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Press Release For Immediate Publication September 1, 1999  MetaMAP Introduces State of the Art Internet Geospatial Data Publisher Lexington, KY -- MetaMAP, Inc. has announced the availability of their new state-of-the-art Internet Geospatial Data Publisher. The Franklin County, Ohio auditor's GIS (Geographic Information System) division is the first to implement the new system. Now, in addition to having one of the most accurate and complete geospatial databases in the country, with the addition of their MetaMAP powered data publisher, they very possibly have the most accessible geospatial data in the country. In addition to their new internet access, the auditor's office publishes their entire database quarterly in MetaMAP and a generic DXF format. Over 500 users in the county utilize the auditor's data in its native MetaMAP format, and countless others import the data into other systems. The data is also available on 12 public access MetaVUE terminals where users can query the data and design and print their own maps. The new web server allows any internet user to access the auditor's web site. The user can search by owner's name, property address, parcel ID number, or street intersection. After going to the map page, the user can zoom and pan, choose a fixed size, zoom out as far as the whole county, view the parcel data, view the data from any other parcel on the screen, turn various features on or off, or link to the real estate system or the auditor's home page. The system highlights the selected parcel by filling the parcel polygon, as well as filling the street and building polygons resulting in an attractive readable map. All publically significant map features and associated data are available on the internet server. No plug-ins or special programs are needed to access the site. It is compatible with Netscape and Internet Explorer v3.x and higher. The web server is unique in the fact that, for all practical purposes, the data is live. Data updates are loaded into the MetaMAP map server daily. Most other internet sites only have periodic updates to their web servers… weekly, monthly, or even quarterly. The database on the Franklin County Auditor's internet server is updated every 24 hours. This system is also unique because of the speed. When a user requests a map, index map, and associated parcel data, the system takes only 2 to 3 seconds to pass the information to the user. Any additional time is strictly transmission time. Because of MetaMAP's efficiency, an expensive server was not needed. Everything runs on a 450 Pentium Windows NT based data server. Although the system has only been in place a short time, it is already producing between 3,000 and 5,000 maps per day. "The new Internet Map Server is the latest of the highly functional products we have enjoyed from MetaMAP," said Joe Testa, Franklin County Auditor. "It has enabled us to redefine public access to vitally needed data, and put us in the upper echelon of GIS providers on the internet." The auditor's office oversees the GIS database for Franklin County, Ohio. Franklin County encompasses a 543 square mile area with a population of over one million people. The area has over 360,000 parcels, over 1,000 miles of roads, 43 cities and townships, and 11 villages. The GIS data resides on an open VMS Digital VAX 4705 and is shared by over 100 MetaMAP and MetaVUE Franklin County government users on Windows and Windows NT, using TCP/IP protocol. The auditor's office is currently migrating their data to a Windows NT Environment from the VAX. Click here to access the Franklin County Auditor's MetaMAP Internet Map Server. MetaMAP, Inc. was formed in 1992 to develop, distribute, and support geographic information system (GIS) software. MetaMAP, Inc. is an industry leader in the efficient distribution of GIS data. They are based in Lexington, KY. MetaMAP, MetaVUE, and MapVUE are trademarks of MetaMAP, Inc. Other brands and product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. |
