"You remember Multimap? It was the software we all used before swapping to Google Maps... ... I suspect this is more about absorbing a rival than anything else."
- Trusted Reviews

"The big attraction of London, UK-based Multimap is it attraction for advertisers because ads can be targeted by both IP address and geographical location. It offers precise geo-targeting right down to street-level precision in the UK."
- CBROnline

"Microsoft has acquired UK based map service Multimap for a rumoured £25 million. With online map services being a frequently visited resource by browsers, this appears to be Microsoft's attempt to hook into the UK/EU map market, where it has a very small foothold with its late appearance to that sector....The main change that I encountered was the increase of adverts, which combined with a general slow down of the website; it really was a pain to use on my NT4 - IE5.5 machine."
- ZDnet UK Blog

"The buying frenzy has been stoked by the conviction that consumers will soon discount anything but highly personalised information....Multimap gathers data from 37 sources – including Tele Atlas – to make it human-friendly. It does this, in part, by adding details of business locations to digital maps. ...The risk it [Microsoft] runs is that players such as Tele Atlas choose to keep their valuable basic information to themselves. Google, it should be noted, has just hammered out a partnership with TomTom – Tele Atlas’s new owner."
- TimesOnline

- "Mr Phelan owned just over 50 per cent of the company....Microsoft already has a mapping division, Virtual Earth, that focuses on providing maps for business customers. Buying Multimap will give it a better recognised consumer-facing brand and a stronger position in Europe. Multimap also has more sophisticated mobile-mapping services....Virgin Media, which held 25 per cent of the company, will do well from the deal....Mr Phelan said he would stay involved with Multimap part-time. He is also considering becoming involved in the clean technology sector as an angel investor."
- Financial Times

"Twelve-year-old Multimap, whose web site attracts more than 10 million unique visitors, began seeking new investors for a capital restructuring about nine months ago when Microsoft came calling....Mr. Kelisky [of Multimap] said business customers like Caterpillar and Hertz generate about two-thirds of revenue, while consumers count for the remainder.
- Red Herring

"Analysts said that Microsoft could not afford not to build a significant mapping service if it was to succeed in becoming a big player in online advertising. This year Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, flagged his ambitions in the sector by spending $6 billion on the acquisition of aQuantive, an online advertising company that specialises in targeting web-based campaigns at individual consumers. The summer deal was Microsoft’s largest to date. "
- TimesOnline

Profile of Multimap founder Sean Phelan
- Times

"It seems Microsoft found the lure of new mapping technology too difficult to resist. Not only that, but Microsoft has bought a firm that's used to making hard cash out of mapping, unlike the rather weak Windows Live Map offering which lags behind Multimap's market share in the UK. Google is ahead of both."
- TechUK