SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Mar 25, 2009 -- Urban Mapping, Inc. (UMI), the leading provider of location-rich content for interactive applications, today announced the company has been named a semifinalist of the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge for the Americas. This represents the second consecutive year that the company has been honored as a semifinalist of this prestigious competition. This year's entry leverages Urban Mapping's recently introduced URBANWARE™ Parking database.
The application runs off an API and is published by LightPole's GeoBrowser, which incorporates NAVTEQ base map data. This allows consumers to use their mobile device to search for the best parking options based on proximity, hours, cost or other attributes. Detailed driving directions are then provided to the entrance of the facility to support efficient trip planning.
"Parking is frustrating. Availability, proximity to a desired location, varied hours of operation and rates complicate an already nerve-wracking experience and unfortunately many of these factors aren't known to a driver until after they've parked," stated Ian White, CEO of Urban Mapping. "Using our URABANWARE Parking database, applications like the one we've entered in the Challenge can be developed to deliver attributes that are focused around meeting end user needs across publisher Websites, mobile devices, and in-car and other personal navigation devices."
About the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge
First launched in 2003, the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is focused on driving the development and visibility of innovative navigation solutions for wireless devices. The Challenge has become the premier event in the LBS industry and a global symbol of LBS innovation and opportunity. From wireless business applications to sports, travel and security, integrating the accuracy and richness of NAVTEQ digital map data facilitates the timely evolution of the next wave of LBS using wireless position (GPS) technology.
Winners are chosen by a panel of distinguished judges in three regions: The Americas, Europe-Middle East-Africa and Asia-Pacific. Since the launch of the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge in 2003, approximately 30% of the semifinalist companies have gone on to receive venture capital funding or launched commercially-distributed applications, many on major wireless carriers.
About URBANWARE Parking
URBANWARE Parking is a highly detailed and feature-rich database that includes attributes focused around the end user. These include rate schedules, lot photos, payment options, entrance and exit locations, contact information, accessibility details, validation information, lot images and many other attributes.
URBANWARE Parking can enhance the value of any location-based service across mobile devices, in-car navigation or other personal navigation devices. Additionally, Web-based travel, mapping, local search and other applications can augment existing sites with a 'find parking' feature. Via an API or through periodic updates, the application may be rapidly deployed as a stand-alone or hybrid offering. Coverage currently includes more than 5,000 off-street garages, airports and special event parking in 40 U.S. metropolitan areas. Coverage will rapidly increase across North America and into Europe during 2009.
About Urban Mapping, Inc.
Urban Mapping's location-rich URBANWARE products enhance the value of local content for interactive applications. The company's flagship product, URBANWARE Neighborhoods, is a database of informal space and is used by all major portals, map platforms and Internet yellow page publishers, including Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft's Virtual Earth, Idearc's SuperPages.com, MapQuest and AT&T's YellowPages.com. Urban Mapping also offers databases of mass transit systems and off-street parking lots, as well as a novel geotargeting solution focused on the needs of local search. For more information about Urban Mapping, visit http://www.urbanmapping.com or call 415.946.8170.
Urban Mapping and URBANWARE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Urban Mapping, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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Company contact:
Lindsay Hong
Email Contact
415-946-8170 x812
PR contact:
Dean Fisk
Email Contact 707-837-1745
