New engine will use keywords, landmarks to find addresses.
HYDERABAD: Software giant Microsoft Corp has finalised the product design of its Robust Location Search in what seems to be an effort to challenge popular online mapping and location search systems in the market.
The project has moved out of Microsoft’s labs in Bangalore and into its development centre in Hyderabad. It is all set to be a part of Windows Live, which is the collective brand name given by the IT major to its services and software products.
Srini Koppolu, corporate vice-president and managing director of Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), said the research team has transferred the technology of the project to the development centre and its integration with Windows Live has begun.
“The integration process has started but we can’t set a timeframe for its completion,” Koppolu said. Microsoft Research India (MSR India) in Bangalore and MSIDC in Hyderabad have collaborated for the Robust Location Search project, which is aimed at making search on maps easy.
Dr P Anandan, managing director, MSR India, said, “This project takes a radically new approach to location search by using keywords to find places rather than commonly used address rules to answer queries.”
He said the approach helps get relevant results regardless of the address type and structure, and also enables cross-lingual address searches. The new location search will also look for addresses on maps using the nearest landmarks. ‘Instead of specific house numbers, we normally use nearest landmarks to locate an address. The new project would do this accurately and point out such addresses on the map. Even if the user provides a wrong spelling, the location search engine will look for relevant information,” Koppolu said.
Microsoft’s India teams are also working on various programmes that will become a part of Windows 7, the new operating system being developed for home and business desktops, laptops and tablet and media centre PCs.
One such product under development at MSIDC is Mobile Broadband, which will help Windows 7 users connect to the Internet from any location with cellular connectivity.
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