Introducing Promap Labs

We are very excited to today launch Promap Labs; a new online portal that gives architects, surveyors and land or property developers the ability to test brand new digital mapping product concepts before they are launched to the market.

The Promap Labs portal showcases new beta mapping datasets and applications that can be tested before they are fully launched. This enables clients to contribute valuable feedback or suggest new ideas, for future development. 

The first new application to feature on Promap Labs is ‘Promap Labs View’; this provides the ability to easily view a wide range of data in one single map interface. Examples include natural environment data such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) sites.  It is designed to provide a simple way to quickly view a location and understand what environmental factors may affect it, without needing to be a Geographical Information expert.

Visitors to Promap Labs will also have an early preview of the new multi-browser, multi-device Promap digital mapping service, which is scheduled to launch next month.

Carole Ankers, Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group said, “Promap Labs offers our clients and the wider property and land development community the opportunity to access brand new digital datasets or services, before they are fully launched. It provides early access to new and innovative ideas so they can be tested and reviewed – this includes first sight of our new multi-browser and multi-device Promap service, which is set to launch very soon.  We believe it is important to work in collaboration with the industry when developing new digital mapping tools and datasets, and the Promap Labs portal provides a fantastic platform for us to do this. ”

Dan Hughes, Sector Manager of Land and Property at Ordnance Survey: “Promap Labs is a great concept. It provides the industry with access to new digital mapping innovations and a platform from which ideas and feedback can be openly shared, paving the way for future product development. We are fully behind new innovation in our industry and so we applaud Landmark for delivering this by introducing Promap Labs.”

Adds Carole Ankers: “The first application to be showcased on Promap Labs is Promap Labs View: we encourage as many people as possible to visit Promap Labs and test out the new concepts.  We welcome feedback, so please let us know what you like about it, would change or how you might use it. We’ve made it as easy as possible to post your comments and we look forward to receiving as much feedback as possible!”

To access Promap Labs visit: http://labs.promap.co.uk.  

Nine out of ten AJ100 practices rely on Landmark for digital mapping, property and environmental risk reports

We are pleased to today reveal that 92% of the prestigious AJ100 – the annual league table of the largest architectural practices in the UK – have been working with Landmark during the last three years to source property due diligence reporting or digital mapping tools for use in feasibility studies, planning applications or to analyse the suitability of a site for development purposes.

The AJ100 remains the authoritative survey of the UK’s largest architecture practices – based on the number of qualified ARB-registered architects employed. Almost 26,000 people work in the organisations included in the league table, and as such, it provides a wealth of information that architectural practices of all sizes can benchmark themselves against, including the AJ100 salary guide and an average fee scale.

Carole Ankers, Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group said, “The AJ100 is considered the ‘who’s who’ in the UK’s architectural industry and is a great way for firms of all sizes to analyse trends in the sector.  When reviewing the latest league table, we are very proud to see that of the 105 listed, 102 are registered customers of Landmark, of which 97 have been working with us on a regular basis to access the wide range of digital mapping and environmental risk data for site surveys, feasibility studies and planning applications; this includes nineteen of the top twenty.”

Working closely with data providers including Ordnance Survey, the Environment Agency, the Coal Authority and the British Geological Survey enables Landmark to offer current and historical environmental risk management information and desktop mapping solutions to architects, surveyors, developers and the wider property industry.  This includes Promap, which delivers access to digital OS maps, 3D models, height data, aerial photography and geo-data, including environmental, planning and geological reports to identify potential site issues.

The AJ100 analysis is authored by Professor Bruce Tether, professor of innovation management and strategy at Manchester Business School.

To find out more about the AJ100, visit http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/aj100-2013/. 

Promap Plug-In for AutoCAD 2014 launches

We have today launched a free AutoCAD 2014 plug-in, which simplifies the process of integrating digitised Ordnance Survey MasterMap data directly from Promap into the popular CAD application.

Within the AutoCAD 2014 environment, users can now access the ‘Promap Data Services’ plug-in to digitise their area of interest using Bing Maps, and from this, request pricing for purchasing Ordnance Survey’s MasterMap. Once the file format and gridlines have been confirmed, the required dataset is then downloaded directly into AutoCAD for immediate use.

Carole Ankers, Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group said, “For anyone looking to incorporate accurate OS mapping into their AutoCAD projects, the new Promap plug-in creates a seamless and simple way of doing this. Within a few clicks, accurate topography data can be integrated within the CAD system, saving time. We have developed this in response to our clients’ feedback and so are pleased to launch the new plug-in today.”

The ‘Promap Data Services’ plug-in is available for PC users and can be downloaded from today via http://labs.promap.co.uk/new-promap-for-autocad.  

The plug-in is available free of charge.