mapIT, a digital mapping partner, has introduced deCarta, the leading independent, global location-based services (LBS) technology company’s third generation local search technology, the L2 Geospatial Search Engine to South Africa.
L2 is a high performance, scalable local search engine with single line input and a simpler, more intuitive user interface.
deCarta sources and indexes premium map and POI (points of interest) content but also enables customers to index and control their own content using the L2 Index tools. Customers can host the search engine either on-premise or in a cloud service such as Amazon’s AWS.
“This latest release from deCarta strengthens even further the digital mapping solution stable that we offer to the South African market,” says Etienne Louw, MD for mapIT. “We have clients across industries developing innovative products with our solutions so this is a very exciting time for us.”
The ability to integrate, merge, process and search on multiple types of map and POI content – globally – is difficult to do well. deCarta leverages its deep geospatial experience to make this data integration possible in L2.
The engine can be used as a pure geocoder for address search, or for POI search, otherwise simultaneously as a combination of the two. This gives developers maximum flexibility and creativity in producing their mobile and desktop applications.
Of special note, deCarta uniquely provides the tools to let companies index their own content – as frequently as they wish – for maximum control and commercial advantage. This content can stand alone or be merged with industry map and POI content. Customers can “boost” content and control rankings to suit their needs.
These capabilities provide a huge advantage for local search companies, vertical market search sites (such as a restaurant or daily deal services), or directory publishers – all of whom are trying to maintain their differentiation over large generic search sites.
L2 enables Local Search sites, Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs), or specific vertical content sites to close the competitive gap. L2 combines powerful geospatial search algorithms with optimised geo-data into a fast, highly accurate local search engine with features to enhance the user experience including:
* Single line entry;
* Fast type ahead feature – ideal for mobile devices and HTML5 interfaces;
* High tolerance for misspellings and random ordering of address parameters; and
* Search for a POI near a POI or near geography, such as “coffee near XYZ company”; “restaurants on Main Street” and “parking near AMC Theatre”.
“Many companies have valuable local content but don’t have the technology or tools to deliver that content to their customers in a sophisticated local search service. As such, they are at a competitive disadvantage to the large map search portals,” says J. Kim Fennell, CEO of deCarta.
“L2 levels that playing field and makes it easy for those companies to compete effectively and at the same time, safeguard their content. A better user experience directly translates to satisfied users who will visit to that site again.”
“The product being offered by deCarta might be described as ‘local search in a box’,” says Greg Sterling, senior analyst for Opus Research.
“It makes state-of-the-art local search and mapping capabilities immediately accessible to any developer or publisher.”
L2 is currently available for South Africa with additional African countries in the future.
deCarta sources and indexes premium map and POI (points of interest) content but also enables customers to index and control their own content using the L2 Index tools. Customers can host the search engine either on-premise or in a cloud service such as Amazon’s AWS.
“This latest release from deCarta strengthens even further the digital mapping solution stable that we offer to the South African market,” says Etienne Louw, MD for mapIT. “We have clients across industries developing innovative products with our solutions so this is a very exciting time for us.”
The ability to integrate, merge, process and search on multiple types of map and POI content – globally – is difficult to do well. deCarta leverages its deep geospatial experience to make this data integration possible in L2.
The engine can be used as a pure geocoder for address search, or for POI search, otherwise simultaneously as a combination of the two. This gives developers maximum flexibility and creativity in producing their mobile and desktop applications.
Of special note, deCarta uniquely provides the tools to let companies index their own content – as frequently as they wish – for maximum control and commercial advantage. This content can stand alone or be merged with industry map and POI content. Customers can “boost” content and control rankings to suit their needs.
These capabilities provide a huge advantage for local search companies, vertical market search sites (such as a restaurant or daily deal services), or directory publishers – all of whom are trying to maintain their differentiation over large generic search sites.
L2 enables Local Search sites, Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs), or specific vertical content sites to close the competitive gap. L2 combines powerful geospatial search algorithms with optimised geo-data into a fast, highly accurate local search engine with features to enhance the user experience including:
* Single line entry;
* Fast type ahead feature – ideal for mobile devices and HTML5 interfaces;
* High tolerance for misspellings and random ordering of address parameters; and
* Search for a POI near a POI or near geography, such as “coffee near XYZ company”; “restaurants on Main Street” and “parking near AMC Theatre”.
“Many companies have valuable local content but don’t have the technology or tools to deliver that content to their customers in a sophisticated local search service. As such, they are at a competitive disadvantage to the large map search portals,” says J. Kim Fennell, CEO of deCarta.
“L2 levels that playing field and makes it easy for those companies to compete effectively and at the same time, safeguard their content. A better user experience directly translates to satisfied users who will visit to that site again.”
“The product being offered by deCarta might be described as ‘local search in a box’,” says Greg Sterling, senior analyst for Opus Research.
“It makes state-of-the-art local search and mapping capabilities immediately accessible to any developer or publisher.”
L2 is currently available for South Africa with additional African countries in the future.
