Virtual Earth becomes Windows Live Local this week
InfoWorld | at | by Mike
Microsoft plans to launch this week Windows Live Local, a new version of its Virtual Earth aerial image service, according to company sources.
The company hopes the new service will provide a significant boost to its local search service on the MSN.com portal, which competes against Google, Yahoo and others. It currently offers aerial and satellite images from Virtual Earth, but Windows Live Local will take the aerial imagery to another level.
Using images and technology from Pictometry International, a specialist in this area that signed a licensing deal with Microsoft earlier this year, Windows Live Local will give users images of a much higher resolution and quality than Virtua Earth.