SaaS-based solution to deliver instant access to Location Intelligence analysis, driving more strategic decisions across the enterprise.

Pitney Bowes Business Insight, a provider of location and communication intelligence software, data and services, today announced MapInfo Stratus, a Software as a Service (SaaS)-based solution for publishing and sharing location-based data and services. The company says that Pitney Bowes MapInfo Stratus is a Web-based solution that allows customers to push maps and data created in a desktop application, such as MapInfo Professional, to a cloud-based interactive mapping environment. It adds that this provides internal audiences or external parties with instant access to location intelligence analysis for better understanding customers and building stronger relationships.  

The company explains that it is now providing organizations with a comprehensive solution suite to effectively acquire, serve and grow customer relationships. For example, by publishing location-based data to the cloud, public sector organizations can provide citizens with improved services around trash schedules or zoning changes. Businesses in any vertical industry can rely on MapInfo Stratus to quickly share data across their organizations and beyond in order to spot critical trends, analyze critical information, or deliver better service. It further explains that organizations can immediately utilize a scalable Web-based location intelligence solution to make them more responsive to changing business demands without making significant expenditures on hardware and without having to hire additional personnel to manage and maintain an application.  

The company articulates that MapInfo Stratus enables users to create a secure workspace with multiple administrators and publish directly from MapInfo Professional. It states that users can query address, street or other locations through text search and also retrieve recently selected addresses. Data can be manipulated using a variety of controls, including a layer control and intuitive information tool, providing more detailed analysis. The company further states that because MapInfo Stratus is a SaaS solution, software enhancements, data updates, hosting and security optimization are all managed by it, allowing an organization's IT department to focus on more strategic issues.

The company avers that MapInfo Stratus is a Web-based mapping application that provides live information about the location of assets and services. It provides a number of features designed to improve the way location intelligence is presented across the enterprise and to customers, including:

• Next Generation Web Mapping: Using Rich Internet Application environment controls, MapInfo Stratus empowers multiple departments and executives with an accessible dashboard for analyzing live information about the location of assets, services and competitors.
• Immediate Access to Location-based Data: Spatial data is securely uploaded to the cloud where it can be immediately accessed through a Web browser.
• Dynamic Mapping: MapInfo Stratus maps are entirely configurable to present the user with alternate data sets including aerial photography or street data.
• Ease of Use: Intuitive, browser-based user interface reduces the burden on IT administrators to help improve overall workflow and productivity across the enterprise.
• Cloud Computing: Operating on the company's cloud infrastructure, organizations can immediately utilize web-based location intelligence without expenditures on hardware.
  

The company mentions that MapInfo Stratus is part of its Location Intelligence suite and is used in conjunction with MapInfo Professional v10.5. More information about the company's cloud infrastructure can be found in the GIS Plugs into the Cloud whitepaper. The company further mentions that Pitney Bowes MapInfo Stratus is available in select markets through an Early Adopter Program and will be generally available in October 2010.

"As the pioneer of the location intelligence industry, Pitney Bowes Business Insight continues to provide innovative solutions that enable location-based analysis across the enterprise," said Robert Pipe, Vice President, Product Management & Marketing, Pitney Bowes Business Insight. "To meet our customers' evolving needs, MapInfo Stratus will provide Web 2.0 interactive mapping analysis in a reliable and secure hosted environment. Being able to more quickly share critical location-based data created in MapInfo Professional via the cloud enables users at all levels of an organization to better understand their customers and to develop deeper, long-term relationships that impact bottom line growth."

"Visualizing data and analyzing location-based information on interactive maps has enabled us to make better informed decisions about customer service and operational improvements," said Jay Abrams, Manager of SDA productivity, Pepperidge Farm. "For this reason, we wanted to more quickly and efficiently deliver dynamic mapping applications across the entire enterprise. We selected MapInfo Stratus to provide our executives with location-based analysis when and where they need it, helping them make better decisions about internal business processes and customer needs."