MSN Maps Updated

An update to MSN Maps, the free, public mapping site powered by Microsoft’s MapPoint Web service, allows other Web sites to link directly to maps and driving directions on the site and adds a new opportunity for advertisers, but it will have a difficult time competing with a recent offering from Google.

The Feb. 2005 update to MSN Maps adds the following features:

Direct linking. Web sites can now create URLs that link to information provided by MSN Maps, such as a map of a location based on its street address or longitude and latitude, driving directions between two predefined locations, or a driving directions form prepopulated with either a start or end point (so, for instance, a user could enter a home address and get directions to a company’s headquarters). Locations on these maps can be customized: for example, a business could create a link to an MSN Map with a pushpin labeled “Shareholders’ Meeting” at the appropriate location.

For organizations that want to provide simple directions to one or a few locations from a Web or intranet site, the new service is a useful alternative to Microsoft’s fee-based MapPoint Web service. However, information from the MapPoint Web service can be embedded directly into a Web page or corporate application, while the new MSN Maps feature merely links the reader to the MSN Maps site, including all the advertisements displayed on that site.