Maps.com Launches New Online Marketplace Connecting Independent Cartographers with Broad Consumer Base

September 14, 2006; 03:42 AM
The mapping industry's leading business solutions provider Maps.com announced the launch of its latest innovation MapMarketplace, a program which enables independent cartographers to publish their work through the map retailer's flagship website http://www.maps.com. Essentially a Cafepress.com for the mapping industry, publishing that was once a costly endeavor for independent cartographers, is now a no risk and no cost option. For Maps.com itself, the ability to provide rare and unpublished maps effectively makes the company the most comprehensive online map retailer in the industry.

Known for its Publish on Demand or POD program, which allows customers to purchase thousands of digital maps from the website in a laminated poster format, Maps.com is now utilizing this process to help independent cartographers productize and publish their maps. "MapMarketplace creates an opportunity for small independent cartographers to connect with a broad consumer base," says Jeff Chappell, Maps.com Online Director. A cartographer can simply register through the company's website, and once his or her products are approved, Maps.com creates a product page, handles all transactions, and prints, laminates, and ships within 24-48 hours.

But facilities aren't the only services provided by the Santa Barbara based company. Those who register with MapMarketplace reap the benefits of a company that has 15 years in the industry, a popular website that attracts over 1 million monthly visitors, and key word optimization capabilities that can place map products at the top of search engine lists. Furthermore, with vendors like National Geographic and Rand McNally, previously unpublished cartographers can have their work showcased alongside these and other premiere map publishers. For more information on MapMarketplace, please visit http://www.maps.com/mapmarketplace.

About Maps.com

Founded in 1991, Santa Barbara based Maps.com is the industry's most comprehensive mapping services company with offerings in the business, consumer, and education marketplaces. Whether it's creating a regional wall map or planning a multi-stop travel route online, Maps.com strives to meet the mapping needs of today's digital era. Today, over 1 million monthly visitors, 8,500 U.S. Schools, and both small and large companies, such as Lowe's Home Improvement, Nextel, UniversalMap Enterprises and AAA currently benefit from Maps.com's vast service offerings. For more information, visit www.maps.com.

Copyright (C) Maps.com 2006