17 October 2006

Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping providers, today unveiled several new enhancements to its award-winning mapping and location-based services that together provide one of the most comprehensive packages for estate agents and property companies on the market. The services can all be seen at the PCS Expo 2006, Business Design Centre, London, 17th & 18th October.

Multimap’s service offerings for the property sector now include:

• access to Multimap’s recently-released mapping API (Application Programming Interface), which provides draggable maps and programmatic access to best-of-breed location-based services;
• extension of existing location services to mobiles: SMS Storefinder allows property-hunters who are on the move to search for properties of interest; Map2Mobile allows users or agents to push maps of properties of interest from your website to property-hunters’ mobile phones;
• improved travel directions, to allow users to search for available properties or other information along a route;
• bundled print licensing for easy creation of electronic and paper property particulars.

Sean Phelan, founder and chairman of Multimap.com, said, “Multimap offers estate agents and other property firms the most comprehensive mapping and location-based services on the market. The addition of our draggable mapping API, and the extension of our services to property-hunters’ mobile phones, demonstrate our on-going commitment to building and providing leading-edge solutions that deliver value to our customers, and offer the best end-user experience available.

The Multimap API and XML-based services are unique in providing a one-stop shop for all mapping requirements; from geo-coding, routing and enhanced coverage, to proximity searching, live icons and map overlays. “There’s no longer any need for companies to work with multiple providers to put together a custom, patchwork, and often expensive solution - they simply need to contact Multimap and, in a matter of hours, they’ll be up and running with a highly-interactive, signature site that integrates web and mobile services,” he continued.

Key features and capabilities of the Multimap API include:

• smooth map dragging, panning and zooming;
• map overlays, information objects and widgets;
• rich map interactivity, comprehensive controls and multiple zoom levels;
• live icons, mouse-overs and integration with your own location data;
• ability for users to follow a route using their mouse;
• a fully-featured Event API enabling actions (e.g., dragging a map) to trigger events (e.g., show new map and display new data);
• access to Multimap’s Client Zone extranet, providing usage reports, account management and support from Multimap’s global team;
• maps are delivered free of advertising;
• geocoding, to assign co-ordinates to an address or other location, allowing you to place locations accurately on maps;
• the Multimap API is hosted on Multimap’s server farms in three continents, providing high levels of redundancy, scalability and availability.

Key features of the mobile services include:

• services are easily added to an existing mapping or locator service;
• consumers search for available properties using the web, and use the Multimap Map2Mobile service to push the map to a mobile device;
• map and location details are sent directly to the consumer’s mobile device;
• consumers can request additional locations; and
• maps offer pan and zoom functionality.

To see these and other services for the property sector, please visit Multimap at the PCS Expo 2006.

About Multimap

Multimap is Europe's leading provider of mapping and location-based services. The company delivers more online maps, point-to-point driving directions and geo-spatial ("where's my nearest?") searches to more companies than any other supplier in Europe. All services are offered on mobile, PDA, kiosk, and interactive TV platforms and in multiple languages.

The public website, www.multimap.com, provides a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; links to location information; and services such as hotel, restaurant and entertainment booking. The public site attracts over 10 million unique users, registers more than 190 million page impressions every month, and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the UK.

Multimap recently featured in The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table of fastest-growing unquoted UK companies across all sectors. In 2006, it featured in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league of fastest-growing unquoted UK technology companies for the fourth year running. Also in 2006, Multimap won the Innovation category of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise. In 2005, Red Herring named Multimap as one of the top 100 private companies in Europe, and the company featured in Deloitte Touche’s Technology Fast 50 league for London and Southern England.