Avenza Partners with Mapmobility to Provide Largest Database of Canadian Digital Maps

Avenza Systems Inc., the leading developer of cartographic software --such as MAPublisher® for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®-- has partnered with Mapmobility, Canada’s most prominent producer of printed urban mapping products to announce the largest offering of Canadian digital maps for consumer use on the iOS platform.  Avenza will host Mapmobility’s highly detailed maps in the PDF Maps app and digital map store providing a new way for mobile device users to access a rich resource of content that was previously only available in print.  The PDF Maps app allows users to explore and navigate Canada without having to worry about losing reception due to cell tower proximity or high data roaming charges typical of other “streaming” map services, making it the ideal travel accessory.

Mapmobility holds the largest Canadian market share of printed map products with hundreds of atlas and folded map titles making the relationship with Avenza mutually beneficial for both companies and the consumer.  The partnership enhances Avenza’s digital map database by adding more than 30 years-worth of Canadian cartographic content, while Mapmobility benefits from Avenza’s foothold in a digital marketplace to reach a new mobile map consumer with the PDF Maps app and Avenza Map store. Mapmobility has selected Avenza as its exclusive channel for selling and distributing digital versions of its maps making the Avenza PDF Maps app and store the only place to find the vast array of Mapmobility Canadian maps.

“Given the shift in how our audience has received their information in the last ten years, we wanted to focus on a hi-tech solution that allowed consumers to be more interactive with our detailed maps,” said Carl Nanders, Director of Business Strategy at Mapmobility.  “What Avenza provided is a way into a digital retail space without having to recreate the wheel ourselves.  Avenza’s Map store within the PDF Maps app provides a more meaningful way to reach an audience that has gone mobile which is extremely appealing to publishers who once relied solely on the paper product.”

Avenza’s PDF Maps app is an all-encompassing solution for the use, distribution and sale of digital versions of paper maps to mobile devices.  It includes both an app for consumers to use, discover and purchase maps directly from their devices as well as an in-app store to facilitate the transaction and delivery of maps.  The in-app marketplace provides a new mobile e-commerce venue that allows those in the industry to have access to more than 200 million Apple iOS users seeking information about specific maps.

“For years we’ve worked with publishers providing cartographic software to help create maps, but as consumers continue to change how they access and consume content, we’re delighted to be the conduit for the more than 130 map publishers, including Mapmobility, to deliver such detailed maps in a more interactive manner,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems Inc.  “As we continue to strengthen our community of vendors, many companies are beginning to see how useful the PDF Maps app can be in introducing content to consumers and we’re excited to be a part of how the industry evolves in a digital age.”

The PDF Maps app takes advantage of geospatial technology that allows travelers to view and measure real world locations and attributes.  Paired together with mobile devices that utilize GPS, such as an iPhone or iPad, the PDF Maps app provides constant access to geographic locations and even points of interest without the risk of losing reception due to cell tower proximity – making it the ultimate traveling accessory for those that are enthusiastic about travel or anywhere internet bandwidth is not available or is cost-prohibitive when roaming internationally.

PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge for personal use. For more information about the app, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps.  Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps remain free to users through the PDF Maps in-app map store.

More about Avenza Systems Inc.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.

Avenza Receives ‘Geospatial World Innovation Award’ for Mobile Mapping

Toronto - April 25, 2012 - Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher® cartographic software for Adobe® Illustrator® and Geographic Imager® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop®, celebrates its recognition as a mobile mapping leader at this year’s Geospatial World Forum in Amsterdam, Netherlands by winning the conference’s Geospatial World Innovation award for Mobile Mapping with its PDF Maps app and digital map store solution for the iOS platform. PDF Maps is an all-encompassing solution for the use, distribution, and sale of digital versions of paper maps to mobile devices. It includes both an app for consumers to use, discover, and purchase maps directly from and to their devices as well as a backend store to facilitate the transaction and delivery of the maps. Paired together with mobile devices that utilize GPS, such as an iPhone, the PDF Maps app provides constant access to geographic locations and points of interest without the risk of losing reception due to cell tower proximity.

Attended by more than 2,000 professionals representing government agencies, private industries, research, and academic institutions as well as developmental agencies from around the world, the Geospatial World Forum raises the awareness level of the increasing relevance of geospatial technology in everyday life. Its goal is to open the lines of communication amongst the end-users, geospatial technology experts, and policy makers in an effort to utilize spatial technologies productively in areas such as infrastructure, utilities, energy, land management, business enterprise, mining, and governance.

“Given the visibility of such a global conference, Avenza takes great honour in accepting the mobile mapping award for the technology utilized in our PDF Maps app,” said Ted Florence, president, Avenza. “Our history and expertise in developing tools for the cartographic industry along with the advances in navigation satellite systems and mobile devices have allowed us to realize our strengths and provide a navigation platform that can be used by consumers as well as private and public sectors in ways that have never been done before. We are ecstatic to be acknowledged by our peers and look forward to being part of the discussion of how geospatial technology can be further utilized in a meaningful manner.”

Competing against seven other notable products in its category from around the world, Avenza’s PDF Maps app secured the award for its revolutionary ability to acquire, display, and interact with digital maps on mobile devices and tablets. The innovative tool supports a growing database of maps featuring tens of thousands of maps authored, distributed or sold by individual cartographers, established map publishers, and government agencies. The PDF Maps app and Avenza Map Store offer a medium by which map content can be easily repurposed providing a valid revenue stream for map publishers in an era when the industry is losing its market to digital products with GPS functionality.

“Geospatial Media and Communications is dedicated to promoting application and use of geospatial technologies worldwide. In order to encourage innovative applications of geospatial technologies, the company through its publication division – Geospatial World, awards organisations from different parts of the world with the Geospatial World Excellence Awards on applications, technologies and policies,” said Sanjay Kumar of Geospatial Media. “This year, we are pleased to felicitate Avenza Systems Inc. for their innovative solution, ‘PDF Maps,’ an iOS application in the Mobile Mapping category. This innovative product is a promising solution bringing maps into mobile phones and tablet devices, and will result in better and easier usage of maps by every day users.”

To win its category, the PDF Maps app was judged on its innovativeness, practicality, social relevance of the tool in today’s world as well as the quality of documentation and availability.

Currently, Avenza’s vast PDF Maps app library covering maps for domestic and international travel and reference includes more than 55,000 USGS (United States Geological Survey) topographic maps organized by state and area. Some of the capabilities offered by the PDF Maps app:

Quickly view, zoom, pan, and read geospatial PDF, GeoTIFF, and GeoPDF® maps
Browse, preview, purchase and download professionally created maps from the Avenza Map Store from over 125 publishers and government agencies worldwide
Access and load maps through iTunes File Sharing or over a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Saved maps can be used without the need for a live network connection (offline).
View your location on the map using the built-in GPS or via Wi-Fi triangulation
Find coordinates of any location in the map, including the ability to type in a coordinate to search
Display coordinates as Lat/Long (WGS84), Lat/Long (Map Default), Northing/Easting, or Military Grid Reference System (MGRS/United States National Grid (USNG)
Add waypoints and collect/record information about locations, including photos
Export, import and share waypoints and associated data, including photos using iTunes, e-mail or Dropbox
Overlay Google search results
Measure distances and areas
Change pin colors, position, and label names
PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge for personal use. For more information about the app, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps can be downloaded at no cost through the PDF Maps in-app map store.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training, and consulting services. For more information visit www.avenza.com.

Avenza® Releases Geographic Imager® 3.5 for Adobe® Photoshop®

Toronto, ON - April 2, 2012 - Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher®cartographic software for Adobe Illustrator®and PDF Maps for Apple iOS, is pleased to announce the release of Geographic Imager 3.5 for Adobe Photoshop. This release is encompasses new support for import and export of spatial imagery formats.

"We're delighted to release Geographic Imager 3.5 with even more format support,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “We've included several new formats to import and export that our users will find very useful. We've also added some priority fixes based on user requests and feedback,” he added.

Additional Geographic Imager 3.5 features

New import support for MrSID/MG4 LiDAR (*.sid) format [raster and LiDAR data (as DTM)].
New export support for ERDAS IMAGINE (*.img) raster format.
Channel management dialog box for easy control of channel mapping and assignment of color roles for false-composite multiband imagery.
More about Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop

Geographic Imager is powerful software for working with spatial imagery in Adobe Photoshop that leverages the superior image editing capabilities of this raster-based image-editing software and transforms it into a powerful spatial imagery editing tool. Work with satellite imagery, aerial photography, orthophotos, and DEMs in GeoTIFF and other major GIS image formats using Adobe Photoshop features such as transparencies, filters, and image adjustments while maintaining georeferencing and support for hundreds of coordinate systems and projections.

Geographic Imager 3.5 is available immediately free of charge to all Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and at prices starting at US$319 for non-maintenance members. Academic and volume license pricing are also available.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac,  Windows and Apple mobile device users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.

Avenza Releases MAPublisher 8.7 for Adobe Illustrator

Toronto, ON - March 28, 2012 - Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the PDF Maps app for iOS and geospatial plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop, is pleased to announce the release of MAPublisher 8.7 for Adobe Illustrator. This release includes a number of enhancements to existing features, such as Grids & Graticules, and some new ones, such as the Georeferencer tool.

The Grids & Graticules tool was redesigned to offer an almost endless level of customization for index grids, graticules, and measured grids. Many new options are available including the ability to create a grid collection (multiple grids), intersects, align tick marks, and apply special formatting and styles to grid labels.

"We're delighted to release MAPublisher 8.7 and to provide many new and sought-after features to the Adobe Illustrator cartographic and GIS environment,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza. “We are excited to enhance our tool lineup so that they better serve our users. The Georeferencer tool is the only one of its kind that exists in the Adobe Illustrator environment. The fact that MAPublisher users can now easily and effortlessly georeference their data in a graphics environment is an extremely powerful innovation,” he added.

Enhancements and new features of MAPublisher 8.7

Grids & Graticules tool received major enhancements. Multiple grids can be created and layered to form a grid collection for a highly customized look – fine tune the look of grid lines, borders, tick marks, style labeling and more. Save grid settings to configuration files and share them with others who can load them.
New Georeferencer tool provides the ability to give spatial properties to a non-referenced map by establishing a relationship between page locations in the document and world locations sourced from an online map service, another open document, or manual entry.
The Buffer Area tool has the new ability to buffer areas.
Redesigned the Label Features dialog box for easier label management.
Text Utilities has a new Merge text utility which provides the ability to merge multiple lines of text into a single text object.
More about MAPublisher for Illustrator

MAPublisher for Illustrator is powerful map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data. Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the superior graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps with efficiency.

MAPublisher 8.7 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher customers with an active maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users at US$599. New licenses are US$1399. MAPublisher FME Auto is available as an add-on to MAPublisher 8.7 at prices starting at US$399 per license. Academic, floating and volume pricing is also available. Prices include one year of full maintenance. Visit www.avenza.com/mapublisher for more details.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services as well as the PDF Maps app for purchasing and using maps on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices, including GeoPDF and geospatial PDF files. Visit www.avenza.com for more details.

Avenza’s Successful PDF Maps App Surpasses 100 Vendors in its Burgeoning Digital Map Store

TORONTO - February 14, 2012 - Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher^® cartographic software for Adobe^® Illustrator^® and Geographic Imager^® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop^®, announces its latest achievement for its award-winning PDF Maps app with the number of Avenza Map Store vendors topping 100. Avenza brings mobile map technology to the forefront of Apple iOS devices and map producers are strengthening the trend by offering their once static maps through this new digitial marketplace.
The PDF Maps app is an all-encompassing solution for the use, distribution and sale of digital versions of paper maps to mobile devices. It includes both an app for consumers to use, discover and purchase maps directly from their devices as well as an in-app store to facilitate the transaction and delivery of maps. Think of it as iTunes or iBooks for maps.
The Avenza Map Store continues to grow and features tens of thousands of maps authored, distributed and sold by individual cartographers, established map publishers, and government agencies. The in-app marketplace provides a new mobile e-commerce venue that allows those in the industry to have access to more than 200 million Apple iOS users seeking information about specific maps.
“We're working hard and continuing to build our community of vendors,” said Ted Florence, President of Avenza Systems Inc. “The PDF Maps app is a great platform and many companies are finally seeing how easy it is to make their maps accessible to consumers. We invite all map publishers to become a part of our vendor network.”
The PDF Maps app recently won the International Map Trade Association best mapping product in the world for 2011. Tens of thousands of users are taking advantage of geospatial technology that allows them to view maps, utilize GPS, measure real world locations, and collect and share placemarks. It has become the ultimate accessory for travelers and adventurers where Internet bandwidth is not available or is cost-prohibitive when cellular roaming.
PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge for personal use. For more information about the app, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps can be downloaded at no cost through the PDF Maps in-app map store.
More about Avenza Systems Inc.
Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com