New forecasting and planning system from Equifax
Equifax B usiness Geo-Metrics, San Diego, now offers ProphetPoint, a market forecasting and planning system. ProphetPoint integrates databases from several business information providers, including The WEFA Group, American Business Information and Equifax National Decision Systems, allowing automated PC access to data on more than 10 million businesses across the U.S., spanning 1,000 SIC codes, with forecast and demand data and geographic breakouts ranging from ZIP Code and county levels to MSA, state and national aggregations. Market studies can be produced in the form of spreadsheets or detailed maps.
SAS unleashes the Orlando release
SAS Institute, Cary, N.C., now offers the SAS System for Analytic & Technical Applications, dubbed the Orlando release for the location where it was previewed to more than 3,000 SAS software customers. Now shipping for PCs and UNIX systems, the software’s highlights include a point-and-click forecasting system, a new menu system for conducting market research, and enhancements to the SAS System’s quality improvement and project management tools. For research applications, the Orlando release includes a new intuitive interface that front-ends statistical and graphical techniques for determining consumers’ preferences and choices. With the interface, researchers can more easily estimate market share, identify important product features and determine new markets. The SAS System will be licensed on an annual basis, with fees determined by the number of workunits supported and number of SAS System components licensed.
Kit extends MAPTITUDE’s capabilities
Caliper Corporation,. Newton, Mass., has introduced a new developer’s kit that extends the capabilities of its MAPTITUDE software by letting developers create new custom mapping applications. The kit, called the Geographic Information System Developer’s Kit (GISDKTM), adds a complete programming and application development language to the core product. MAPTITUDE offers mapping and analysis functions, built-in OLE and ODBC support, and an array of data on CD, including all of the streets in the U.S., ZIP Codes, counties, metro areas, demographic statistics and more. With GISDK, developers create add-ins that extend MAPTITUDE’s capabilities, or create custom applications with menus and dialog boxes tailored to specific vertical applications. The GISDK also creates server applications so developers can add OLE-embedded maps and spatial analysis capabilities to their own programs. Developers can use almost any programming language to construct the client application, including Visual BASIC, C, C++, or another application’s macro language.
StreetRite 4.2 hits the streets
Group 1 Software, Lanham, Mass., has released StreetRite version 4.2 for PCs. This version integrates with MapInfo Corp.’s MapMarker, providing a method of correcting address data, affixing ZIP+4 codes and appending geocodes. By correcting address information and applying geocodes simultaneously, users can achieve significantly higher geocode match rates in a single pass of data files. StreetRite allows users of geocoding and mapping software to standardize and correct address data and append ZIP+4 codes before appending geocodes, by comparing addresses against the USPS National Database. It employs a Windows interface and now provides automatic access to MapMarker via a selection box on the StreetRite menu.
A sweet Profiler suite from Claritas
The new Profiler databases from Claritas, Arlington, Va., are designed to help marketers visualize the demographic and commercial profile for any area of the U.S. The suite of products works with Microsoft Excel’s Data Map feature, incorporating basic mapping in the spreadsheet software so users can visually map key information. Users can download and combine Claritas demographics with proprietary information to determine site locations, project sales, determine market penetration, assess market potential and more. There are seven databases in the Profiler series: banking, business-to-business, health care, media, neighborhood, real estate and retail. All seven files Share a basic set of 10 key demographics, including total population, median age, median household income, median housing value, education and employment and then a set of demographic variables specific to the database topic. The databases can be formatted for many popular spreadsheet, database and mapping programs, including Excel, Lotus, ASCII, dBASE, MapInfo, Tactician and ArcView and are now available through Claritas Data Services and authorized MapInfo dealers.
SPSS 7.0 for Windows ships
At presstime, SPSS was due to begin shipping the Windows 95 version of its software SPSS 7.0 for Windows early this year. The product features all-new presentation capabilities that give users full control over the appearance of tables of statistical results. Now, users can create tables by choosing from a library of presentation-ready formats called TableLooks. Users can further customize their reports and highlight items by modifying color, fonts, line styles and headings. The product also features flexible new pivot tables, which allow users to reorganize tables to look at their results from different angles by dragging an icon. The tables can also be moved into other applications or the Windows 95 desktop through SPSS’ implementation of OLE 2.0 in-place editing and automation features. The product also includes a Windows 95 interface with floating windows and toolbars, and context menus including "What’s This?" pop-up help.