Check out the Bing Maps Developer Center

OK, Bing is now more than just a search engine, or a particularly sonorous syllable from an ill-fated night spot often featured on HBO’s The Sopranos. Bing is also now the subject of a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist credential — at least, the Bing Maps Platform is, anyway — and the focus for Microsoft Exam 70-544: TS: Bing Maps Platform, Application Development.

So far, no training materials or classroom training are yet available for this subject matter, but that should pop up some time in the next 30 days if prior history is any guide. Usually, Microsoft Learning has this stuff ready to go on or before the date that an exam goes live and if they don’t, it invariably hits within a month of the exam’s go-live date. That’s why I imagine we’ll see some training materials and possibly also classes associated with this credential some time very soon.

In the meantime, those panting with lust to get started on this material would be well-advised to visit the Bing Maps Developer Center (depicted at the top of this blog), where they’ll find SDK’s, developer datasheets and articles, forums, and licensing information, among lots of other stuff. Enjoy, but please remember Alfred Korzybski’s famous dictum: “The map is not the territory!”