News

DS Appointed Google OEM Partner

15/05/2014

Following recent negotiations with Google, Distinctive Systems has been appointed a Google OEM Partner and has licensed the Google Maps Platform for integration into our Coach Manager private charter and contract booking system and our Tour Booking System.

Google Maps is the most advanced mapping solution on the market. The annual cost for us to license it for unlimited use by our clients, as an integrated part of our software, is substantial.  Despite this, we will be providing the integrations, including the use of Google Maps, entirely free of charge to all clients with a current software maintenance or subscription agreement.  This functionality will be available to every user of our software at these clients.

Support for our existing Microsoft MapPoint integration will continue for the foreseeable future. However, we expect most clients will migrate to Google Maps immediately when they receive the updated software version.

Google Maps is a worldwide solution, so, for the very first time, we are now in a position to provide our many clients in Australia, New Zealand and other locations not covered by MapPoint with an integrated mapping solution.

A major benefit of Google Maps is that as a web-based solution it is effectively permanently up-to-date.  Our integration will also include all the familiar features of the standalone free version including street views, satellite views and awareness of traffic conditions and road works.

In common with our existing Coach Manager MapPoint integration, Google Maps will be fully integrated with our built-in price calculator and will be able to plan routes and calculate travelling times and distances.  In our Tour Booking System it will be used for defining and displaying home pick-up areas and any associated supplements, for locating and displaying standard pick-up points and for optimising home pick-up routes.

The expected release date for the Coach Manager integration is mid to late August, with TBS following shortly afterwards.

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