INFORMIX: Paging company develops site & customer service app with Informix and MapInfo technology
Presswire - October 06, 1998 13:55
M2 PRESSWIRE-6 October 1998-INFORMIX: Leading paging company develops e-commerce site and customer service application with Informix and MapInfo technology (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
Informix Corporation (NASDAQ: IFMX), the technology leader in enterprise database-powered solutions, and MapInfo Corporation (NASDAQ/NM: MAPS), the worldwide leader in mapping solutions, announced today that Arch Communications Group, Inc. has selected technology from Informix and MapInfo to provide a Web-enabled customer service application that will allow Arch customer service representatives to accurately pinpoint a customer's paging coverage.
Arch, the third largest paging company in the U.S., is implementing this application on its corporate intranet to allow customer service representatives to easily and quickly inform customers of the exact areas they can receive messages. This spatial information management system also will be included on Arch's e-commerce site so customers may choose their own coverage area via the Web. Based on Informix Dynamic Server with Universal Data Option and MapInfo's SpatialWare DataBlade Module, the application will be used to support sales, enhance customer service and troubleshoot problem areas.
"Customer service representatives can use this application to create a map of the customer's coverage area by simply entering their zip code," said Scott Francis, network applications manager at Arch. "Spatial technology is making this whole process quicker and easier for everyone involved. In addition to customer service, we expect this technology will enhance our sales efforts as it will be an integral component of our plans to support e-commerce on our Web site. Customers demand and deserve a quick and easy way to answer their questions when buying products and services over the Internet."
Arch requires a scalable, high-performance relational database management system that has strong replication capabilities and handles special data types over the Web. According to Francis, MapInfo and Informix worked together with Mapping Solutions, a reseller in Michigan, to provide Arch with an advanced, SQL-based spatial solution capable of expanding throughout the enterprise for future applications. The application, scheduled to be introduced this month, integrates with Arch's pre-existing systems already utilizing Informix Dynamic Server and MapInfo's desktop mapping software.
John Cavalier, MapInfo's CEO and president said, "Arch is taking advantage of the first and best solution on the market today for Web-enabling its large storehouse of information and presenting it in a way that makes it easy and accessible to its customers. By tapping into the new technologies available from MapInfo and Informix and developing the right solution for its customers, Arch is reaching and serving a much broader base of customers."
"We are seeing an increasing demand from all parts of the telecommunications industry for ways to visualize operational data and integrate it into business and customer service applications," said Fred Thompson, director of global telecom at Informix. "The powerful combination of Informix's Web-enabled, object-relational database and MapInfo's proven spatial technology is providing the innovative and flexible solutions that this industry requires."
About Arch Communications
Arch Communications Group, Inc., Westborough, MA, is the third largest paging company in the United States based on paging units in service and second largest based on operating cash flow. Founded in 1986, it provides narrowband wireless messaging services, principally paging, to more than four million subscribers nationwide. Arch's 2,700 employees operate from approximately 200 offices and company-owned stores in 42 states. Additional information on Arch is available at arch.com.
About MapInfo
MapInfo Corporation, the information discovery company, is the worldwide leader in mapping solutions and a preeminent supplier of spatial technologies. More than 300,000 users in virtually every industry use MapInfo solutions to transform location into meaningful decisions. Its data visualization products are deployed on the desktop, on enterprise servers, on the Internet, and as embeddable mapping objects in decision support and enterprise-wide applications. Available in 20 languages, MapInfo products are distributed in 58 countries by more than 1,000 partners. Headquartered in Troy, NY, MapInfo Corporation (NASDAQ/NM: MAPS) is on the World Wide Web at mapinfo.com.
About Informix
Informix Corporation, based in Menlo Park, California, provides innovative database products that assist the world's major corporations attain competitive advantage. Informix is widely recognized as the technology leader for corporate computing environments ranging from small workgroups to very large parallel processing applications. Informix's database server, application development tools, superior customer service, and strong partnerships enable the company to be at the forefront of major information technology solution areas including data warehousing, high performance OLTP, and Web/content management. For more information, contact the sales office nearest you or visit our Web site at www.informix.com.
CONTACT: Informix Public Relations Tel: +1 650 926-6300 e-mail: pressrel@informix.com
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