We should study this a bit more........ What is MapX versus MapJ? Are you going to be in Florida? >From Oracle" http://www.oracle.com/database/options/spatial/mapinfo.html Why is Oracle doing this with MapInfo? MapInfo has fully embraced the Internet computing model and Oracle8i. They have also recognized Oracle's value in bringing the same scalability, security, multi-user integrity and recoverability to geographic data management as it has to non-location-based data. The benefits that Oracle's customers derive from MapInfo's easy-to-use mapping tools are multiplied when coupled with the Internet and Oracle8i. Instead of printing and distributing paper maps, the combined Oracle/MapInfo solution serves online, database centric, always-current maps to thousands of users. What is the availability? MapXtreme for Oracle8i is immediately available. The complete set of MapInfo products supporting Oracle8i, Oracle Spatial and Oracle's Internet platform is slated to be available in June, 1999. Why is this announcement significant to Oracle's and MapInfo's customers? Today, all of Oracle's customers have spatial data they are not leveraging. It exists in their databases as customer addresses, locations of assets, sales territories, etc., or it's locked away in the proprietary format of their Geographic Information System (GIS). This technology integration will enable "our" customers to better leverage the geographic component of their data and provide new ways for organizations to "see" and analyze data in their electronic commerce, data warehousing, customer care and call center applications. For example, 1. In the telecommunications industries, a call center representative can give accurate coverage information over the telephone to subscribers for producing "trouble ticket free" networks. 2. In the financial services industries, banks can now make better decisions for improving both their profitability and service offerings to customers with the ability to strategically place branches and ATMs based on the relationship with where their customers live, work and bank. 3. In public services, local governments can offer online zoning and land ownership information to realtors, banks, and taxpayers 24 hours a day for development and permit purposes. Oracle Spatial Oracle Spatial is a product option that extends the Oracle8i Enterprise Edition to store, query, and index mapping information (addresses, zip codes, sales territory, transportation networks, utilities infrastructure, etc.). Its technology enables new kinds of enterprise applications ranging from geographic information systems (GIS), call center applications, to outside plant management applications. Oracle Spatial interoperates with leading third party tools that provide mapping, visualization, and analytical capabilities to in vertical areas like telecommunications, transportation, government, retail, and utilities. Extends Oracle8i to manage spatial data for Internet-based applications. OpenGIS conformance provides a data model that is independent of OS platform, application or hardware. Efficient and cost-effective means to store spatial and attribute data in a single database. Operating Systems available in the Store: Windows NT, Sun Solaris, Intel/Solaris, HP-UX, Intel/Linux, IBM/AIX. $360/licensed user ****************** NOTE: You can download this on a trial basis as well. THE TRIAL OR REAL VERSION OF SPATIAL CARTRIDGE DOES WORK WITH ORACLE PERSONAL EDITION http://www.oracle.com/database/prodfam/personal.html 8i Personal $395/user Get the whole 8i Personal works with all the data cartriges for Spatial and interMEDIA (Video, Image and TXT) for FREE at: http://www.oracle.com/products/trial/html/trial.html#oracle8 Hey people, ESRI CAN NOT, I repeat, CAN NOT (currently) use this Oracle/MapInfo optimized technology - it cost their users $8000 over and hangs SDE on them. This is an important advantage for us.... MidNight Mapper aka Neil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put "unsubscribe MAPINFO-L" in the message body, or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
