Microsoft announced this morning that it has acquired UK-based mapping platform and consumer destination MultiMap. Deal terms weren’t disclosed. MultiMap will reportedly operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft but within the Virtual Earth and search teams. According to the press statement issued, MultiMap brings “new location and mapping technology to complement existing offerings such as Virtual Earth, Live Search, Windows Live services, MSN, and the aQuantive advertising platform.”

One would also assume the technology would also eventually be used in mobile.

Mapping interfaces and location targeting are becoming increasingly important in online ad platforms and in mobile by extension. Google recently revamped its AdWords geotargeting interface to make it much more intuitive and map-centric. Similarly, Microsoft appears to be emphasizing integration of MultiMap into its ad platform in the announcement and related articles written about the acquisition.

Postscript: The UK’s TimesOnline speculates the deal was worth $50 million.

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outside US | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines

About The Author: Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog Screenwerk, about SoLoMo issues and connecting the dots between online and offline. He also posts at Internet2Go, which is focused on the mobile Internet. Follow him @gsterling. See more articles by Greg Sterling

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