News
MapInfo, Oracle to Proliferate Spatial Data
- By Scott Bekker
- April 07, 1999
MapInfo Corp. (
www.mapinfo.com) and Oracle Corp. are integrating their products to provide a more broad-based spatial data analysis solution on Oracle 8i.
MapInfo has a suite of products that allow companies to organize data spatially using different types of geographic coordinates such as zip codes or area codes. It will integrate that with Oracle8i and Oracle Spatial, Oracle's own geographic data analyzer.
The partnership is aimed at proliferating the use of spatial data beyond traditional geographic information systems and into the realm of data warehousing, ERP and CRM applications. Another large use of spatial data can be realized with the Internet where customers could call up the Web site of their cell phone provider and see geographically where they have coverage. International Data Corp. (www.idc.com) predicts the market for cross-industry and vertical-specific CRM analytical applications to reach $1 billion by 2002.
There are big marketing opportunities for both companies. Oracle gets another partner for its 8i database, while MapInfo gets the recognition from Oracle, which also has a larger services base.
MapInfo's MapXtreme, a Web-based map server, for 8i is immediately available. The rest of its products -- MapInfo Professional, the desktop geographic information system; MapMarker, a geocoding server and Java bean; MapX, an OLE control for map visualization; and MapInfo EasyLoader, a loader for MapInfo's demographic and mapping data -- will be available on 8i in June. -- Brian Ploskina, Assistant Editor
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.