Google Earth vs Microsoft Bing Map

I reported on Aug. 20 that the folks over at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency determined only Google had the smarts to handle visualization of the planet.

NGA said in a FedBizOps announcement last week that it planned to award Google a sole-source contract for Web-based access to geospatial visualization services because the company was the only outfit on Earth that could meet the viewing requirements.

Not so fast, said Microsoft, which told me that the MS Bing Map Server could do the job, too.

Now it appears NGA has re-thought, at least, the wording of the Google sole-source contract.

Karen Finn, the amazingly responsive NGA public affairs chief, told me in an e-mail that the agency is going to post a revised Earth visualization notice on Wednesday that will be more "technically specific on the requirements for support and license. NGA appreciates all interest and believes the revised synopsis will explain NGA's requirement with more specificity. Interested parties may still respond to the revised synopsis."

Watch this space on Wednesday for another planetary update.