GfK GeoMarketing has updated its digital maps of Australia and New Zealand. Each country-specific map set includes around 30 maps covering, among other things, postal code districts, municipalities, bodies of water and road networks. The digital maps are available in all standard data formats.

Digital postal code maps form the basis of sales territory and expansion planning in modern businesses. These and other such maps can be implemented into specialized software applications known as geographic information systems (GIS). Using postal codes, a wealth of company-related information can then be imported and analyzed, from customer addresses and turnover figures to sales force distribution and logistics networks. By displaying this information visually, new relationships and trends can be discerned in a company's data.

However, as postal code systems are frequently restructured, it's crucial that companies have access to the latest maps and cartographic information.

New Zealand is a case-in-point: A comprehensive postal code reform will go into effect on July 1, 2008, after which the previously used postal codes will no longer apply. GfK GeoMarketing has already digitized these new postal code districts, ensuring continued accuracy with regard to companies' customer locations, sales territory planning and regional revenue forecasts.

The city points in the New Zealand map set have also been revised and expanded. For example, the new map set contains 200 city points with associated population information, providing an important basis of orientation. New with this edition are maps of the rail network, city areas, elevation levels and airports.

The Australian map set has also been significantly revised. The postal code map with more than 2,600 postal code districts has been newly digitized for enhanced accuracy. All administrative maps have been fully updated and refined, from the country's states and territories to the approximately 1,400 “local statistical areas”. The Australian map set also has some new additions, including maps of city areas and the rail network.

Both map sets offer a significantly higher level of detail than in previous editions. All of GfK GeoMarketing's digital maps are vector-based, meaning that they allow continuous zooming. In many locations, the level of detail corresponds to a resolution comparable to that of a conventional topographical map at a scale of 1:50.000. This level of quality is necessary for successfully making use of the maps in other digital environments and applications.

"Among other things, satellite imagery formed the basis for the newly updated maps, allowing us to achieve a higher level of detail,” explains Klaus Dittmann, director of GfK GeoMarketing's cartography division. “For example, coastlines are much more accurate. All of this is very significant for our customers, many of whom place a high premium on accuracy – for example, the reinsurance industry, which uses our worldwide maps to assess the risk level of various regions according to the likelihood of natural disasters such as earthquakes or destructive storms."

"Digital maps are an essential strategic tool for sales territory planning and controlling amongst internationally active companies,” adds Wolfram Scholz, managing director of GfK GeoMarketing's managing director. “Highly accurate and detailed maps as well as a high-performance geomarketing software application are all required in order to successfully visualize company data and perform high-quality spatial analysis."

"The new digital map sets for Australia and New Zealand form an ideal and reliable basis for companies to visualize and compare their customer and sales revenue distribution according to region," he explains. "Our new map sets for Australia and New Zealand give our customers the information they need to optimize their existing and potential markets in these regions."

Further information on the digital map sets for Australia and New Zealand can be found at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/australia and www.gfk-geomarketing.com/newzealand.

Press contact: Cornelia Lichtner, +49 (0)7251 9295270, Email Contact.

Sales contact: Friedlind Dürr, +49 (0)7251 9295230, Email Contact.

Map download
Print-quality map extracts are available at
>> www.gfk-geomarketing.com/australia_press (approx. 489 KB)

>> Download press report
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/press/pdf_pr/australia_newzealand.pdf (approx. 71 KB)

About GfK GeoMarketing
GfK GeoMarketing is one of Europe's largest providers of geomarketing solutions for customers from all branches of trade. Its services include:

• Consultancy
• Market data
• Digital maps
• Geomarketing software RegioGraph and DISTRICT

The company was formed in 2006 through the merger of GfK MACON, GfK PRISMA and GfK Regionalforschung and is a subsidiary of the international GfK network. Ranked among the world's top 5 market research organizations, the GfK Group consists of 115 subsidiaries and approx. 9,000 employees, with operations in more than 90 countries.

The GfK GeoMarketing press newsletter is published by:

GfK GeoMarketing GmbH,
Germany
www.gfk-geomarketing.com

Press Information:
Ms. Cornelia Lichtner
Public Relations
Phone +49 (0)7251 / 9295-270
Fax +49 (0)7251 / 9295-290
Email Contact