Microsoft MapPoint to Include Consumer Data

MapPoint 2004, the newest version of Microsoft Corp's business mapping and location-based data visualization software, will include US consumer profile data from Simmons Market Research Bureau, enabling users to view data down to the level of products and zip codes.

Simmons surveys more than 37,000 people annually to produce the National Consumer, Teens, Kids and Hispanic Studies, which each cover c.8,000 brands in more than 450 data categories, and provides consumer product purchase, shopping and media usage behavior data, as well as detailed demographic and lifestyle categories. Its BehaviorGraphics(tm) segmentation systems chart retail shopping behavior, sports avidity, shopping frequency/volume, entertainment consumption, media usage and many other descriptors.

According to Simmons' President, Chris Wilson, 'With the capability of visualizing data on over three thousand categories down to the zip code level, MapPoint 2004 breaks new ground and offers small businesses an easy to use tool with a wealth of data that they can use to identify new market opportunities'.

Andrew Mackles, MapPoint group product manager at Microsoft, added, 'The addition of Simmons rich information on consumer purchase preferences makes MapPoint 2004 a more powerful information tool for businesses and marketers'.

For additional information on the Simmons consumer data to be included with MapPoint, see www.smrb.net

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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