Microsoft and Nokia announced the fruit of their recent mapping collaboration today. Each company has a blog post describing what's changed and improved (Bing, Nokia). The effort comes out of the companies' strategic partnership in mobile. As part of that arrangement Microsoft is relying heavily on the Nokia-Navteq mapping and data infrastructure. Nokia for its part has made Ovi Maps much more Bing-like in appearance. Essentially the UI has been simplified, colors have been muted and there's an improved "visual hierarchy" at each level of zoom. It's challenging for me to specifically tell w [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines | Search Engines: Mobile Search Engines | Yahoo: Maps & Local

It sounds great. A program that guarantees top listings for local searches on Google, Yahoo and Bing. An "officially approved" one in "cooperation" with those search engines. But it's not so, say Google and Bing. The "Local Paid Inclusion" service launched officially today. The site's home page pitches: Local Paid Inclusion is a Google, Yahoo and Bing contracted service and is offered as an approved official program in cooperation with those search engines. Local Paid Inclusion promotes a local business’ profile page, like those found in Google Places, Yahoo Local and Bing Local, into [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Top News

Local business marketers often hyper-focus on Google search rankings, but it's important not to forget that even if Bing and Yahoo! do not have the lion's share, even 15% of search volume can create a sizable number of potential business referrals. So, here are a few basic tips for optimizing for Bing Local search rankings. Optimization of business profiles in the Bing Business Portal (or "BBP") is not difficult nor time-consuming. Microsoft's newish Beta interfacing for administrating business listing details is actually pretty slick and easy to use. 10 Tips For Optimizing Local Busi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

In May of last year I had a conversation with someone who told me that Nokia Maps (Navteq) would effectively replace the infrastructure behind Bing Maps. I was surprised to say the least and wrote about it in a story entitled Bing Maps To Be Powered (Replaced) By Nokia? The impression I got is that Bing would control the presentation layer and search on top of maps but that the "guts" would come from Nokia/Navteq. At the time of the story Microsoft offered the following comment: Bing Maps has utilized Nokia content for road data, geo-coding and routing services for several years, through N [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: Mobile

Chris Pendleton announced on the Bing Maps blog that they have pushed out a major update to their driving directions "routing engine." The new routing engine is twice as fast as the old one and adds more features like adding up to 3 routes in one request. Previously, Bing Maps used a routing algorithm named Dijkstra's algorithm. They replaced it with a new one named "Customizable Route Planning" or "CRP" for short. The new Customizable Route Planning algorithm is "twice as fast" as the Dijkstra's algorithm, according to Chris Pendleton. Chris also posted an excerpt of how this new rou [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Google is bringing the blue dot indoors. Google Maps for Android 6.0 is going to start showing interior maps of airports, select malls and retail stores in the US and Japan. In Japan transit stations are also mapped. The floor plan data has been obtained from all the participating entities, which Google's Steve Lee says are "very excited" to be a part of the program. Those entities include numerous Macy's, Bloomingdales, Home Depots and all US IKEA stores. (See the full US list at the bottom.) Below is a Google-provided screenshot of the Mall of America before interior maps and after: [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Top News

Bing has added new options for editing and sharing inside of Bing Maps. The "Send" link on a Maps search result now has an option to send a business listing to a mobile phone via SMS. This is available to users in the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy. There's also a "Share" link in the upper right of the map view, and that now has a couple new options that allow sharing of a map link on Facebook and Twitter. There's also a new short URL feature that uses Bing's Binged.it domain. You can see that on Bing's screenshot above, but I'm not seeing it in actio [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Apple has apparently bought its third mapping company, the Sweden-based C3 Technologies. The company's site has been taken down. C3 provides 3D mapping (a la Bing Maps or Google Earth) for a number of other publishers such as Nokia (Ovi Maps) and UK directory publisher Yell. (In the wake of this transaction Nokia will probably need to shift to Bing's 3D mapping.) I was given a demo of the product in Europe early this year and from what I could tell it was every bit as good as anything that Microsoft or Google are doing with 3D imagery on maps. Here's Nokia's description of C3 and its techno [...]

Related Topics: Apple | Channel: Mobile | Google: Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines | Top News

Bing has put considerable effort in the past several months into building out its deals content. First Bing introduced third party deals via its mobile website. It then created a retail-centric deals portal within Bing Shopping. More recently Microsoft added self-service group buying deals to the Bing Business Portal. And now there's a new product in Microsoft's deals mix: Bing Deals. (It was first noticed by TechCrunch.) It's a more "traditional," email-based daily deal offering vs. the company's earlier deal products and efforts (which are still ongoing). The new daily deals email capabil [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Offers | Groupon | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Top News

Google may have most of the local traffic, but Bing's local business tools are running laps around Google's. When it launched in April, the Bing Business Portal already had outdone Google with several important features. Now, a new set of tools that Bing added within the past couple weeks puts it even further ahead of Google in many ways -- but not all. Here's a look at what's new in the Bing Business Portal (BBP). Group Deals The BBP has offered a basic Deals tool since April. These are straight-ahead, single customer deals like dollar-based or percent-based discounts. Now, local bu [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Top News

Finally, some good news for air travelers: Flying gets a little bit easier with Bing's launch of detailed U.S. airport maps. Much like the previously announced shopping mall maps, Bing's airport maps take searchers inside the airport to see things like gate locations, stores and restaurants on each concourse, restroom locations and more. Searchers will find the airport maps when they come across one of the 42 available U.S. airports on Bing maps. They're accessible more quickly by searching for the airport name or code (i.e., SEA for Sea-Tac International Airport). And Bing has als [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Travel

When Bing launched deals several months ago its partner was deal aggregator The Dealmap, which was subsequently acquired by Google. That forced Microsoft to turn elsewhere for deals and today, as a result, we're seeing the launch of a new deals experience on mobile and the PC that pulls in content from a wide range of sources. The mobile deals experience hasn't really changed; you can see daily deals in  your selected area, as well as deals "nearby" and also browse deals by category. It's available via the m.bing.com HTML5 site and Bing apps. There's a new more comprehensive online [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Retail | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Shopping & Cashback | Search Engines: Deals & Coupon Search Engines | Top News

In April of this year Microsoft announced that its visual mapping feature, Streetside, was making its way to Europe. The BBC reported at the time that cars mounted with the now familiar 360 degree cameras were driving around London collecting images. The fruit of that effort has now begun to appear. Microsoft previously said that it isn't going to try and map every street in every European capital. Rather it would concentrate on urban and more heavily trafficked areas -- a kind of 80/20 bet. In following Google into Europe Microsoft also benefits from the former's earlier missteps, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile

It's one of those things that you almost wonder why it wasn't there before: current weather conditions on Google Maps. Well, Google has added current weather conditions around the world on Google Maps, and it's a helpful addition. The new weather layer can be turned on or off by clicking the options widget in the upper right corner of the map; "weather" is one of the new choices. Weather data comes from the US Naval Research Lab, and you'll see different cities as you zoom in or out on the map. In other words, as you zoom in, the weather layer will show conditions in smaller towns. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Today Bing added 400 shopping mall maps as part of a larger "venue maps" (indoor mapping) effort. A minor but useful addition to Bing Maps (especially if the initiative expands), users can now zoom in on any of the included malls and see the stores and related details for the various tenant retailers. This is the expansion of a product enhancement that was first introduced last December. It works both online and at m.bing.com, although I had some difficulty finding a mobile example this afternoon. Below is an example from the PC version of Bing Maps, a mall map for the San Francisco Cent [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile

Bing has announced a set of much-needed tweaks to the Bing Maps user interface. Rather than scattering navigation options both above and below (not to mention off to the side of) the map itself, all menu options are now accessible in a nav bar that stretches across the screen above the map. It's a much cleaner look and seems that it'll be easier to use, too. The new menu bar makes Bing's "Map Apps" much more visible than they've been, which could spur adoption of what are some pretty interesting tools/features. Also new is quicker access to Bing's "Bird's Eye" and overhead aerial im [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Yesterday during the SMX Advanced session called "Up Close with the Bing Business Portal," Microsoft's Andy Chu took a couple of minutes to announce a range of feature upgrades for the Bing mobile site (m.bing.com) as well as their expansion to the UK version of Bing for mobile browsers. Among these upgrades, a "Share on Facebook" capability has been broadly added to search results, local business listings and other areas. There's also a new "carousel" presentation for top that allows users to quickly flip through news headlines. It creates something like a "news cube" that spins with a mil [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile

Bing Maps has added what it's calling a "significant enhancement" to its Streetside product, but the best version remains the one that's only available with Microsoft's Silverlight plugin installed. According to today's announcement, the Streetside upgrades are both structural and functional. On the structural side, Bing has eliminated what it calls "bubbles" of street-level views and replaced them a more seamless collection of imagery. They did this by using technology from another Microsoft project called Street Slide, and the new desktop experience more closely resembles how Streetsi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Streetside

This morning Microsoft officially unveiled "Mango," its anticipated Windows Phone update with a dizzying array of upgrades and new features and developer tools. Microsoft emphasized the speed of its mobile browser, a range of new local search capabilities, Bing Vision (visual search like Google Goggles), "a smarter approach to apps" and new group messaging and email features. There were so many feature tweaks and improvements that it's difficult to summarize them all. The video below highlights the major changes and upgrades of Mango. The central question is will these changes make Wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Top News

Wouldn't it be great if there was one mapping service that offers everything you need to plan a trip to somewhere you've never been? Sure, map sites are generally pretty similar. You can see maps, find business listings, get driving directions, see images and stuff like that. But it's actually more complicated than that. At least it was for me. My wife and I recently visited Maui, Hawaii for the first time. We spent a week on the island celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and, after getting advice from all of our family and friends, we had enough must-sees and must-dos to fill a [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Features: Analysis | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Street View | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Photosynth | Top News