Microsoft will expand the virtual ownership by Multimap

Microsoft Corp. bought the company Multimap, a leading developer of online mapping services UK. According to Reuters, the deal was not disclosed.

Buy Microsoft was a continuation of a series of transactions leading to the consolidation of market participants of digital cartography. In October, cell phone manufacturer Nokia has acquired for $ 8.1 billion. company Navteq. In November, the Dutch navigation device maker TomTom NV has launched a takeover bid developer of digital maps Tele Atlas NV ( these cards, recall disturbed the villagers Uedmor in the UK - GPS- navigator hard paved route through its narrow streets, not by -pass routes .

On the maps Multimap as strange enough, especially with regard to a resident of Russia. For example, a map of St. Petersburg Multimap has lost some of the letters in the Russian-language titles. Vasilevsky Island has become a Asilevsky, in the Five Corners Five s, and Apraksin yard and does become a thief Apraksin.

Microsoft believes that the purchase of Multimap will complement the functionality of its corporate services, Virtual Earth, Windows Live Search and other. Multimap will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft.

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