Confident return for major printed catalogue listing geographically-related data

MapMechanics Data Catalogue, one of the best-established printed guides to data resources for geographically-based planning and analysis, makes a welcome reappearance this month. It is the only printed publication of its kind to cover this market so extensively and in such detail.

Its confident return to print is marked by the fact that it has more pages than ever (128 full colour A4 pages), more data sets (over 900 products have been added since the last edition), more illustrations and real-world case studies to highlight practical uses of the data, and a longer and more detailed introductory section, helping users make informed choices of data for their specific needs.

Not only is the launch of the new edition of the Data Catalogue an event in itself; the publication is also distinctive for the wide range of new or updated data sets it includes. Among these are the HERE location platform, which provides international mapping and routing options, as well as information about live traffic movements and truck restrictions (for instance low bridge, narrow road); data from the 2011 UK Census; and new worldwide data sets.

The Data Catalogue serves as a perfect complement to allmapdata.com MapMechanics popular, fully transactional online resource; where all of the map data products can be found, as well as upcoming events and case studies.

The new printed catalogue s detailed introductory section provides invaluable at-a-glance information about digital maps, demographic data and their uses in practical applications. For instance, there is a section on the makeup of UK postcodes (area, district, sector and unit), with suggestions about how each level can be used. There is also a section on demographics, outlining how expenditure, income, lifestyle, retail activity and census data can all play a part in planning and analysis.

There is a table explaining the various levels of detail in UK Census data (output area, ward, local authority and so on) and what they contain, and there are sections on navigation, street mapping and the differences between vector (scalable) and raster (image-based) mapping.

Among new products added since the last edition, the HERE location platform offers particular attractions for users, providing the opportunity for worldwide vehicle tracking, routing and geocoding. The catalogue outlines all these, explaining how its APIs (application programming interface features) allow ready integration with applications via JavaScript or web services.

For address management, an invaluable addition is Capscan s Matchcode for the web, which provides online bulk address capture and validation in an easy-to-use wizard-driven format.

Another addition is CRESTA Zones data, which offers users an alternative way of identifying, visualising and analysing data relating to parts of a country that are regarded as discrete units by the insurance industry.

On the international scene, the many mapping and demographic data sets now include data likely to be useful to businesses involved in emerging economies. Especially appealing, for instance, are the MBR socio-demographic data packs for markets that include countries in South America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, derived from national census and statistics in each individual country.

Another useful additional data set for South America is GfK s Purchasing Power Brazil, now available for 27 federal states and based at detailed postcode level.

The Data Catalogue 2014 is available for free at allmapdata.com.

About MapMechanics

MapMechanics has been providing innovative solutions in sales and marketing, digital mapping, geographic analysis and logistics planning for over twenty five years.

• MapMechanics distributes a wide range of data products including AA, HERE and Ordnance Survey digital mapping, as well as leading business and demographic datasets from many sources throughout the world. This data is listed on MapMechanics’ intuitive new transactional data web site, www.allmapdata.com, which is probably the most extensive and up-to-date listing of its kind in Britain.
• MapMechanics is a distributor of the Geoconcept geographic information system, which is used extensively in a diverse range of fields such as depot planning, retail planning, marketing, healthcare, environmental planning and management, transport and logistics, site selection and territory allocation, telematics and command and control applications, policing and broadcasting, and central and local government.
• MapMechanics develops, supplies and supports TruckStops, one of the world’s best-established routing and scheduling solutions, and its portfolio includes a wide range of optimisation solutions. Examples include specialist systems for optimising transport of full or part loads, for servicing a high density of calls on the same streets and for optimising use of pallet networks.
• MapMechanics also uses digital map-based technologies to offer an extensive range of Web, desktop, paper and component solutions for a variety of business applications, from atlas production to business analysis, site selection, customer profiling and vehicle routing and scheduling.

Backing up its extensive product range, MapMechanics offers a comprehensive service of implementation support and training.


Contact:

Katy McKenna
MapMechanics
Canal Court, 155 High Street,
Brentford, London, TW8 8JA
Email: Email Contact
Tel: +44 (020) 8568 7000
Fax: +44 (020) 8568 7400
Web: www.allmapdata.com