Microsoft Virtual Earth

Microsoft Virtual Earth
Name	Microsoft Virtual Earth
Developer	Microsoft
Initial release	2005
Latest release	2009
Operating system	Windows; web browsers
Genre	Geographic information system; Web mapping
License	Proprietary

Microsoft Virtual Earth was a web mapping platform developed by Microsoft that provided aerial imagery, road maps, and interactive map controls for developers and consumers. Launched in the mid-2000s, the service competed with offerings from Google, Yahoo!, and Apple and integrated with products from Bing and Microsoft Office. Virtual Earth combined tiled imagery, vector overlays, and developer APIs to support applications across Windows Vista, Internet Explorer, and third‑party web portals.

Overview

Microsoft Virtual Earth presented tiled aerial photography, satellite imagery, and road cartography sourced from providers such as DigitalGlobe and Navteq. The platform exposed mapping capabilities through a JavaScript API, ActiveX control, and SOAP services for enterprise systems like Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft SharePoint. Virtual Earth targeted audiences including developers building mashups, corporations performing asset management, and consumers using online maps via portals such as MSN and Bing Maps. The product sat among contemporaries like Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, and OpenStreetMap, while interoperability considerations involved standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium.

History and Development

Development of Virtual Earth began as part of Microsoft Research initiatives and commercial mapping strategies in the early 2000s. Early versions evolved alongside projects including Terraserver collaborations and acquisitions involving companies linked to MapPoint technology. Major milestones included public launches in 2005, imagery updates timed with events like the 2008 Summer Olympics, and API revisions coinciding with the launch of Bing in 2009. Corporate decisions at Microsoft about cloud services, integration with Azure, and partnerships with data vendors shaped the roadmap. Competitive pressures from Google Earth and legal considerations influenced licensing negotiations with suppliers such as HERE Technologies (formerly Navteq) and disputes involving mapping coverage in territories like China.

Features and Technology

Virtual Earth implemented multi-resolution tiled maps, leveraging image tiling strategies similar to those used by NASA and USGS in their public mapping projects. Key features included aerial and oblique imagery, road and transit overlays, 3D buildings in limited locales, bird’s-eye views, geocoding services, route planning, and traffic overlays during events like Super Bowl deployments. The API supported pushpins, polylines, polygons, and custom overlays for applications in fields associated with organizations like Esri and enterprises running Infor solutions. Underlying protocols referenced standards from bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium and the Open Geospatial Consortium for coordinate reference handling, while imagery licensing tied to providers including Spot Image and government portals like US Geological Survey.

Deployment and Integration

Virtual Earth was deployed via web portals, desktop clients, and embedded widgets in platforms like Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server. Integration scenarios included fleet management systems from vendors like TomTom partners, property search services run by companies such as Realtor.com, and government situational awareness tools used by agencies in coordination with FEMA responses. Developers accessed APIs through SDKs and sample code published for Visual Studio, enabling integration with SQL Server databases, business intelligence tools such as Power BI predecessors, and enterprise resource planning suites like SAP. Mobile adaptations targeted early smartphone platforms including Windows Mobile and interoperated with services from carriers like Verizon and AT&T.

Reception and Impact

Critics and analysts at outlets such as CNET, Wired, The New York Times, and ZDNet compared Virtual Earth to competitors on imagery quality, API usability, and licensing terms. Academic users from institutions like Stanford University, MIT, and University of California, Berkeley examined implications for spatial data research and privacy debates that echoed rulings involving European Commission data protection directives. Commercial adopters included retailers using location analytics popularized by companies such as Foursquare and logistics firms inspired by practices at UPS. Adoption influenced mapping standards and encouraged data provider consolidation involving entities like DigitalGlobe and HERE Technologies.

Legacy and Successors

Virtual Earth’s technology and partnerships were folded into subsequent Microsoft mapping initiatives, most notably the rebranding to Bing Maps and integration with cloud services like Azure Maps. Lessons from Virtual Earth informed features in later products used by enterprises such as Accenture and government programs coordinated with NASA Earth observation data. The platform’s API practices influenced open mapping projects like OpenStreetMap and commercial APIs from Google and Here Technologies. Virtual Earth remains a reference point in histories of web mapping alongside milestones such as the debut of Google Maps and the evolution of Esri ArcGIS Online.

Category:Microsoft software Category:Web mapping