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San Diego, California - Maptitude 5, a product of Caliper Corporation, is a most impressive software mapping and data tool. Maptitude has an entry level mapping software price tag of $495.00, with the extensive robust features of much more expensive mapping and analyzing software. The single user entry price tag includes 90 days of telephone technical support. Additional support can be purchased if there are special support needs as well as training classes can be tailored to meet specialized requirements.

Maptitude offers a wide-ranging program of technical support, training, and consulting services to ensure the success of your Maptitude applications. Hands-on training classes for Maptitude in classroom settings, or on-site at your location are also available.

The purchase of Maptitude includes thorough documentation with background information, step-by-step instructions, and a progression of hands-on tutorials that let you try out features at will. On-line help with tool tips and other on-screen visual cues also make Maptitude quick and easy to use right out of the box.

Maptitude GIS or geographic Information Systems mapping software is relatively easy to learn in a limited amount of time. Someone can easily complete the tutorial that comes with Maptitude with no mapping and very little computer experience in approximately 1 to 1/12 hours. The tutorial is approximately 21 pages with images of what your screen should look like each step of the tutorial. The tutorial from Maptitude took the approach one might have of an office assistant preparing maps for meetings or a sales person who would have limited experience in either areas of mapping or computers. If a person is willing to invest a bit of time reading and has some idea how to navigate the storage systems of the hard drive or network, that person will have the first project completed within the hour.

Use one of the many Wizards included in the software or explore Maptitude on your own. If you are a more experienced computer and mapping professional, jump right in. Most people who require mapping software will find Maptitude is intuitive. Support for Maptitude by tutorials is available, both by CD/DVD and online as well as telephone are also available.

Imperial Valley, California - Imperial Valley News’ development team reviews software from time to time with the following requirements:

* The Software must provide potential customers with a Free Trial version download or a limited use and return policy. Exceptions are made for specific types of business software where proprietary data is a part of the purchase.

* The learning curve to implement the software must not be time intensive.

* The price point should be deemed reasonable for the product category.

* Reasonable software support and support materials must be a part of the purchase price.

While being easy to learn and use, Maptitude meets the needs and applications of the most sophisticated corporate analyst. If you run out of options on the initial install there are a host of additional add-on features available to download.

Maptitude installs with data from Streets, the latest zip codes, world landmarks, updated telephone exchanges, population estimates and many more features. Maptitude comes complete with an astonishing amount of data or you can use your own data. Maptitude mapping software will organize and display data from other products such as MS Access, Excel, dbase, and even Google Earth to name but a few.

Maptitude mapping software provides travel based options that allow the user to create any number of bands (buffers) and layers based on distance, time, cost and other options to assign zones or districts along street lines based on proximity to point locations such as landmarks or specific business locations and or addresses.

From time to time business, service and delivery routes, political, educational and other daily activities require us to view data in an analytical and spatial way. Maptitude offers more ways to layer, color code, refine and display your data generating raw numbers and data into an impressive visual impact.

Another exceptional feature of Maptitude is its ability to log GPS (Global Positioning System) in either continuous logging or on-call logging. Add your GPS log to a layer of your map. Also available is the ability to log raw data to a playback file and import into a map for illustrating and tracking at a later date when GPS receiving is unavailable.

The 5.0 version of Maptitude allows for the use of a digitizing tablet to add or edit features in a map layer by tracing or drawing from other maps.

Maptitude rescales and redraws maps quickly on most windows operating systems. The requirements to install and run Maptitude are: Personal computer running Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, DVD-ROM drive, 32 MB RAM, 170 MB hard disk space for program files.

Maptitude can be installed locally or on a network drive. One license purchase per workstation is required from which the Maptitude software or data can be used or accessed.

The advanced features are as easy to learn as the basic features are. The book that comes with Maptitude is well organized and full of 60-second tutorials to illustrate each activity of interest.

Creating Multimedia presentations such as slide shows or combining any number of .bmp, .jpg, .avi, .mpg, and .mov files with Maptitude is also easy and impressive. Once you have the map you want built you have options to link your maps to other programs using the windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) or save your maps in several graphic formats for use with other applications. Yes you can even use your maps on the World Wide Web with your own data.

A very important question was asked several times by our software review committee.

Can maps made with Maptitude be placed on a website? According to Maptitudes FAQs, Yes they can with certain restrictions regarding publishing maps that make use of Caliper’s copyrighted data sets. Caliper’s data sets require a separate web license. If you plan to only use your own data there are no restrictions on publication of maps you create with Maptitude.

Maptitude has many other products including Maptitude for the Web, which will allow you to add interactive maps to your web site. Anything you can do with Maptitude you will be able to do on the Internet with your maps and Maptitude for the Web.

To purchase or view the other products and applications for Maptitude or find additional information about the other products and a full range of services provided by Caliper Corporation, including your maps on the web, read about Maptitude for the Web or contact Caliper Corporation directly (email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , telephone 617-527-4700).

Maptitude developer, Caliper offers a full range of GIS implementation services and products. The Caliper website states GIS professionals will assist you in assessing data requirements, database strategy and design, database development, and analytical modeling. Caliper also provides custom application and turnkey system development services, including web site creation. Our review of Maptitude software does not review all the services and products Caliper offers; however Maptitude software is an excellent representation of Caliper..