Maponics’s other work with traditional map services, which includes helping franchises determine which property belongs to whom and collecting demographic information on locations, puts Maponics in a position to acquire useful demographic details. This demographic information, which comes from marketing lists, major demographics providers, and some public domain data, can all be plugged into a custom Flash map. And, demographic information is not all that is customizable. Maps colors can be customized to match a brand, and logos can be incorporated.

Installation is easy, too. Once a TrueVector product is selected, a webmaster inserts the Flash program onto the corporate site. No server tinkering or Flash expertise is necessary.

“The key to this product line is not so much the demographics, it’s the fact that you get a U.S.-based, interactive map down to the ZIP code that requires no server-side software and is thus easily dropped into just about any web site,” Clement says. “If your site already accepts ZIP-code based inputs, you are literally up and running with a product like PropertyConnect within 15 minutes and all you need are basic webmaster skills.”

Mapping technology, however, isn’t limited to terrestrial limits or bound by wires anymore. Another, increasingly popular technology is global positioning system (gps) devices, which can aid in navigation anywhere in the world. GPS devices communicate with satellites orbiting the earth in order to relay the position of the device to the person using it. These satellites make it possible for GPS devices to pinpoint a location anywhere on the globe. It is useful for the military, the airline industry—and quick-serve’s delivery drivers.

Map-making company Rand McNally has teamed with Motorola to develop Mona, short for mobile navigation. The service combines the navigation power of GPS, the portability of a cell phone, and a road atlas. Like an in-car GPS system, Mona provides real-time directions for its users. Mona-equipped phones can remotely relay directions from a web site or via manual input. Through the phone’s speakerphone function, audible instructions are given; drivers do not need to hold or look at the phone. Mona will also adapt if the driver makes a wrong turn. When inputting directions, Mona will automatically narrow down the places you can possibly go based on the information given. If you enter a ZIP code, Mona will narrow down the map immediately to that region.

Alan Yefsky, vice president of new products and strategy for Rand McNally, predicts phone-based systems like Mona will become part an integral part of the booming personal navigation market. “It is a marketplace that is exploding. Recent consumer research indicates that people want navigation on phone; it is the single most wanted feature on mobile phones. As the market grows, we will grow with it,” he says.

Mona costs $9.99 a month and must be installed on a GPS phone. According to Yefsky, the number of cell phone providers offering GPS service is increasing. Sprint was the first carrier to embrace GPS, but Verizon is now introducing GPS models, too, he says.

One of the best selling points for Mona, aside from its cost, is the system’s ability to constantly update its map database. To illustrate the benefit, Yefsky offers the following example: You move into a new subdivision and want to order dinner because everything is still packed. If your driver has a Mona-enabled phone locating your house should be no problem—even if your new street is not yet on paper maps.

The partnership with Motorola helped speed Mona to the market, Yefsky says. While Rand McNally had years of experience with providing maps and related information to clients, Motorola had the hardware to make GPS phones work. The combination of map content and technology made Mona possible. “We have quite a bit of experience in electronic mapping,” Yefsky says. “This is the first time there’s been enough stated need by people who have these [phones], and the technology to make it work.”