Organizations across the city can visualize change thanks to Maphub, an interactive mapping tool that puts a new spin on an old tool. The platform – designed by CMU spinout DeepLocal – is primarily focused on trade associations and the non-profit sector and is considered the mapping tool of the future with potential to revolutionize community planning and economic development initiatives.
DeepLocal, Inc., is a geographic software company whose social network-based Maphub platform provides solutions to the major problems that exist with current mapping systems by offering organizations the ability to share, collect and visualize geographic data internally and externally.
“We developed architecture that allows separate organizations across a city to share data on the same database,” DeepLocal CEO and Co-Founder, Nathan Martin said. “Maphub started from the idea that we were going to solve problems that neighborhoods experience on a daily basis.”
“Our first projects were built working with organizations such as the East Side Community Collaborative and the Hill House Association,” Martin continued. “The Maphub platform still benefits those organizations but has also been found to benefit trade associations and special interest groups that manage location-based information on a daily basis.”
With functionality similar to Wikipedia, Maphub software works both on- and off-line to enable organizations to create collaborative maps.
“The Maphub platform is designed for organizations that need to share location data internally with staff and members and selectively publish maps externally on Web sites, in print or through e-mail,” Martin said.
Officially founded in September 2006 by Martin, Carl DiSalvo, Ph.D., and Jeff Maki, the DeepLocal design studios are located in East Liberty with the intent to create tools that benefit the end user above all.
“DeepLocal is building the Maphub platform to allow members of an organization with no training to easily make maps, identify opportunities through density visualizations, upload and share data from any source, conduct polls and surveys, and when ready, publish small interactive map visualizations through Web sites, e-mail, or even print,” Martin explained.
Martin believes that the current geographic market is fragmented. Professional GIS (Geographic Information System) software is costly and requires significant training to utilize. On-line mapping led by the search providers are focused on points of interest and public information.
DeepLocal’s Maphub software platform serves what it sees as a convergence of market opportunity. More organizations are beginning to see the value of GIS, but lack the funds, training or staff to operate or maintain professional software. Maphub delivers the appropriate functionality in a useable way to those organizations. Maphub integrates with both the high-end desktop software packages and the on-line providers when necessary.
“Information is not shared effectively in Pittsburgh,” Martin said. “The city is recovering, and there are a lot of communities throughout Pittsburgh in need of a lot of help. Maphub allows organizations to visualize change by collecting and managing data – there is a lot of hidden knowledge in Pittsburgh that has yet to be used.”
For more information on DeepLocal,
visit www.DeepLocal.com.
