Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

Jamie — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:42:35 GMT

BV2312 - the chances are it could be a full ownership of Facebook thats next on MS 'too acquire' list after no to 42 billion $ deal of Yahoo (so they go elsewhere and acquire web 2,0 companies such as Facebook).

www.allfacebook.com/.../microsoft-trying-to-acquire-facebook

kara.allthingsd.com/.../microsofts-project-granola-facebook-tastier-than-yahoo

The Offers

Yahoo offer: Microhoo and US$42Billion [not going to happen]

Facebook offer (in Billions but will not be as high as Yahoo) [rumored]

however Facebook is growing and Yahoo well going backwards

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

Jamie — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:26:18 GMT

its good that this time the informing us in advance

but i wonder for Spain (es-es) Australia (en-au) and New Zealand (en-nz) that also had a unsolicited visit to multimap.com in there markets when English UK (en-gb) were changed to multimap (with who knows what else)

hopefully they still have access to there live maps come the 9th such as below

E.g. New Zealand:

* If you visit the URL http://maps.live.com you will get to Live Maps NZ.

* If you go to maps via http://www.live.com then you will get to Multimap NZ.

* If you go to maps via http://www.msn.co.uk then you will get to Multimap NZ.

One Nice feature of Multimap is POI and Map types (if only if Live Maps nabbed them ;)

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

quikboy — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:22:28 GMT

I still think having Multimap as a side option, undermines what Live Maps is all about, and weakens the Live branding.

@foaf : It makes sense for awhile, but I honestly don't think Live Maps is hard to use. There's an interactive 2D map usually when you open it up, there's a search box, and you can pretty much figure it all out from there. If you can't, I feel kinda sorry for you.

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

Mephiles — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:28:40 GMT

I don't really like multimap...

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

Chris — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:28:11 GMT

foaf, totally agree. MS bought Multimaps for both technology and users. Redirecting to maps.live.com straightaway would cause some loss of traffic as you mention.

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

foaf — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:50:23 GMT

Although I'm dead against it, I understand the move from a business perspective. If said 45% went to multimap.com and actually found maps.live.com then there may be a high chance they would immediately switch to google maps.

Multimap users, I suspect, are not very web savy they are the "average Jo's", mainstream users. Live Maps has a following, but the average user is a heavy internet user that is aware of all the technology Live Maps utilises.

Microsoft bought MultiMap to penetrate the average Jo market, and while it's a branding farse, it is understandable to slowly introduce Live Maps to the MultiMap user base.

Using Live.com as the gateway is a soar point for me. While it will skim the average Jo market that visits Live.com for search, it limits the heavy user market from using Live.com as a gateway to my prefered mapping service, Live Maps.

But, let's face it, heavy net users already know typing "maps.live.com" into the browser is the quickest way to get there.

So overall this is a good decision strategic for Microsoft. Why they took this long to make that decision is bad middle management within the company.

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

BV2312 — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:33:08 GMT

What are they goin to do next, buy ASK.co.uk and say they will be Live Search Uk now because more people use ASK.co.uk than people use Live Search?

sorry :>

re: Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up

BV2312 — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:29:24 GMT

45% --- is this from people using the site or is because companies use their site to map the stores or locations.

Personally Live Maps is a better platform it's faster and less adverts. Multimap does have some good featues but it's slow and has A Lot of adverts!

Instead of gettin users to a single location. VE team are making a 'branding blunder'.

Why are they trying to mess up, the should try to get some of those 45% to go to Live Maps!!!!

All featues of MultiMap should be integrated in Live Maps and not made to become separte.