May 06, 2009 -- Infoterra Ltd, a leader in the provision of geospatial products and services, has developed and delivered a new Portal to power Stanfords Business Mapping’s online capability.

This Portal for Stanfords Business Mapping, a leading retail supplier of maps and map data, will give their customers easy access to a wide range of geospatial data – maps for planning applications, large/small scale map data, aerial photography and height data - via one online resource.

Building on the experience of Infoterra operating and hosting Stanfords GeoStore for over two years, and by using the latest technologies, the Portal will deliver more functionality and a simple four step buying process. It offers detailed searching – down to a specific address, a large preview window, more navigation & selection tools, as well as a sophisticated measuring and annotation capability. The portfolio of data products has also been extended to include OS MasterMap® in both print and vector formats, and will be further augmented over the coming months.

Many planning applications, of which there are over 750,000 submitted each year in England & Wales, require a scaled map with the property or properties in question highlighted. Stanfords, an accredited partner of the Government’s Planning Portal, can ensure that Local Authority requirements are met by both planning professionals and first-time applicants, as this new Portal enables easy access to up-to-date maps and aerial photography of the correct area and scale.

The Portal also takes advantage of the latest web-based technologies to provide the user with a range of tools to highlight boundaries, building footprints, planned extensions and access routes, give precise scaling measurement and annotate images where needed. So no need for felt-tip pens, as highlighted maps can be saved in a variety of friendly formats, including Word and pdf, for printing or including in an electronic application. The Portal makes the end-to-end process fast and easy for users - no specialist GIS knowledge or software is needed.

Stanfords Portal provides a single-source of geospatial data for CAD and GIS users, who may be undertaking architectural modelling or environmental feasibility studies. Vector mapping and height data, including Infoterra’s lidar height data of urban areas, can be ordered in a selection of file formats. Aerial photography, including high-resolution imagery for urban areas, can be licensed fully geo-referenced and GIS-ready.

“By working with Infoterra we have been able to create a solution which is not only technically advanced but also delivers significant improvements in terms of usability for our customers” said Geoff Blissitt, National Sales Manager of Stanfords Business Mapping. “By developing one online resource, with a wide range of geospatial data, at competitive prices, and available in numerous formats, we are delivering a comprehensive service with real business benefits.”

“We are very pleased to extend our working relationship with Stanfords, a prestigious brand for mapping, and to help them take their customers to the next level of service” added Gill Dickson, Divisional Sales Manager, for Infoterra Ltd.

About Infoterra
Infoterra is a leading provider of geo-information products and services for managing the development, environment and security of our changing world. With entities in France, Germany, Hungary, Spain and the United Kingdom, its customers include international corporations, governments and authorities around the globe, and organisations such as the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Infoterra operates across a comprehensive range of markets - telecommunications, environment, security, agriculture, defence, oil & gas exploration and many more. Furthermore, Infoterra holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the high-resolution radar satellite TerraSAR-X, and plays a leading role in geo-information services within the European GMES initiative of the EC and ESA.

Infoterra is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Europe’s leading space company Astrium, and, together with Spot Image, forms the Earth Observation Division of Astrium Services.

www.infoterra-global.com

About GeoStore®
GeoStore® is Infoterra Ltd’s state-of-the-art geospatial data online portal which allows consumers and business customers to browse the company’s huge resource of national data for immediate delivery.
GeoStore provides instant delivery of high quality, accurate aerial imagery, height data and Ordnance Survey mapping, making geospatial information even more accessible for supporting property development, environmental management, infrastructure planning and location illustration.

GeoStore is a service provided by Infoterra Ltd which operates the largest commercial geospatial hosting facility in Europe. www.GeoStore.com

About Stanfords
Stanfords is the UK's leading specialist retailer of maps, travel books and other travel accessories, having been established in 1853 by Edward Stanford. Its flagship store in Covent Garden, London, first opened its doors in January 1901 and can justly claim to offer the world's largest stock of maps and travel books under one roof.
Stanfords Business Mapping is one of the Britain’s leading suppliers of maps and map data. We also offer location-based management services such as Stanfords GIS for property asset management, Stanfords Portal allows direct access to planning application maps, large and small scale map data, height data, and aerial photo imagery and Desktop Mapping for customers requiring irregular areas of large-scale map data. Established in 1853 we have a long-standing reputation for excellence.

www.stanfords.co.uk