Microsoft beats Google, wins EPA map contract

Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software company, beat out Google Inc. to become the digital mapmaker for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Microsoft Virtual Earth will help the EPA collect and analyze data on everything from water and air quality to disaster relief, the company, based in Redmond, Wash., said today in a statement.

The agreement is a win for Microsoft, which is battling Google to attract more users to its digital maps site. Virtual Earth provides maps, aerial photos and three-dimensional models of cities that will be used to display data from the EPA.

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