Avenza Makes Its Mark on the Cartographic Industry Sweeping Top Awards at the Annual IMTA Conference

TORONTO--(Marketwire - Dec 6, 2011) - Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher^® cartographic software for Adobe^® Illustrator^® and Geographic Imager^® geospatial tools for Adobe Photoshop^®, celebrates its world-wide recognition from the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) as a top producer of cartographic software and innovative technology winning the coveted 'IMTA Global Award' at its November conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Accepting the award with its pioneering PDF Maps app, Avenza received the sought-after honor which recognizes the best products from three international Map Trade Association Regions. It is determined only once every few years from a list of mapping industry awardees -- the best of the best -- from retailers of atlases and manufacturers of globes to developers of geographic information systems.

Along with taking home the highest accolade, Avenza Systems also secured the 'Graham Stanton Award of Excellence' -- given to the best 'product' that stands out from seven individual categories, and the award for 'Best Maps for Multimedia Application' with its PDF Maps app on the iOS platform. PDF Maps leverages geospatial technology that allows travelers to view and measure real world locations and attributes. Paired together with mobile devices that utilize GPS, such as an iPhone, the PDF Maps app provides constant access to geographic locations and points of interest without the risk of losing reception due to cell tower proximity.

"The Avenza PDF Maps app is a wonderful and innovative new solution for delivering digital GPS-enabled maps to smartphones and tablet devices and on that, I am sure, all publishers will eagerly adopt," said Peter Davis, president, IMTA, Asia-Pacific. "The growing trend for the use of an embedded, iTunes-like, digital map store is a revolution that promises to change the way in which maps are purchased and delivered in the 21^st century."

The PDF Maps app supports a growing database of maps featuring tens of thousands of maps authored, distributed or sold by individual cartographers, established map publishers, and government agencies. The marketplace provides a new e-commerce venue that allows those in the industry to have access to more than 200 million Apple iOS users seeking information about specific maps.

Avenza's PDF Maps app and Map Store offer a medium by which map content can be easily repurposed providing a valid revenue stream for map publishers in an era when the industry is losing its market to digital products with GPS functionality. Publishers can upload intelligent PDF maps or GeoTIFFs -- with or without the aid of Avenza's cartographic map software -- eliminating the publisher's need to reprint costly annual updates to paper maps. Pricing of each uploaded map is determined by publishers, not Avenza Systems. Maps that are available for sale can be purchased through the Avenza Map Store much like how music, videos, and books are currently purchased through iTunes.

"We are overjoyed and humbled to receive this tremendous acknowledgment from our peers in the mapping industry and I'm delighted to see that both publishers and consumers are finding so much use for the PDF Maps app," said Ted Florence, president, Avenza. "This app and embedded map store solution is a revolutionary tool for acquiring, displaying and interacting with digital maps on mobile devices and tablets and it's a key component which complements our other software products, integrating it with map production and publishing workflows."

Currently, Avenza's vast PDF Maps app library covering maps for domestic and international travel includes more than 55,000 USGS (United States Geological Survey) topographic maps organized by state and area. All maps available through the map store offer the following capabilities:

• Read geospatial PDF, GeoTIFF, and GeoPDF®maps
• Access and load maps through iTunes File Sharing or over a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Saved maps can be used without the need for a live network connection (offline).
• Browse, preview, purchase and download professionally created maps from the Avenza Map Store
• Quickly view, zoom and pan maps using gestures (pinch, drag and flick, double tap)
• View your location on the map using the built-in GPS device or via Wi-Fi triangulation
• Find coordinate of any location in the map, including the ability to type in a coordinate to search
• Display coordinates as Lat/Long (WGS84), Lat/Long (Map Default), Northing/Easting, or Military Grid Reference System (MGRS/United States National Grid (USNG)
• Add waypoints and collect/record information about locations, including photos
• Export, import and share waypoints and associated data, including photos using iTunes, e-mail or Dropbox
• Change pin colors, position and label names
• Map rendering in higher resolution
• Overlay Google search results
• Measure distances and areas
• Open current map extents in the Maps app

PDF Maps is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge for personal use. For more information about the app, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps remain free to users through the PDF Maps in-app map store.

More about Avenza Systems Inc.
Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.