Marking a first for the South African mapping and LBS (location-based services) industry, South African digital mapping enabler, MapIT has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the world's leading independent enabler of LBS, deCarta.
With 15 years' experience, deCarta provides software and services that can add mapping, routing and local search functionality to companies' services, all in their own branded offerings.
The agreement, effective immediately and spanning sub-Saharan Africa, will see MapIT providing an integrated digital mapping offering running on deCarta's acclaimed LBS platform, which currently features more than 30 million users across the world.
Moreover, deCarta's LBS architecture has been responsible for the proliferation of some of the world's most well-known map offerings currently available. Its highly integratable platform allows for development on - among others - J2ME, Android, iOS and Desktop/Mobile Javascript.
Says Etienne Louw, MD of mapIT: “Our agreement with deCarta, complemented by our partnership with shareholder TomTom Africa, whose portfolio includes digital maps as well as the most accurate real-time and historical traffic products, effectively sees us entering a new era in the provision of our international value offering to the southern African marketplace. And together with deCarta- the world's foremost LBS provider - it greatly enhances our digital mapping services to customers. Indeed, MapIT is now a one-stop-shop for companies looking to develop their own customised LBS.”
“deCarta is pleased to power this integrated LBS solution for mapIT's clients and system integration partners,” says Armin Fendrich, Vice-President Sales - EMEA, for deCarta. “With this exclusive package, also including features such as aggregated traffic and hyper-local media, businesses no longer have to worry about developing LBS-oriented solutions and then integrating the mapping functionality afterwards; it's all done upfront.”
The deCarta agreement will make it possible for sub-Saharan African companies to have free access, during the development phase, to a wide range of LBS application programming interfaces (APIs) and services hosted in mapIT's data centre from March onwards. MapIT will then provide hosting services for their production applications. In addition, MapIT will resell deCarta's Drill Down Server (DDS) products.
DDS is a geospatial software platform for building location-enabled applications. Under this arrangement, MapIT customers can now self-host their location-based services behind their firewalls to build more sophisticated applications while maintaining complete control of their user experience.
The deCarta LBS platform is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of industry segments participating in the location-based services ecosystem and value chain. These industry users include:
* Mobile network operators, including service delivery platform providers (SDPs), and network equipment providers (NEPs);
* Mobile device manufacturers (OEMs), including mobile handset, tablet and navigation manufacturers;
* Local media companies and advertising networks, including traditional Internet yellow pages companies as well as new Internet service companies providing local reviews, reservations and shopping services;
* Application developers and content publishers, including developers of navigation applications, mapping and local services applications, and a variety of other applications that may be monetised as paid apps, ad-sponsored, freemium, etc; and
* Ultimately, end-users who want local search, navigation and location-based services applications.
“The deCarta LBS platform features a myriad of APIs (application programming interfaces), Web services and cross-platform solutions for JavaScript, Android, iOS, and more that really makes it easy for companies to develop a customised solution that bolsters loyalty and, importantly, value-added services,” explains Louw. “It is the perfect white labelling platform, which, in partnership with MapIT as an anonymous enabler, will allow companies to take their brands to the next level in social and mobile technology usage.”
Access to the deCarta LBS platform is particularly beneficial in providing local SMEs the technology to develop their own, customised LBS without having to spend unnecessary funds on a solution that doesn't offer the functionality required. “It is very important to us that we support SMEs, which often have amazing, innovative ideas, but do not necessarily have access to the development platform to realise it,” Louw adds.
deCarta's customers and technology partners rank among the leaders in the mobile and enterprise markets and include Appello, Ford, FullPower, General Motors OnStar, Local Matters, Networks In Motion (now TCS), Opera Software, Samsung, Sensis, Singtel Optus, T-Mobile, Verizon, and ZTE.
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mapIT
mapIT, working with strategic integration partners in the Web and mobile environment through the supply of enriched digital mapping and technology, is southern Africa's leading enabler of technological mapping solutions.
The company also supplies commerce and industry with application platforms and mapping data used for asset tracking, fleet management, business and marketing intelligence, and location-based services. Working together with TomTom Africa, Avusa Media and Partners, MapIT establishes innovative and comprehensive suites of digital mapping platforms to position itself as the leading international enabler of accurate location-based platforms throughout sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, visit http://www.mapit.co.za.
deCarta
deCarta is the leading independent enabler of location-based services for mobile network operators, mobile device OEMs and local media companies. deCarta's technology includes an industry-leading LBS platform, white-label applications, APIs, a local search engine and content indexing; these power many leading applications for mapping, navigation, local search, mobile advertising, social networking and enterprise. For more information, go to http://www.decarta.com.
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