It might surprise you how much you use mapping and geo technology without knowing it.  Map and geo represented data is everywhere and everyone is using it in their daily life.

If you have a modern car that has an internet connection, you will find that the vehicle is being tracked; this data is GEO. When I log onto my manufactures website and enter my vehicle details, I will see all my journeys plotted on a map.  If you have a smart device phone or wearable that uses GPS or you have an app that maps your run, walk or cycle, the same applies - maps are everywhere!

Understanding data by location and area is becoming more and more relevant in business. There has in more recent years in the United States been a trend for businesses to use basic services to plot data for sales or engineers, along with customer data.

Outside of the United States companies tend to purchase bespoke mapping systems which to date has kept the market reasonably niche in size, but things are definitely changing. Google changing its approach to billing for its Google Map API was the first big change. This was a big move because previously any development of maps had involved an investment in licences on day one, this is no longer the case.

More recently Salesforce.com acquired MapAnything into its portfolio of solutions this is significant as Salesforce.com is a leading provider of business CRM systems globally, which in turn will help bring mapping services into mainstream business activity.  Granted, MapAnything only works with Salesforce so the acquisition makes a lot of sense.

Mapsimise plans to break this mould in two main areas. First Mapsimise is not only answering the question, “Does Mapsimise work with X?” But Mapsimise as a solution to business is also looking at the price point for mapping solutions.

As you can imagine our team have done a lot of research on what is an acceptable price point or average price point, as solutions vary from $40 to several hundred $’s per user per month or for groups of users.  So, with Mapsimise we decided to shake it up a little as you might say. Our starting price will be about $10 (£7.75) and connectors just a few $’s each.  This means the average user price will be circa $12 per user per month.

What is more, if you just want access to basic maps to load a small set of data for your business as a single user then this is free with Mapsimise. Mapsimise is offering a freemium model with its “GO” package to single business users.

But that is not the end of the story, this is just the beginning as Mapsimise is not a single business function platform and supports many business functions, for Sales, Marketing, Service and Operations, giving mobile and external access to predefined maps.  Your team will be able to share and create different maps with multiple layers of data from different sources using maps to analyse different clusters and hotspots.

Mapsimise comes with a range of great mapping features for business, the ability to connect or upload data and make use of data for filtering using KML uploads.

Mapsimise’s key differences are:

·       A connected data model to help share and map data quickly from Salesforce, SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics.

·        Collaborative team working with maps and data.

·        Creates external maps for portals and websites with data.

·        Access a range of drawing tools to segment and filter data.

·        Access integrated marketing tools to build lists.

·        Plan and save routes, maps filters and settings.

·        Import KML files to help filter data.

·        Access Google Business Data to search.

But let’s look a little more at what these mean for you as a business owner, department head or manager.

One of the issues and challenges in building a mapping solution into your business has been the integration of data and keeping data synchronised in real time.  Data is only relevant if it is current and with Mapsimise being able to connect to Salesforce, SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 from day one, with an additional database of systems connectors coming soon, easy connectivity to common business systems will no longer be a barrier.  Mapsimise also has the ability to upload data and supports Microsoft Excel and standard CSV formats.

In past projects where mapping and geospatial capability has been a requirement, the outcome has usually been a dedicated map for all to share.  With Mapsimise we have taken a team and collaboration approach to allow individual and shared maps between team members.

Having spent many years building solutions for customers one of the repeated requirements was the need to be able to create external maps so that customers, partners and even staff can visualise data on a map. With Mapsimise we have included external maps with our subscription packages.

By using Google Maps as our framework, we are offering a range of drawing tools on any of our maps that are created, and with the Mapsimise Pro subscription you gain even more functionality including proximity searching.

With Mapsimise we also thought about the business functions and having the ability to display sales and customer data, and then use maps to generate lists in both DotDigital and MailChimp. This means that maps can now be used to enhance marketing activity with easy integration.

We know from experience that resource and time is a cost to any business and this is why with Mapsimise, route planning is included with our subscription packages with auto routing being included in our Pro subscription.

Relevant data can help your business make decisions. Customer and location data are great but with Mapsimise you can import KML files that define data sets or upload and connect to sources that offer additional information by location.  If you’re working in the security industry, you may want to plot crime incidents by location or if working in shipping you might want to plot all global ports.  With mapsimise you can connect your systems and upload data ready to be mapped.

Finally, Google has a great service called Google My Business which you can use online, but with Mapsimise we have integrated this search capability to render business data and the ability to search for a business and display this on a map.  If you’re working in sales, field sales or as a sales planner you could easily search for similar prospects in a given area, allowing research and possible additional appointments to be made.

That’s it for now and development is soon to be closed with the new website released. We hope you enjoy your Mapsimise subscription which helps you find more customers and do more business.

Don’t forget, you can still register for our early adopter program here www.mapsimise.com and get 60 days unlimited use.

About Mapsimise

Mapsimise is a geospatial software tool and platform, based on Google Maps technology which enables organisations of any type to visualise and map data via connectors or by uploading data to build an effective representation on one or more maps.

Although GIS capability is not new, Mapsimise is, as the approach taken is to bring connected data and geospatial together offering minimal setup and configuration for our customers and business owners.

As part of our initial release we will be supporting connectors with the following providers.

Bio – Alistair Dickinson CEO Mapsimise

‌After 21 years helping organisations with technology, I’ve seen and worked on many projects. As CEO of Mapsimise I’m still very hands on working with all team members and not sat in an office making spreadsheets and crunching numbers.  I’m happy to work on the support desk, take calls and discuss how our tools and technology can help businesses like yours.  You can find me on Linkedin, Twitter or email me directly.  I’m very jeans and t-shirts and still wear Nike Air trainers to the office which I’m told is cool…