Location-Based Services

Microsoft Technology Can Help Your Customers Find You in a Click

Nearly 80 percent of all information collected by stores, hotels, and restaurants contains some geographic or spatial reference. Whether that's a store address or customer ZIP code captured at the point-of-sale, most businesses don't effectively use this information.

The latest generation of technology from Microsoft can help your business put this information to full use. Location-based services allow companies to better understand and serve their customers. Location-based services solutions can be customer-facing or designed to help employees be more productive.

The Microsoft MapPoint Web service allows developers to integrate location-based services, such as maps, driving directions, and proximity searches, into existing business applications. The XML-based solution provides an extensive set of mapping-related content, including business listings and points of interest, that can be integrated with existing systems.

Identify New Customer Trends with Microsoft MapPoint 2004

Business mapping software from Microsoft helps companies identify trends that aren’t visible in databases, spreadsheets, or business reports. Microsoft MapPoint 2004 combines powerful mapping and analysis tools with the simplicity of Microsoft Office applications.

Designed for everyday use, MapPoint allows businesses to easily locate and illustrate points on maps, integrate maps into Microsoft Office documents, and quickly identify trends with either company data or up-to-date, detailed demographic information.

Help Customers Find Your Business

Customers can find your Web site, but can they find your door? Customers live in a physical space and often need to visit bricks-and-sticks locations before making a purchase. Web sites play a major role in guiding them, but now businesses can point customers to an exact location for the product or service they need.

The Microsoft MapPoint Web service is a solution for Web-based locators. The range of map-enabled applications is limited only by imagination. Starbucks uses it to help travelers find the nearest cup of coffee. FutureDontics implements mapping to power their 1-800-DENTIST service, which allows a patient to find a nearby dentist. SonicEagle empowers real estate agents to help prospective home buyers identify available properties based on their desired points of interest or neighborhood offerings.

These are only a few of the examples offered by the Microsoft MapPoint Web service solution. This technology can also serve as the foundation for many more uses, including asset mapping and vehicle fleet tracking.

Learn about the Virtual Earth platform

Take your store locators to the next level by creating an immersive online mapping and search experience.