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Just what IS Microsoft’s (and Nokia’s) map strategy, anyway?

Jun 25, 2012 2:14 pm by Kip Kniskern | 9 comments

Today, on the Bing Maps blog, Microsoft announced its largest aerial satellite and Global Ortho image release ever, totaling 165 terabytes of new imagery live now on Bing Maps. This single update is larger than the total “Aerial footprint” released up to this point, which measured 129 terabytes total.

The release covers North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Europe, covering nearly 38 million square kilometers. Microsoft has been pushing hard on expanding and upgrading their aerial and Global Ortho images, as explained in the blog post:

As of today the Global Ortho project is 85% acquired and published. Just this month, Bing Imagery Technologies hit a significant milestone by completing 100% of aerial photography over the United States. The photography in Europe is slated to be finished by this fall and all updated imagery should be published by the end of 2012.

What’s interesting (beyond the amazing imagery, see the blog post for some good examples) is that while Microsoft aggressively pushes forward with parts of Bing Maps, it is yielding to Nokia elsewhere.

Just last week, Microsoft announced that Nokia Maps will power Windows Phone 8, “build(ing) in Nokia mapping as part of the platform”:

Better maps and directions: Windows Phone 8 builds in Nokia mapping as part of the platform. Our partnership will provide more detailed maps and turn-by-turn directions in many countries, plus the ability to store maps offline on your phone so you can work with maps without a data connection.

Back in February, Microsoft and Nokia announced their unified mapping design, with Nokia switching to an improved version of the soft, pastel look of Bing Maps. Then in May, Microsoft and Nokia announced a further partnership, bringing Nokia Maps traffic (expanding Bing Maps traffic coverage to 24 countries) to Bing Maps, and way back in January, Pocket-lint interviewed Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who told them:

“In the time ahead, what you will see is, across all the Microsoft properties including Bing maps, more and more work will be done by Nokia.”

For the moment, both services seem to be pushing ahead independently, even with a stream of announcements that seems to hint that the two mapping services are destined to become one. Who will ultimately run Maps for Nokia and Microsoft? Will they continue to work independently on some projects, and together on others? Or, as some would suggest may be just as inevitable, will Microsoft eventually acquire Nokia and bring mapping back in-house?

More importantly, is working separately but closely together the best strategy for either company? Wouldn’t a combined Nokia and Microsoft mapping effort be better able to compete with Google, the runaway leader, and upstart Apple?

This entry was posted in Bing and tagged Bing Maps, Corporate Strategy, Nokia. Bookmark the permalink.

http://www.facebook.com/bessard Michaël Bessard
I don’t get it.
So the mapping stuff goes to Nokia while the imagery stuff stays at Microsoft? I don’t even–
Can’t they just buy NAVTEQ and be done with this nonsense?
- http://twitter.com/gtroberts GTRoberts
  Bing, Google and numerous other companies all license NAVTEQ mapping data and they’ve all been doing it for quite some time. Its a good business model for NAVTEQ.
  - Ryan T
    NAVTEQ and NOKIA are one in the same
Omen1337
Microsoft should just buy the mapping division from Nokia.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Shameer-Mulji/1685212657 Shameer Mulji
  MS should just buy Nokia – like yesterday. Nokia makes great hardware, services, and has a global brand recognition (albeit a little weak in North America) and MS has the Windows Phone platform and a large financial backing.�
  The Nokia Lumia 900 is the only Windows Phone worth buying. Forget about HTC, Samusng, and the like. MS has a great hardware / services partner in Nokia.
  - Asgardi
    “MS has a great hardware / services partner in Nokia.”
    You said it yourself. This is exactly why MS does not buy Nokia. It gets the benefits anyway without so much risk and costs.
    - worleyeoe
      Let’s see what happens once Nokia lays off these 10K employees. Unfortunately if a buy is in MS’ furture, they should have already completed the acquisition to generate buzz about WP8. Or maybe they’re thinking the acquisition should occur post release, because they’re worried it would tampering the hype and demand for WP8 / Nokia devices. Be that as it may, they need to stop fighting making their own hardware so much. Google is jumping way out ahead of MS in this arena. They have a phone, Chromebook, and are on the verge or releasing a tablet. MS, Google is officially a vertically integrated company. Buy Nokia and RIM’s messaging infrastructure and be done with it.
      - Guest
        Google doesn’t have >80% of its revenue coming from OEMs. Obviously MS is going to be more cautious proceeding down that path. Look at the push back they’re getting from OEMs on just their recent Surface annoucement. It may be inevitable that MS will be forced to go direct, particularly in smartphones and tablets and maybe eventually PCs too, but if they shift too quickly they risk a massive negative impact on revenue and profits, in which case there’s a sharehlder revolt, Ballmer is forced out, and the board and senior leadership may be in disarray.
        However, I agree that MS will likely end up acquiring Nokia eventually. Neither has many other options left.
  - worleyeoe
    Um. The HTC Titan 2 and Samsung Focus 2 would sell pretty well if it were on VZW and Sprint. And, the older HTC Trophy and Samsung Focus would do very well on prepaid if their prices were no more than $199. But given the current platform’s h/w limitations, the 900 is really the only flagship device here in the U.S.