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Government Leader home > news stories
02/21/07
Tools: You are here. Mapping tool helps execs find their way
By Greg Crowe
Government Leader Staff
Busy government executives are often on the road and have complex schedules. However, restrictive travel budgets and long lines at airports have caused many executives to consider driving for more intermediate distances. But when you’re on the road, the burden of knowing where you are and how you’re going to get to your destination sits squarely on your shoulders.
This is where a program like Street Atlas USA 2007 Plus from DeLorme Inc. of Yarmouth, Maine, comes in. It allows you to navigate the streets of any location in the U.S. and Canada using equipment you probably already have.
The map program itself is very extensive, containing data on more than 3 million streets and 4 million places of interest.
While there may be Web-based map programs out there that approach this level of detail, Street Atlas has features that those other programs don’t have. You can export portions of the map and sync it up with any personal digital assistant running Palm OS 3.5 or Windows Mobile 2003. It can then interact with the Global Positioning System built into your PDA with no additional software or equipment needed. It can even export static maps that you can load into a portable media player for reference.
Finding a route is as simple as clicking on your start and end points. Street Atlas then shows the best route and lets you switch from the quickest one to the shortest one. Either route will give you both mileage and average travel time. You can add stops along the way, and Street Atlas will adjust the route accordingly.
Street Atlas even gives you the option to download aerial images, which will overlay onto the map. Having these can be very useful when you are trying to locate a destination by using landmarks. While this is a paid service, the Street Atlas Plus package lets you download a certain amount for free.
Street Atlas Plus is available from the GSA schedule for $47.75.
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