Microsoft to acquire Vicinity for MapPoint.NET
crn.com | at | by Mike
As part of its .Net services plan, Microsoft announced on Tuesday plans to acquire Vicinity for $96 million. Vicinity, Sunnyvale, Calif., provides Web, wireless and speech-based, location-based services for customers including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Red Lobster, The Home Depot, Prudential and Airborne Express. The deal is slated to be completed before the end of first-quarter 2003. At that time, the Vicinity enterprise location-based services will be integrated with Microsoft's own location-based service called MapPoint.Net, executives said. Vicinity will be merged with the MapPoint Business Unit at Microsoft.