San Francisco International Children’s Games 2008 Will Be Working in Collaboration with GeoSpot for Web-Based Map Browser Featuring New ‘Semantic Mapping’ Technology

    * GeoSpot’s Pioneering ‘Semantic Map Technology’ to Enable Visitors and Tourists to Discover a Depth of Destination Opportunities before and During the San Francisco International Children’s Games Summer 2008 -- in Multiple Languages
    * Real-Time Publishing and Collaboration Capabilities Produces ‘Knowledge is Power’ Value along with Community-Building

FREMONT, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.-- GeoSpot has been selected by the San Francisco International Children’s Games (ICG) 2008 to deploy the next generation interactive map browser on the web to help Games participants, event visitors and tourists discover rich information, services, and activities associated with hundreds of destinations and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The International Children’s Games have been held annually throughout the world dating back to 1968. In summer 2008 (July 10-July 15), the Games will be held in San Francisco and in 2009 the Games will be hosted by Athens, Greece. Recently, Games have been hosted in Reykjavik, Iceland (2007), Bangkok, Thailand (2006), and Coventry, England (2005). The Games in San Francisco is projected to attract upwards of 2,000 athletes, coaches and dignitaries from over 50 countries speaking some 20 languages.

Scott McRoberts, Chief Operating Officer, San Francisco International Children’s Games 2008, was instrumental in bringing the Games to the Bay Area and the selection of GeoSpot. According to McRoberts, “GeoSpot's advance mapping technology enables the International Children’s Games to bring unprecedented travel values to visitors to San Francisco from all over the world, and at the same time provides a platform for San Francisco businesses to instantaneously reach the global market."

GeoSpot, a Silicon Valley-based company spawned in 2005, has cultivated in two years’ time a universal location-based information system that treats typical base map objects like land, water, roads, and cities no different than multimedia files like pictures or office documents, as well as information such as a restaurant dish, a product on a store’s shelf, bus schedule, or gas prices. The private label capable interactive map browser on the web can dynamically display street and other map labels in one or two different languages.

“GeoSpot is pleased to be selected to support the San Francisco International Children’s Games 2008, an event that connects people from many different countries, speaking so many different languages, while using sport as its catalyst,” said Joe Chen, CEO of GeoSpot. “GeoSpot enables people to use the web to discover opportunities associated with destinations in several different ways. For example, visitors can access information and details about places on the map that goes beyond simple points of interest, take an automated guided tour of destination(s), chat with other users virtually on the map, and even collaborate with other visitors to share information via real-time drawing, highlighting and the ability to participate in multi-language forum discussions and attach annotations.”

Initial plans call for the technology customized for SFICG 2008 by GeoSpot to be operational for local San Francisco businesses and visitors in January 2008.

A mobile version of the location browser is expected to be available by the time the Game begins to provide real-time updates of scores, schedule changes, transportation services, and operating status of nearby businesses or leisure services.

About GeoSpot

Incorporated in August 2005, GeoSpot Inc. was founded with the passion to introduce a comprehensive software platform to manage real-time publishing, delivery, and search of location-centric information and services, as well as facilitate an unprecedented level of virtual / physical interaction among people.

In order to support this ambitious goal, a brand new technology stack was built from scratch, employing hybrid technologies from geographical information systems (GIS), content management system (CMS), publish / search of semantically rich information (Web 3.0), asynchronous push technology, and vector-tile streaming technology.

GeoSpot’s headquarters is located in Fremont, Calif. For more information please visit www.geospot.com.

About ICG San Francisco

The San Francisco International Children’s Games (ICG) is the only global, youth athletic event that combines sports, educational programs, peace-motivated cultural exchanges, and economic development. The ICG is endorsed and recognized by the International Olympic Committee and will showcase San Francisco on the global stage. Over 1600 athletes and coaches will be competing in 8 sports over the five day event.

Much like the Olympics, the impact of the International Children’s Games is broad-reaching. Representatives and youth delegates from over 60 nations come together during the course of the games to establish and maintain long-lasting friendships that transcend borders, language barriers, and preconceived notions about values and beliefs. The International Children’s Games serves as a vehicle for peace and dialogue and has done so since 1968.