For Immediate Release

Caliper Ships Maptitude GIS Mapping Software Version 4.5

NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS - Caliper Corporation has released Version 4.5 of Maptitude® Geographic Information System for Windows. This major upgrade of the award-winning desktop geographic information system (GIS) mapping software delivers new program capabilities, data, and documentation in an affordable, easy-to-use product. With this latest release, Caliper enhances its position as the value leader in desktop GIS. More information about Caliper GIS software, mapping software and transportation planning software can be found here.

Maptitude is known for its ease of learning, ease of use, quick performance, clear documentation, and excellent value. Shipped as a single package for $495, Maptitude 4.5 provides many capabilities that are not supported by desktop mapping software costing three times the price of Maptitude.

Out of the box, Maptitude creates detailed and useful maps. Because Maptitude comes with nationwide streets and many other geographic files, you can easily create a map of a state, a county, a city, and even an address anywhere in the United States. The map layers are designed to be both clear and attractive, using the advanced cartographic capabilities of Maptitude. You can use the default design, or make any changes you wish to the map design. For designing publication-ready maps, Maptitude cannot be beat.

The data associated with the states, counties, Census tracts and other nationwide files include a demographic profile from the 2000 Census. With the Map Librarian, you can quickly begin exploring and mapping these data on race, age, sex, and other tabulations from the questions asked of everyone during the 2000 Census. You can also use the color, dot-density, scaled-symbol, or chart theme MapWizard
® to effortlessly visualize the 2000 Census data, or begin looking at your own data.

Unlike entry-level mapping software, Maptitude is not limited to just the included geographic data or limited types of imported data. You can locate your own data by address, using the included nationwide Streets file and the robust address matching capabilities of Maptitude. You can create and edit your own point, line, and area geographic files. You can directly display geographic files in ESRI Shapefile, MapInfo TAB file, and Oracle Spatial table formats. You can add image layers to your map using a variety of popular formats, including GeoTIFF, MrSID, and ECW images. Maptitude also supports many import and export formats, to make it easier for you to create the maps and do the analysis you need.

Maptitude is also a very open environment for using tabular data. You can directly open tables in formats such as dBASE, Oracle, and comma-delimited. You can open virtually any table via ODBC and, if it has a coordinate, you can open it as a point layer in a map. You work directly with the original data, without having to import it, so any changes are reflected as soon as the map is redrawn. With its powerful database tools, such as those for creating formula fields, joining tables, and managing multiple, named selection sets, Maptitude is a wonderful way to manage your data.

Many GIS software packages require expensive add-ons to do things such as find the best route from one place to another, drape a map on a surface, or locate a list of addresses. Maptitude includes all of those capabilities, and more, in a single, easy-to-learn, easy-to-use program. The documentation continues to get raves from educators and other users, with its clear explanations and frequent tutorials. The context-sensitive on-line help employs a table of contents, extensive keywording, and other tools to make it easy to get assistance when you need it.

If you like to program and add new capabilities, or to make things easier for other users, Maptitude is for you. The GIS Developer's Kit (GISDK™) is now included with Maptitude. It lets you do anything from creating a simple add-in with a dialog to handle a specific task, to creating new menus and toolboxes, to calling Maptitude as an Automation Server from another programming language to provide maps or geographic analysis.

Caliper Corporation is a leading developer of desktop Geographic Information System products, including Maptitude GIS for Windows. First released in the Spring of 1995, Maptitude has revolutionized the desktop GIS marketplace by providing powerful software coupled with abundant geographic data at an affordable price.