Plug-In Adds Maps to Outlook

A free add-in will allow users to incorporate maps and directions from Windows Live Local into Outlook appointments. The plug-in is the latest example of how Microsoft plans to integrate Windows Live online services into popular Microsoft software-a move that could drive new traffic to Windows Live and that companies such as Google and Yahoo, which don’t develop or sell desktop software on nearly the same scale as Microsoft, will find difficult to counter. The Outlook plug-in was part of a larger update to Windows Live Local that also includes traffic data, a new SDK, and other features.

Most Significant Update So Far

Windows Live Local is a mapping and driving-directions service that Microsoft began testing in summer 2005 under the name “Virtual Earth.” (Virtual Earth now refers to the back-end platform used by Windows Live Local; it can also be accessed by third-party applications via public APIs.) Windows Live Local allows users to enter an address, business name, or business category and see its position on a map or satellite photograph, and is similar to MSN’s Maps and Directions site (which it replaces) and competing sites such as AOL’s MapQuest, Google Maps, and Yahoo Maps. Microsoft has updated the service several times during the beta, adding features such as location detection (based on the user’s IP address or nearby Wi-Fi hotspots) and “bird’s-eye” (low-altitude aerial photographs shot from a 45-degree angle) and street-level images, which are useful for identifying landmarks.