Gates Ponders “Virtual Earth”

The Wall Street Journal reported today on Microsoft Founder Bill Gates’ "Think Week," a time when Mr. Gates goes into seclusion to ponder the future of the company. During the week, Mr. Gates is said to read some 100 papers written by Microsoft executives, product managers, and software engineers. One of the topics on his list was a paper entitled "The Virtual Earth". What is it? The WSJ did not elaborate but it mentions that the paper received much attention and that MapPoint General Manager Stephen Lawler was called to a meeting to discuss the paper’s merits. In general, the vision was endorsed and the fallout may result in sweeping changes and new products. The only glimpse we get of this vision is that Gates mentions future mapping services that include details on how consumers will receive real-time traffic conditions and travel directions with live image of destinations.

OK…well, there it is. Live traffic feeds. The future. Fantastic.
I’m selling my stock in MSFT now if that’s the vision.

I don’t really believe that anyone, including the WSJ, would get even the smallest morsel of the vision Gates signed off on. And I surely hope the article’s author didn’t come away with the feeling that live traffic feeds are the future of mapping technology and real-time data deliver to wireless devices. If it is, please, someone give him the URL to Directions for a little enlightenment! I think the article was a tease and a reward to the WSJ for getting invited to Gates’ hideaway, where apparently no journalist has had the pleasure of visiting.

But something is up at Microsoft’s MapPoint Group, because it was mentioned more than once in the article. I suspect that the WSJ author Robert Guth got to see something. It is a shame that he could not more clearly articulate what was shown to him. It only continues to demonstrate to me just how clueless the general business press is to the oncoming influence of location technology on enterprise computing and consumer applications.

But Microsoft is in need of some vision. They have strayed down the path of mobile location-based applications and have yet to set the pace in anything especially in location-enabliing SQL Server. Yes, MapPoint is a very successful product and its online web service is picking up market share. But please don’t tell me the vision is just real-time data for traffic. I’d like to hear the vision, Mr. Gates. You’re invited to our conference on Location Technology… I’ll swap you my vision for yours.