Comments on: Defense agency to use Microsoft's Virtual Earth

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to use mapping tech for "humanitarian, peacekeeping and national security efforts."

[fastdodge]

Nice to see the government still likes to crawl into bed with MicroSoft

Will they also share this information with the rest of the software
community or is this going to be another closed proprietary effort
that cheats the mandated DoD open standards non-proprietary
requirements for software development. Coming from the one
Agency that should be supporting open standards and open
software so that the rest of the IC and DoD community including
our friends can all use the software without later owing their souls
to MS.

[fastdodge]

Nice to see the government still likes to crawl into bed with MicroSoft

Will they also share this information with the rest of the software
community or is this going to be another closed proprietary effort
that cheats the mandated DoD open standards non-proprietary
requirements for software development. Coming from the one
Agency that should be supporting open standards and open
software so that the rest of the IC and DoD community including
our friends can all use the software without later owing their souls
to MS.

yes, but who will get real-time?

Google Earth vs. Microsoft Virtual Earth (vs. Amazon A9 vs...)

All are, at the end of the day, comprised of archived static images
taken sometime in the past.

The real advantage comes when one can provide a LIVE view. The
question is - who will get that first?

[baswwe]

no no no..

UAV's will supply the imagery of the battlefield to the govt who will in near real time be able to supply that to the military planners with the MS software

in other words - it won't be you.

yes, but who will get real-time?

Google Earth vs. Microsoft Virtual Earth (vs. Amazon A9 vs...)

All are, at the end of the day, comprised of archived static images
taken sometime in the past.

The real advantage comes when one can provide a LIVE view. The
question is - who will get that first?

[baswwe]

no no no..

UAV's will supply the imagery of the battlefield to the govt who will in near real time be able to supply that to the military planners with the MS software

in other words - it won't be you.

[technewsjunkie]

Microsoft is a good choice in DEFENSE?

Yeah, they do great against attacks! Sheesh.

Our government and our tax dollars at work:-(

[KTLA_knew]

You guys are funny!

Bet the tin foil companies *LOVE* you guys!

[technewsjunkie]

Microsoft is a good choice in DEFENSE?

Yeah, they do great against attacks! Sheesh.

Our government and our tax dollars at work:-(

[KTLA_knew]

You guys are funny!

Bet the tin foil companies *LOVE* you guys!

[curtegg]

lol, MS world is ancient

A couple of months ago MS was still showing the trade towers in a
New York shot. At least google keeps theirs more up to date.

[curtegg]

lol, MS world is ancient

A couple of months ago MS was still showing the trade towers in a
New York shot. At least google keeps theirs more up to date.

[tom2275]

What technology?

What technology are they talking about? The "technology" of having images tiled on a webserver, being accessed via a web client? That "technology?" AJAX? The oblique imagery technology? I just don't see what Microsoft could possibly offer the NGA with VirtualEarth. It's a nifty web application, but not technology. This article just offers no detail, and I have to think something is BS.

[tom2275]

What technology?

What technology are they talking about? The "technology" of having images tiled on a webserver, being accessed via a web client? That "technology?" AJAX? The oblique imagery technology? I just don't see what Microsoft could possibly offer the NGA with VirtualEarth. It's a nifty web application, but not technology. This article just offers no detail, and I have to think something is BS.