Just Map It: Sites From Google And Microsoft Spur DevelopmentJust Map It: Sites From Google And Microsoft Spur Development

New Web sites from Google Inc. and Microsoft are spurring independent software development, leading to new map-based services. Microsoft's MSN Virtual Earth lets users view satellite imagery and perform Yellow-Page searches, while Google Earth combines local search and 3-D images of buildings and streets with zoom-in, zoom-out capabilities.

Both companies have been mum on any moneymaking strategies for their sites, but they've released APIs and say dozens of developers have created or are planning software based on them. Two known offerings, KMaps and Mobile GMaps, are for mobile use and can be accessed by cellular or Wi-Fi networks. Both are available via a Creative Commons license, which requires products be distributed for free and not used for commercial purposes.

KMaps is built on top of Google Maps and runs on Palm devices, says its creator, software architect Ivan Mitrovic, who offers it from his site, www. alealea.com. Mitrovic decided to write a mapping application he could use for business travel. "I thought that other people may like this kind of application," he says, adding that in two months, thousands of people have downloaded KMaps. It uses Yahoo Inc.'s traffic RSS feed, which lets Mitrovic display reported traffic accidents on KMaps so users can avoid those routes. Zack Williams, an independent IT consultant, calls up KMaps on his Treo to find his way to client offices and can store maps for future use. "It saves me time and helps me from getting lost," he says. Mitrovic offers an upgrade that lets users create their own location-aware content, which Williams says he believes could create commercial opportunities.

Mobile GMaps works on any J2ME-enabled cell phone and displays maps from Google Maps and MSN Virtual Earth, says its creator, Cristian Streng, a 25-year-old developer. Some 30,000 users downloaded Mobile GMaps from his site, www.mgmaps.com, last month, he says. Streng says the next version of the software will include support for GPS-enabled devices via Bluetooth technology, so users can find directions using GPS coordinates.

Photo by Sacha Lecca

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