Microsoft Readies MapPoint 2004

Microsoft wants to put your business on the map: The company has released MapPoint 2004, an update to its extensive mapping and data-analysis application for small and medium-size businesses.

The $299 application combines the functions of consumer mapping products, such as Microsoft's own Streets & Trips, and free online mapping services, such as MapQuest. It also adds the capability to perform thematic mapping and analysis of demographic and consumer data.

For example, you can plot your salesperson's route not just from point A to point B, but from point A to point Z and every stop in between. Beyond that, MapPoint can help a business understand who its customers are and gain insight into the market by graphically displaying customers on a map, says Andrew Mackles, Microsoft's MapPoint group product manager.

Zoom In on Data

MapPoint 2004, like past versions, ships with demographic information built in to the product. The newest version contains almost twice as much demographic data, Mackles says. It now includes 1.4 million business listings (up from 800,000 in earlier versions) for North America.

It also features consumer profile data, which enables users to narrow searches for increased usefulness.

For instance, a business might seek regions where people have recently purchased a car, used cents-off coupons, or attended a music concert. Such information was provided to Microsoft by Applied Geographic Solutions and Simmons Market Research, with information from the U.S. Census included.

If you're looking only for driving directions, MapPoint is probably overkill. But for a small business wanting to, say, distribute a discount coupon, MapPoint can offer valuable assistance.

You can search for consumers within a 30-minute drive of your store who have used coupons before, and the results will appear in a color-coded, easy-to-read map. The results may show you an area where a high concentration of consumers have used coupons in the past, as well as another area where very few residents have done so. You can then focus your promotional efforts on the locations where you are more likely to see a return on your investment in printing and distributing the coupons.

Custom Options

Users can quickly and easily populate MapPoint with their own data. Simply drag an Excel spreadsheet into the MapPoint screen, and the application will walk you through the steps necessary to import the information.

MapPoint 2004 also offers enhanced, real-time support for global positioning systems; the Pocket Streets tool, which ships with MapPoint, now supports GPS as well. Both applications check the GPS device for location information every second.

An online version of MapPoint is available as an MSN service.