisco takes three weeks,” Amrehn says. Because of the considerable effort involved, coverage will be expanded gradually.
A program will also allow users to create their own 3D building models and display them in Virtual Earth, and an import function is provided. Importing building replicas from rival Google Earth is not currently possible.
According to Amrehn, planned improvements also include localizing all maps. Many cities are still listed under English names—for example, München appears as Munich. Business customers will also benefit from a software development kit intended to make custom applications easier to program and integrate into websites.
Microsoft is pursuing a two-track strategy with its mapping service. Amrehn says advertising will be added “sooner or later” to the free consumer version, as rival Google already does with Google Earth. Business customers can use the maps for a fee. The product is of particular interest to platforms offering geographic information; portals such as Immobilienscout24.de and Hotel.de already use the application.
“Microsoft is particularly focused on business customers,” Amrehn says, adding that the company competes with more than Google: “The entire market is in transition, and there are several providers.”
