deCarta Launches Free White Label Mapping APIs as Alternative to Google Maps API

By Decarta Inc., PRNE
Sunday, February 13, 2011

Enabling LBS app developers to put their brand and ads on maps while generating new sources of revenue

BARCELONA, Spain, February 14, 2011 - deCarta, Inc., a leading global provider of location based services (LBS)
technology, today announced its next generation mapping Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs) that provide a free service for web and mobile
developers who want to offer maps and local search under their own brand.
Many developers today use maps from Google, which constrain those developers
to Google's business model. deCarta's new APIs provide a comprehensive set of
mapping, routing and local search services that allow these developers to
leverage their own content, their brand and their business model.

As maps, location and local search become increasingly important
components of the mobile experience, it is critical that developers and
publishers who are concerned with customer retention, value chain control,
and possible competitive threats from the large search engine companies not
rely on those same competitors for services. deCarta's new APIs give them
this capability, offering a comprehensive set of services including several
new enhancements:

    - API services for free maps
    - Brand-friendly terms for logo placement
    - Flexibility to use third party ad networks
    - A new cross-platform HTML5 mapping API to leverage mobile browsers
    - Local search advertising- a unique revenue opportunity for North
      American developers

The new free service is designed to parallel the Google Maps service with
important differences. Unlike Google's service, developers may use deCarta's
APIs to put free maps in both paid applications as well as free applications.
In addition, deCarta's Premium API service will provide developers with more
generous page view transaction allowances than the competition's 'Premier'
service.

"deCarta's new APIs offer a highly customizable LBS solution for
developers," said Greg Sterling, principal Sterling Market Intelligence and
senior analyst Opus Research. "The packaging of search, local data, high
quality maps, navigation and even relevant local ads is comprehensive and
unique in the market."

Unlike other maps API providers who impose legal restrictions or
termination of service for removing or obscuring their logo, deCarta is a
white label solution that allows customers to place their own brand on the
map. The developer no longer has to share branding space with a potential
competitor.

Developers are free to use the ad network of their choice with the maps -
on the same page, or even in the maps themselves without restriction.

For developers who want to monetize their apps with relevant local
advertising and receive unlimited maps API transactions, deCarta will offer
an industry first option for integrated local search advertising content in
the form of sponsored business listing, monetized through clicks and calls.
Under this service plan, developers will receive 70 percent of the
advertising revenue. deCarta's launch partner for this service in North
America
is xAD. xAD brings together the largest network of local search and
business listings in North America, capturing more than one million national
brands and local businesses, to provide developers and publishers the largest
pool of local advertisements. These ads are location based, contextually
relevant and optimized to produce the highest revenue based on xAD's
proprietary local ad scoring technology.

deCarta has also launched a new HTML5 API that provides JavaScript
developers with a means to deploy mapping apps with the performance expected
of native applications across multiple mobile and desktop platforms. This can
save considerable development time and expense associated with developing
native applications for the various popular operating systems.

Additional enhancements to deCarta's iOS and Android APIs give developers
all the tools for mapping, geocoding, routing/directions, etc., in one
convenient and consistent set of APIs. Developers can build integrated local
search applications that allow the user to move from search results to a map
to directions without having to leave the original application resulting in
more elegant application design and better user engagement.

"There is a growing realization among developers and publishers that
'free' maps from Google actually come at the cost of the core elements of the
value chain: brand loyalty, customer retention and advertising revenues,"
said J. Kim Fennell, President and CEO of deCarta. "Our goal with these new
APIs is to offer our customers an alternative that allows them more
flexibility to pursue their own business objectives."

About deCarta

deCarta is the leading provider of white label LBS and Local Search
solutions for mobile network operators, handset OEMs, Local Media companies,
Ad Networks, and application developer/publishers. deCarta's technology
includes: brand-able applications, APIs, search engine, content indexing, and
core geospatial platform functionality that let customers completely control
the user experience of their location-based services. deCarta technology is
used in leading applications for mapping, navigation, local search, mobile
advertising, social networking, and enterprise. For more information on
deCarta, please visit www.decarta.com.

About xAD, Inc.

xAD connects local businesses to mobile consumers. xAD is the largest
local mobile search and advertising network in the United States. The
company's patented mobile optimization technology identifies who, what, and
where an end user is, and serves the most relevant click, call and check in
based advertising. xAD publishers and advertisers benefit from the scale and
reach of the LocalAdXchange(TM) platform that manages billions of search and
ad requests with the largest combined network of more than one million local
and national performance-based advertisers. For more information on xAD,
visit www.xAD.com.

Honcho PR, Amanda Slayton-Joslin, amanda at honchopr.com, +44-(0)-7774-601059

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