locr and deCarta announce strategic relationship for individualized printable maps on demand

Braunschweig, Germany, San Jose, USA, June 23, 2009 – locr, leading European platform for geo tagged photos and dynamically generated geospatial products and deCarta, the leading supplier of software and services for the location based services (LBS) industry, today announced their strategic exclusive partnership. By combining server technologies and knowhow of both partners, locr will enter the print market of high resolution maps, offering geospatial technology, services and map content for the tourism, print and photo finishing market at consumer compatible prices.

locr has identified the market of printable high resolution maps during the development of its online travel photo book solution with embedded geo-located photos, Wikipedia descriptions and individualized maps. In close collaboration locr has integrated deCarta’s outstanding “Drill Down Server” technology (DDS) to combine its own terrain and imaging server solution with navigation map data, supplied by NAVTEQ, and rendered by deCarta’s DDS. Resulting maps, supplied via an internet API, offer outstanding quality for printing purposes at 300 dpi and more, following accepted cartographic standards. They can be requested on demand from anywhere in the world, including individualized points of interest such as touristic spots, hotels etc. Examples of products where individualized maps can be used are printed photo books, posters, personalized travel guides, postcards, catalogs, booklets, prints, brochures etc.

locr offers additional features and services for other applications on customer request. The combination of the locr and deCarta server technology represents a promising product in the attractive location based service (LBS) market. It is already used in locr’s own web based solution (locr travel photo book) and already generates a lot of attention in all markets, where printing of individualized maps is required. Using their own mapping technology locr and deCarta close the gap between market demand and what is technically feasible by offering complex arrangements of geospatial data.

Strong relationships with leading European photo finishing suppliers already exist since more than two years and there are several co-operations with leading players in other markets under development.

“We are very happy about the partnership with deCarta“, said Rolf Richter, CEO of locr. “Combining the individual strengths of deCarta and locr allows us to aggressively address the cartographic market for individualized maps using Internet based supply. This partnership is a major milestone in our commitment to address the attractive market of geo-related print products.”

“Printed maps had not been in our focus so far. We are very happy, that locr has identified this market and they have selected deCarta as the core technology partner. We strongly believe, that the print market offers a high growth potential and that this market will be successfully addressed by locr. We are fully committed to this partnership”, said Kim Fennell, CEO of deCarta.

About locr:
locr was founded in September 2006 in Brunswick, Germany. The founding team has many years of entrepreneurship experience in the fields of internet, software and multimedia. Started as a well recognized WEB 2.0 geo tagging community, locr announced the locr online travel photobook in Q1 of 2009. Major focuses are geo tagging solutions as well as individualized maps for printing. Investors are the High-Tech Gruenderfonds, a joint venture of public and private investors (e.g. Siemens, Telekom, BASF), Mountain Super Angels, KfW and some Business Angels. Due to strong partnerships locr has become Europe's leading internet platform for geo photography and provider of geo-related print products.

About deCarta:
deCarta is the leading geospatial software platform that has enabled some of the industry's most successful Location-Based Services (LBS) applications such as those deployed by Verizon, Sprint Nextel, AT&T, T-Mobile, Multimap and Hotels.com. The company's technology is ideal for high-volume LBS applications in the mobile, personal navigation, connected navigation, enterprise and Internet markets where scalability, speed and reliability are vital. deCarta's solutions are preferred by application developers and service providers who seek to leverage deCarta's unique core strengths of server-side and wireless LBS expertise, and also want the flexibility to customize map styles and self-brand. Some of deCarta's customers and technology partners include Appello, ATX, AutoTrader.com, Gearworks, Hotels.com, INRIX, Local Matters, loopt, Maps.com, Motorola, Multimap, NAVTEQ, Networks In Motion, Tele Atlas, TeleNav and WHERE. deCarta is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, California with international offices in the UK, Germany and China.

Rolf Richter, CEO, locr GmbH
Technologiepark
Rebenring 33
38106 Braunschweig
Fon: +49 531-482 693 31
Fax: +49 531-482 693 21
r.richter@locr.com
www.locr.com

This release was published on openPR.