Multimap.com

Multimap.com was a United Kingdom-based online mapping and location-services provider established in the late 1990s and headquartered in London. It became one of the better-known British web mapping services during the expansion of consumer internet use in the 2000s. Its core public offering allowed users to view street maps, search for places, and obtain door-to-door travel directions. The service was oriented particularly toward the UK market, while also providing broader geographic coverage and services for international users. The brand’s offering extended beyond basic map display. Multimap provided aerial photography, local information, and business-oriented mapping services. Through commercial partnerships, its mapping capabilities could also support accommodation searches, restaurant information, and train-ticket or other travel-related bookings. The company additionally sold physical prints based on historic and aerial photographs, creating a revenue stream linked to the growing public interest in geographic imagery. Technically, Multimap belonged to an early generation of interactive web maps. Users could move around a map through discrete directional links and page-based interactions rather than the continuous, drag-based panning that later became standard in so-called “slippy map” interfaces. The service also made use of the Geo microformat, enabling geographic coordinates to be associated with web content. One notable application generated map overlays for Wikipedia articles using data from Multimap’s official database download, allowing users to browse geographically tagged articles. Microsoft acquired Multimap.com in 2007 in a transaction reported at approximately US$50 million. Following the acquisition, Microsoft incorporated the service and its capabilities into Bing Maps rather than maintaining Multimap as a separate long-term consumer brand. The independent Multimap service was subsequently discontinued, with the existing dossier identifying 2011 as the end of the standalone service. Its significance lies in its role as an early mainstream web-mapping provider and as one of the services that helped establish online maps, route planning, and location-based information as everyday web functions.

Multimap.com emerged in the late 1990s as the public web was developing practical applications for geographic information. Based in London, the company built a consumer-facing mapping service that combined digital street maps with location search and travel planning. Its public website allowed users to find places and calculate door-to-door directions, helping make map-based navigation accessible without specialist software or dedicated geographic databases. During the 2000s, Multimap expanded beyond a simple map viewer. It offered street-level mapping, aerial photography, local information, and services intended for businesses. The platform’s capabilities were also made available through partners, supporting functions such as accommodation discovery, restaurant information, and train-ticket booking. These partnerships reflected an emerging model in which maps served as a foundation for local search, travel planning, and transactional services rather than as standalone geographic references. Multimap also sold prints derived from historic and aerial imagery, connecting its digital catalog to physical photographic products. The service was representative of an early phase of interactive web cartography. Map navigation initially relied on discrete panning controls and links that loaded adjacent map views. This interaction model preceded the continuous drag-and-pan interfaces that later became common across online mapping platforms. Multimap also participated in the development of geographic web standards and content discovery. Its use of the Geo microformat allowed latitude and longitude information to be embedded in web pages. A related Wikipedia map-overlay application used data from Multimap’s official database download to help users explore geotagged articles geographically. Microsoft acquired Multimap.com in 2007 for a reported price of approximately US$50 million. The purchase brought Multimap’s technology, data, and market presence into Microsoft’s online services portfolio. Rather than preserving Multimap as a permanently independent destination, Microsoft merged the service into Bing Maps. This reflected the increasing consolidation of consumer mapping around large technology platforms and the importance of integrating maps with search, local information, and other online services. The standalone Multimap.com service was eventually discontinued, with the existing dossier identifying 2011 as its effective end. Although the brand no longer operates independently, Multimap occupies an important place in the history of web mapping in the United Kingdom. It helped popularize online street maps and route planning, experimented with partner-based location services and geographic metadata, and contributed technology and experience to the development of Microsoft’s Bing Maps offering.

• 2011

  Standalone service closes

  [1]Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org

  The independent Multimap.com service is discontinued after its integration into Bing Maps.

• 2007

  Acquisition by Microsoft

  [1]Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org

  Microsoft acquires Multimap.com in a transaction reported at approximately US$50 million.

• 2007

  Integration into Bing Maps

  [1]Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org

  Following the acquisition, Multimap’s service and capabilities are merged into Microsoft’s Bing Maps operations.

• 2000

  Expansion of public web mapping services

  [1]Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org

  Multimap develops a public website offering street maps, location search, and door-to-door travel directions, alongside additional geographic and local-information services.

• 1997

  Multimap.com is established

  [1]Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org

  The UK online mapping and location-services provider is established in London during the late 1990s.

An early mainstream web-mapping and location-information service focused on practical navigation, geographic search, local information, and map-enabled partner services.

• Online mapping platform

  Multimap.com website

  The company’s main public web service provided interactive street maps, place and location search, and geographic browsing. It served as the central consumer destination for Multimap’s mapping, local-information, and travel-planning functions.

• Navigation and directions

  Route planning

  Multimap enabled users to plan door-to-door journeys and obtain travel directions. This functionality made the service useful for everyday road travel and helped establish route planning as a standard feature of consumer web maps.

• Geographic imagery

  Aerial and historic imagery

  The service included aerial photography and local geographic imagery. Multimap also sold physical prints based on historic and aerial photographs, extending its mapping and imagery catalog beyond online viewing.

• Business and location services

  Partner mapping services

  Multimap supplied mapping and location functions through partners, supporting use cases involving accommodation, restaurants, train-ticket booking, and other local or travel-related services.

• 2007

  Microsoft acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Multimap had become an established UK web-mapping provider with consumer, business, partner, and geographic-imagery services.

  Action taken

  Microsoft acquired Multimap.com for a reported approximately US$50 million.

  Aftermath

  The service was integrated into Bing Maps, ending the company’s trajectory as an independent mapping brand.

  Reported acquisition price. Approximately US$50 million transaction value (2007)

  Source

• 2007

  Integration into Bing MapsStrategy

  Background

  Microsoft’s acquisition created an opportunity to consolidate Multimap’s mapping assets within a larger search and online-services platform.

  Action taken

  Microsoft merged Multimap.com into Bing Maps rather than continuing it as a separate consumer service.

  Aftermath

  Multimap’s standalone brand and website were eventually discontinued, while its capabilities contributed to Microsoft’s mapping portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Multimap.comen.wikipedia.org