But full-blown location mashups created by businesses aren't that common. In a recent survey of 250 business technology professionals by InformationWeek, only 7% of respondents said their companies widely use mashup tools. "Businesses have bigger priorities at the moment than worrying how to mash up logistical data or workforce information into a mapping app," says Matt Brown, an analyst at Forrester Research.

(click image for larger view) John L. Scott Real Estate's mashup is an interactive map of Northwest properties

Yet, given the relative ease with which location mashups can be created, and their high potential for both internal and customer applications, it's a good bet more companies will discover them. UPS is "playing" with both Virtual Earth and Google Earth, a spokeswoman says, but the package delivery company isn't quite ready to talk about what kind of location mashups it's developing.

Real estate companies are early adopters. John L. Scott Real Estate has integrated Microsoft's Virtual Earth services into its Web site, letting potential clients search for properties in the Northwest using three-dimensional aerial views and interactive maps (see www.johnlscott.com/SearchInteractive.aspx). The company's property search mashup boosted online visits, including return visits, which jumped by 46%, says John Chang, the company's VP of marketing and e-business. It took a team of three developers about a month to create the mashup, Chang says.

Microsoft's MapPoint Web service and Virtual Earth platform are used by hundreds of businesses, including Best Buy, Century 21, DaimlerChrysler, FedEx Kinko's, Ford, General Motors, H&R Block, Starbucks, and Target. Most are using them to help customers locate their stores--more practical than consumer mashups that point you to the nearest happy hour.

(click image for larger view) Tracking dengue fever on Healthmap

Starbucks integrated MapPoint into its Web site to make it easier for customers to find its locations, both domestic and international. When caffeine-deprived consumers click on one of the stores identified by Starbucks' locator, they get information on the store's facilities and the option to request driving directions and a route map. Customers can search for stores that have Wi-Fi hotspots, offer drive-through windows, or serve lunch.

Choice Hotels International, operator of eight hotel chains, including Comfort Inn and Clarion, uses MapPoint to let visitors search for a place to stop for the night. Its mashup includes trip-planning tools.

Transportation and logistics company Liaison Can./U.S. has created a location mashup for internal use. The company's dispatchers use the site to track trucks, monitor traffic, reroute vehicles, and cut delivery times. The mashup integrates radio frequency identification tracking data, aerial photography, and interactive maps from Microsoft's Virtual Earth. Additional data is presented below the map in a table; if a dispatcher wants to know more about one of the trucks, he can click on the driver's ID to bring up that information.