Multimap Information

Multimap.com was an online mapping service based in the United Kingdom. Established in 1996, it was among the earliest online mapping services, providing various map-related services including street maps, driving directions, and local business searches. Multimap was known for its extensive coverage, particularly in the UK and Europe, and it offered various tools and features that were innovative for its time. Founded by Sean Phelan in November 1995, he started building the service from his bedroom. This detail highlights the entrepreneurial nature of the tech industry in the 1990s, where many successful online services and companies started as small, personal projects, often in improvised home offices. Phelan's work on Multimap is a classic example of the tech start-up story, where innovation and entrepreneurship lead to the creation of significant and influential services. His efforts with Multimap resulted in one of the leading online mapping services of its time. Multimap's success drew significant attention, and in December 2007, it was acquired by Microsoft. This acquisition allowed Microsoft to integrate Multimap's technology and services into its own mapping services, such as Bing Maps. The acquisition was part of Microsoft's broader strategy to enhance its online services and compete with other major players in the digital mapping and location services arena. After the acquisition, the Multimap brand continued to exist for a while, but eventually, its services and features were fully integrated into Microsoft's platforms, and the standalone Multimap service was phased out. The integration helped Microsoft to improve its own mapping services, leveraging Multimap's technology and expertise in this field.