As 2019 draws to a close and the Holiday season once more drains my checking account, clutters my living space, and tests my gift wrapping abilities, it’s time to reflect on the changes and improvements in Map Business Online over the past few years.
Map Business Online was one of the first cloud services dedicated to Business Mapping. Launched in 2010, the tool focused on matching and bettering Microsoft MapPoint, the dominant business mapping software at the time.
By 2019, MapPoint is a thing of the past, but many ex-MapPoint users have yet to replace the tool. Map Business Online continues to grow and proliferate, adding features and improving processes with every version release and data update.
A Variety of Industry Uses
Our customer base continues to expand. We’ve on-boarded a host of insurance, franchise, retail, healthcare, and services business in 2019. Our list of manufacturing companies using Map Business Online for territory management continues to grow. We’re also excited to see our major use case examples add market analysis to map visualization, territory alignment, and sales planning, as major applications for our cloud-based mapping service.
Recent Feature Expansion
Some of the more innovative features and services added to our professional mapping software over the last 18 months include:
- Advanced sales territory mapping tools. Sales territory mapping is how your business can conceptualize your business processes, clarify accountability, and organize planning efforts. Map Business Online territory management addresses sales overlap; the aggregation of sales dollars by territory and account; and provides comprehensive analysis views for demographic and internal data analysis
- The ability to quickly, and affordably import up to 250,000 records per map. This capability, available in Map Business Online Pro, expands the total map and subscription import allowance by 250%. Standard subscriptions allow up to 100,000 records to be plotted. This is for companies with a large customer base or some significant analysis to generate
- Expanded drive time analysis capabilities (Map Business Online Pro). By providing the ability to conduct spatial queries across multiple locations points by driving time and distance. Map Business Online Pro opens a whole new chapter in Market Analysis
- Business Listings were added to Map Business Online in 2019. Sure, it’s a paid service, but when you need all the competitive businesses in an area, visible on a map, right now, it comes in very handy
- We developed a downloadable Map App to avoid all those Adobe Flash Player issues as Adobe obsoletes it’s once ubiquitous Internet application platform. I use this all the time now
- Demographic data has been included in Map Business Online since 2014. This year saw our library of demographic data options grow more than ever. We’re working on tools to make it easier to search and apply that ever-expanding library
- Optimized vehicle routing capabilities that can convert imported location data into 150 stop, efficient routes for delivery or field staff management. Share route files in a variety of formats. Save and share map projects for constituent visualizations and independent route generation. Routing now supports time windows
- Map Business Online Team subscriptions leverage your best minds towards collaborative map-based solutions to complex problems. Collaborative map editing tools enable two or more users to share maps for co-editing purposes
- Thousands of MapPoint users have replaced the old business mapping standard with Map Business Online. Map Business Online does more than just replace MapPoint, it expands on MapPoint. We’ve got an MPT conversion tool and a set of APIs. But most ex-MapPointers just want map visualizations, ZIP code maps, territory maps, or routing tools. Stop sitting around moping about obsolete ZIP codes and bad street addresses
- Regular updates to software and data occur monthly, behind the scenes – usually when users are sleeping or inebriated (;-)). Updates might install new software features, update ZIP codes, or map data. Cloud services are cool that way
- Niche features have been added to both Standard and Pro subscriptions:
- Radius Search option to search for up to 100 of the nearest straight-line records (Std & Pro)
- Invert/Compliment – Search inside and outside of a radius or polygon (Std & Pro)
- Enhanced symbology selections tools for color-coding points (Std & Pro)
- Copy and paste options for Data Window rows (Std & Pro)
- Summarize demographic data selection in map objects and the data window (Std & Pro)
- Filler ZIP Codes that eliminate national park holes in territories shading (Std & Pro)
- Ability to rename import layer files and territory layers (Std and Pro)
- Customize dataset options to add columns or change column formats (Std & Pro)
- Create multiple territories from one drive time query (Pro only)
- Create Concentric circle maps with demographic data pulls (Pro only)
- Support for territory Regions and Divisions (Pro only)
I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch of niche features that many of you use and enjoy. And I certainly haven’t listed all the standard features in both products here – there’s just too many. But what I can say is, you can look forward to further advancement in 2020 and beyond.
My Personal Favorite Use of Map Business Online in 2019
Bob-O-Link Nesting Areas Around Our House in Maine
Our best feature by far is all our Map Business Online customers. We greatly appreciate the fact that you chose Map Business Online to be your business mapping tool.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Are you using the Map Business Online Desktop App for MAC or PC? It’s hipper than Instagram and it comes with your subscription. Do away with Adobe Flash Player!
Value-Added Resellers – Offer the tool to your customers as a reseller. Make money on training and consulting. Contact us with further interest in reselling Map Business Online.
Win a $20 Gift Card! Refer a business associate to Map Business Online in exchange for a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
America’s best geo mapping software.
