Foursquare announces data licensing partnership with Microsoft

For those unfamiliar, Foursquare is an app/service that allows users to check-in to various locations, leave reviews, and collect badges. The service is integrated into other apps, such as Instagram where it is used to retrieve locations, although recently it looks like Microsoft and Foursquare have managed to negotiate a deal in which both companies have entered into a data licensing partnership. 

On Tuesday, Foursquare, the location-sharing application, announced a data licensing partnership and $15 million investment from Microsoft. The partnership is described as a “commercial and technical” licensing deal that will knit Foursquare recommendations into Microsoft’s local and search products over the next four years. Foursquare recommendations could show up in a mobile Bing search, for example. The deal, which is not exclusive, is expected to generate revenue for Foursquare, according to the company. The company declined to be more specific about the terms.