MapInfo Predictive Analytics launches Traffic Counts dataset – helping location planners to go with the flow. Only comprehensive information on traffic volume and vehicle type to bring vital location intelligence to British business

London – 6 June 2006  - MapInfo Corporation (Nasdaq: MAPS), the leading global provider of location intelligence solutions, today announces the launch of Traffic Counts, a predictive analytics dataset of vital traffic volume intelligence for retail, government and property industries.

Available for shipping now, MapInfo Traffic Counts provides location planners across many industry sectors with a unique dataset of vehicle traffic measured by the Department for Transport (DfT).  Of particular relevance to convenience and bulky goods retailers, media advertisers, shopping centre operators and retail property agents, this valuable analytics tool provides site planners with a significant advantage in assessing likely volumes of consumers travelling to or past a location.

The dataset is a continuous survey for Great Britain providing Annual Average Daily Flows (AADF) of vehicle traffic at more than 22,000 locations collected by the DfT using established manual and automatic counters at specific locations.  The data is collected for eleven vehicle types; from cars and buses to light vans, HGVs, bikes and taxis.  Road characteristics at each count point are featured, for example: road name, number, type and applicable speed limit for that location.

UK storage giant Big Yellow Group is an early adopter of Traffic Counts using the data in a recent project: “Analysis of passing traffic is central to our location strategy,” comments Andrew Watson, Acquisitions & Development Manager, Big Yellow Group.

“Roadside visibility is critical to our business model, so with MapInfo Traffic Counts, we can easily access in depth and reliable intelligence on traffic flows, helping us to make better decisions on new sites.”

In conjunction with other data or in a predictive business model, MapInfo Traffic Counts provides a greater insight into customer behaviour in local retail markets, for example by matching residential areas of best customers with flows of traffic to identify prime locations of passing customers.

Andy Thompson, director of analytical services, MapInfo EMEA, articulates the business proposition concisely: “In a highly competitive market, Traffic Counts gives businesses the upper hand.  This is vital data for site planners; it gives them unparalleled intelligence not previously available and even delivers an early ROI by reducing the need for unnecessary and expensive local traffic surveys.”

Traffic Counts can be manipulated for use with other MapInfo products, including: Retail DESTINATIONS, Retail REACH, Drivetime, Location Reporting Service and Analytical Services