Why Mapeze?
Using MAPEZE, visitors can conduct powerful searches of places ( villages, towns, cites, regions, trails, areas) and tourism listings using key words searches, map manipulation or proximity search.

Tourism listings can easily be located by name, their location, the tourism grouping they belong to, the associations they participate in, their proximity to a destination or along a route and any other item the portal chooses to make searchable (i.e. price point, handicapped accessible, etc.).

MAPEZE includes standard templates for all areas within a jurisdiction that can be easily customized to accommodate the jurisdiction's unique "look and feel". These templates include photo galleries, area information, maps, history, surrounding communities, area associations and links to all tourism listings.

MAPEZE includes a "self serve" utility that allows organizations to create, delete and modify their tourism listing. This system includes various authorizations levels which can be used to ensure the material being changed is appropriate before being posting to the portal. TOP

What We Do
Mapeze develops powerful location based applications and services which utilize high-performance mapping and routing techniques to create a business advantage for our customers. Our tools empower visitors to visualize and analyze data that is relevant, personalized and actionable. Companies, associations and governments can integrate Mapeze into their existing and future solutions by running the application as an ASP or with the software and data residing at their location on an NT Server that allows for flexible Web server architecture design and maximum control over updates and maintenance.

Check below to see how Mapeze can work for you!

Mapeze is dedicated to continually improving our maps, routing accuracy and constantly adding new functionality to our solutions. TOP

Our Technology
The Mapeze tool set is constantly evolving; on average over the past seven years the production has been upgraded every three months. The majority of these improvements are passed on to our clients as a part of their annual maintenance contract. Those features which are packaged and priced as a complimentary stand-alone sub systems are available to clients whose maintenance contracts are current at discounted retail pricing.

Mapeze's portal solution can leverage address data stored in corporate databases or Information Systems through integration with Mapeze's cartographic technology and data. By responding to 4 central questions: Where is this address? How to get there? What is nearby? and What is near the route to the address?

Mapeze is a multilingual portal solution that supports Multi Point Routing, Route Optimization, Geocoded Advertising Messages. Users can save, e-mail, export and download maps, routes, and itineraries.

Mapeze's portal is affordable and offers unparalleled flexibility and scability. Clients can quickly launch their applications using prototyping templates or they can customize their navigation and "look and feel". Application hosting can reside on Mapeze's or the client's server(s). Mapeze reads a broad range of data formats dynamically across multiple servers. It seamlessly integrates with the world's leading commercial data publishers and routing suppliers. Mapeze is scaleable, platform independent, flexible and accessible through kiosks, Internet, Intranet, Extranet, wireless and voice networks.

The Mapeze portal solution was developed for the tourism industry to increase portal traffic, build vistor loyality and convert visitors into purchasers. The Mapeze Tourism Tool Set is extensive including, but not limited to, advanced navigation and query tools, sustainable revenue models with backend accounting and billing systems, site administration tools to monitor performance and track user activity. Mapeze also offers clients the ability to delegate content management to third parties. Most of these tools are generic and can be applied to retail, real estate, e-government and smart community initiatives with an immediate return on investment. TOP

The Corporation
MAPEZE is an early pioneer in the creation/operation of tourism portals, the development of unique GIS based applications and the integration of location-centric services with recent advances in wireless and voice recognition technologies.

The MAPEZE team experience includes;

• Developed and operated four major Atlantic Canada travel portals since 1994
• Serving thousands of tourism operators
• Dealt with millions of visitors, Destination Nova Scotia (DNS) had 1,059,319 unique visitors in 2002
• Consistent and continuous growth
• Capturing and holding visitor's interest, DNS is very "sticky". The site experienced 39,486,514 hits and visitors spent on average 11.64 minutes on the site in 2002
• Serving advertising messages, in 2002 DNS delivered 1,874,218 ad banners
• Handling high map and routing traffic, DNS processed in excess of 1,500,000 map impressions in 2002
• Working with travel writers for the Canadian Tourism Commission to use mapping for "Experiential Marketing"
• Dealing with tourism associations and government boards, the principals have held executive and board positions on Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia, The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership and the Canadian Tourism Commission
• Being sensitive to the needs of tourism operators, the principals have owned and successfully operated the boutique hotel Inn on the Lake since 1986
• The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture is in the final stages of implementing a pilot project using MAPEZE on their provincial travel site http://novascotia.com
• The Canadian Tourism Commission's Go Media division is launching their new site http://www.gomediacanada.com which will use MAPEZE mapping and routing for "Experiential Marketing".
• The Valleys of the Susquehanna, a consortium of six tourist promotion agencies in central Pennsylvania is using MAPEZE to launch their new portal first quarter of 2004. SEDA-Council of Governments will host and provide front line support to Valleys of the Susquehanna for this portal.

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Mapeze Features

Trip Planning Tourism Printing Database Updates Security Reservations

Image library and postcards Event Calendar Online Tourism Reservation System Search Options Trails

Packages Getting here Coupons Newsletters Auto-response email

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Trip Planning
The MAPEZE itinerary sub system allows visitors to add tourism listings, tours, areas, memos, and customized locations to their itinerary. Itineraries can be easily updated and e-mailed to friends and travel councilors for booking or advice.

The inquiry and booking forms can be unique for each category of tourism listing.

Itineraries can be mapped, routed and optimized for the shortest drive time. Visitors can request the system to identify all tourism listings by category within a specific proximity of their route.

Reservations can simultaneously be formatted and directed to multiple reservation agents for multiple properties within any itinerary (i.e. a central regional reservation center, the head of chain hotel, individual property management systems, etc.)

Authorized travel councilors can call up and modify a visitor's itinerary. This can be done "off line" or in real time when the counselor is collaborating with the visitor over the phone or using live agent (online chat) technology.

Itineraries can be e-mailed, saved within a visitors profile or downloaded to PDA device.

Visitors can also request maps and tourism guides in "hard copy" or "PDF format".

The MAPEZE itinerary system includes a calendar function which allows visitors to plan multiple trips to the region.

Tourism Printing
MAPEZE includes forms where visitors can request printed maps, brochures and travel guides. Visitors can also download these aids in electronic format using "PDF" format.

MAPEZE Inc. is currently beta testing a "dynamic publishing" sub system which offers consumers the option to create a password-protected profile in which they have the option of recording personal information including contact information, purchasing preferences, transportation particulars including their tolerance for daily trip times, social interest, life style demographics and special interests. In the profile they can indicate how they wish to be contacted (e-mail, fax, WAP or voice), what time of day they wish to be contacted, where they want to be contacted and how they wish to settle billing. They can also record their home GIS coordinates and five personalized routes (i.e. how to get to their home from the local airport)

Using the intelligence gathered from the user profile and travel itinerary, MAPEZE will select accommodations, restaurants, attractions, events, editorial content, images and advertising messages from the database which match the user's preference and are geographically relevant. It will then format this data into a personalized catalog or travel guide and deliver the publication electronically to the consumer.

Dynamic Publishing is scheduled for release first quarter of 2004.

Database Updates
MAPEZE operates from a Windows 2000 Server that is tightly integrated with SQL Server. The database can be reliably updated from multiple databases in batch mode. These updates can occur with the frequency the client requests.

Conversely, MAPEZE can export updates to other databases as the client chooses.

MAPEZE updates can be performed by operators using "self serve" tools or by intermediaries using administrative tools. Access to the system can be controlled by hierarchical password structure. There are 99 levels of access. Jurisdiction can assign unique access privileges to each level. All modifications to the database are recorded in an audit trail.

The system allows authorized updates from any web accessible terminal. Mapeze can generate printed forms for operators to manually enter/update their information. Completed forms can be mailed or faxed to authorized intermediaries who will make the necessary database updates.

The administrative or "clerk interface" can be at any location(s) the jurisdiction selects. MAPEZE works well as a help desk tool for call centers and visitor information centers

MAPEZE includes a module that was specially designed to accommodate tourism operators who own or manage multiple properties. The functionality of this module allows for a one-to-many relationship between tourism operators and properties.

Access can be granted to tourism associations for each area to update the properties which fall within their region or community.

The client will have full access to the system for management and reporting needs using the MAPZE administrative tool set. Administrative personnel within jurisdiction will have the rights to update / edit or delete properties, as well as accept or reject the updates from individual attraction owners / operators and the association members. All updates to the database are recorded to an audit trail in XML format for later reporting. For items which have been accepted from the tourism operator or association member, the user who accepted the update is also recorded. Should mistakes be made, it is possible to retract any update made.

Security
All users can be required to complete a user profile which assign a user name and password (both of which the user can change once they register). However, we normally recommend that users only be asked to register if they wish to do a transaction, create an itinerary, save routes, or save home addresses.

Once the visitor is registered, administrators can check their profile, itineraries and transaction activity. We are currently exploring an expansion of this tracking functionality to provide visitor activity to one or more of the popular Customer Relationship Management Systems.

Reservations
MAPEZE is set up to link visitors to multiple reservation systems (individual property management system, chain head office systems or central reservation systems such as Check In for Nova Scotia, etc.)

Should the client choose to have some or all of its properties "bookable" through other web sites, it can provide this functionality through the property template. The complexity, cost and elegance of the interface will depend on the other web sites' ability and willingness to accommodate such a transaction.

Most of the MAPEZE content is controlled using XML/XSL. This allows convenient and cost effective distribution to third parties.

Image library and postcards
MAPEZE includes a series of galleries that can be used to display photograph, art, handcrafts, stories, music, etc of a region.

The images can be used a postcards.

All content can be given geographic coordinates and be displayed on maps and routes. They can also be displayed with geographically relevant content throughout the portal.

Event Calendar
MAPEZE includes an event calendar sub system. Events can be listed by location, classification, time of year. Using the "self serve" utilities organizers can update their content at any time from any location.

Events can be searched by location, class of event, time of year or their proximity to a destination or route.

Online Tourism Reservation System
MAPEZE currently interfaces into the Inform reservation system. Nova Scotia visitors can check availability or make a reservation using a "self serve" module or by calling an 800#.

The Inform System is administered by Corporatel in Halifax on behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia. They handle all aspects of "online" and "offline" reservations for tour operators, tourism businesses, conferences, and special event.

The Region can license the Inform system, Inform or Corporatel personal can train the Region's staff on how to operate the system and MAPEZE will interface to the Inform system.

Or the Region can acquire third party reservation software and MAPEZE will interface to it.

Search Options
MAPEZE search capabilities allow web site visitors to search by tourism category and subcategory in cities and towns throughout the Region. Visitors can also search by title & description, title only, description only, and by all of the words, any of the words, or by exact phrase.

Tourism report generation and tracking information
Currently, MAPEZE clients use WebTrends to track site performance.

We are agreeable to building additional tracking and reporting functionality into the application. Ideally we would provide the client with raw data "dumps" that they could manipulate with third party reporting tools.

The cost for developing reports is dependent on the specific detailed requirements. The hourly rates charged to do this work will be at fair market value.

If the added reporting capability adds to MAPEZE's market appeal and the jurisdiction is agreeable to us offering this functionality to other clients we may be prepared to significantly reduce our hourly rates.

Trails
The Region can integrate multi-use, hiking, cycling, snowmobile, or riverfront trails as a map layer within the interactive mapping solution to allow web site visitors to view trails and plan trips around trail experiences.

Packages
MAPEZE includes a packaging solution that allows tourism partners to post titled "packages" of Region specific packages to the web site.

Getting here
The Region can include a flash map showing travelers a "getting here" map. The flash map will show the province and will be animated, zooming into the Region and identifying the highlighted area on the map. Text directions will be included for getting to the Region by land and by air

Coupons
MAPEZE includes eCoupons that can be maintained and updated by the industry. The coupon solution allows tourism operators to dynamically create and post coupons to a regional coupon book posted on the web site. The coupon solution will also create an eCoupons button on a tourism businesses listing so that consumers can easily print an operators coupon offers

Newsletters
MAPEZE includes Back Office administration tools to add, maintain and update newsletter content and photos into newsletter templates. This functionality includes; The ability to archive past newsletters by hyperlinks on the main site. Subscribe and unsubscribe features built into newsletter subscription functions. Newsletter broadcast to email database

Auto-response email
The system can be set up to contact industry partners on regular basis. For example; e-mails can be automated to remind individual tourism properties (with a valid email address) to maintain and update their tourism listings.