Smart Map Search Tool Helps Users Quickly Find Locations That Meet All Their Needs

May 24, 2010 -- Redlands, California—The latest release of ESRI Business Analyst Online (BAO) includes a new unique tool, Smart Map Search, that helps users in a variety of industries—from commercial business to government to health—more efficiently make location-related decisions. Other key enhancements of this U.S.-based, on-demand report and map solution include the expansion of consumer spending and market overview data variables, the addition of 2010/2015 Updated Demographics data, and the ability to create custom PDF maps.

Smart Map Search greatly reduces the time it takes to answer critical questions such as, Where should I open my next site? Where is the supply/demand gap in my city? and Where are the vulnerable populations? Users select up to five demographic, consumer, or business criteria that matter most, such as per capita income greater than $40,000 or median age greater than 35, and Smart Map Search will identify areas on the map that meet all the criteria. No longer will users have to perform analysis for each criterion separately and compare the results on individual maps.

BAO now includes thousands of new data variables regarding retail activity and consumers' spending habits. This detailed data can be incorporated into color-coded maps for an even more precise understanding of customers, prospects, and the market. Variables have been added in the following categories:

• Market Potential—Measures the probable demand for a product or service (More than 2,000 items are updated annually and grouped into 37 categories of goods, services, and attitudes.)
• Consumer Spending—Visually compares and ranks geographic areas against one another with consumer spending averages and indices.
• Retail MarketPlace—Measures supply and demand and the supply/demand gap to illustrate where consumers' needs are being met or where there might be new opportunities

Additionally, ESRI's 2010/2015 Updated Demographics data is now available in BAO. Offering more than 2,000 data variables, including current-year estimates and 2015 forecasts, this data can help identify areas of high unemployment, adjustments in the housing market, changes in income, and increased population diversity.

In addition to the standard site maps available, users can now easily create PDFs for any map including color-coded maps, Smart Map Search results, and Bing business search results.

For more information on BAO, please visit www.esri.com/bao. To try BAO, visit http://bao.esri.com.

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Press Information:
Matthew DeMeritt, ESRI
Tel.: 909-793-2853, extension 1-2930
E-mail (press only): press@esri.com
General Information: info@esri.com