September 22, 2002
You may have noticed that the main coolmaps.com
URL (http://www.coolmaps.com) no longer links right
into the Coolmaps Components Club website. The main link now provides the users with a choice of going
two places: the Club (http://club.coolmaps.com), and a site
that tells about the coolmaps.com locator
services (http://locator.coolmaps.com).
The locator service is not new, just marketwise timely, and technologically updated.
History of Mapping
Mapping applications are an Internet staple. Users of all skill-levels log on to the Internet whenever they are
taking a trip to a new location. The popularity of finding maps on the Internet equals downloading MP3s, getting
stock quotes, and buying airline tickets.
Back in 1996, when coolmaps.com first got started, the company saw the promise of maps. However, noting that putting
maps on the Internet was nothing more than connecting two established technologies, coolmaps.com focused its efforts on
inventing new technology. At the time, the coolmaps.com founders saw that maps could be more than just graphics
showing locations. Instead, maps could be an interactive tool to help people find locations - discovering locations they would
not have looked for and learning more about the scope and scale of all the locations available to them.
So, it was back in 1996 that coolmaps.com developed and patented its "Clustering user interface" - a 100% clickable
method that allows users to drill down from the big picture view of all available locations and find the best one.
Unfortunately for coolmaps.com, the world was not ready for this technology. Even though providing maps on the
Internet was not a technological break-through, it was cool and it was a big improvement over the way things had been
done before. Static map web sites like Vicinity and MapQuest thrived. And, coolmaps.com looked elsewhere for
opportunity (which it found in the form of NetObjects Fusion components).
Today, businesses are focused on validating their investment in Internet technology. They are
interested in providing services and user-experiences that will increase revenues and profits.
A high quality application for finding business locations reflects upon the company itself. The better the
experience of finding a location, the better the chance a customer will patronize that business. The coolmaps.com locator
provides a competitive advantage for those who deploy it.
A long overdue upgrade
With this in mind, coolmaps.com has just finished a complete upgrade of its mapping application. The old
application that served maps for many years was (now it can be told) old "Win-CGI" technology. Not the best
platform, but it worked. For six years it worked!
The new coolmaps.com mapping server application is solidly built and has a much cooler user interface - cool
flying icons and a "CoolTips" mouse-over effect.
See it in action
The new version of the mapping software can be seen on display today on three websites:
Opportunity for all
coolmaps.com is actively marketing our newly released locator service. We welcome all of our Club members
to check it out. Not only do we want to show off this cool technology, but also we'd like to see if you think it
might be of use to any of your current or prospective clients. Okay, but what's in it for you? Well, we want to invite you
to become a development partner. If needed, we can provide help with selling and installing. And of course, we provide
financial compensation for people who bring customers our way.
For more information, please email us at:
locator@coolmaps.com
On with the show
So, now after lots of hard work, coolmaps.com is on solid ground. We have a new components architecture which is
cranking-out new components. And we have an updated mapping application which is ripe for the market.
Life is good.
Best Regards,
Peter Sklar
Founder & Chief Navigational Officer (CNO)
coolmaps.com, inc.
