DeLorme
Encyclopedia
DeLorme is a major vendor of business-to-business and consumer mapping and GPS products and technologies. It is based in Yarmouth
, Maine
, United States
.
DeLorme's products include Street Atlas USA, XMap, Topo USA and Earthmate GPS receivers (PN-20 and PN-40, BT-20, and LT-20). The company is also a data solutions provider to several major businesses and industries.
Its headquarters features Eartha
, the world's largest rotating globe
.
region of Maine
, vowed to create a better map of Maine.
DeLorme combined state highway, county, and town maps as well as federal surveys to produce The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer which was printed in a large format book with an initial printing of 10,000, which he marketed out of his car. The Gazetter, which listed bicycle trails, canoeing and kayaking trips, and museum and historic sites, proved quite successful.
During 1986 the company expanded to 75 employees working in a Quonset hut
in Freeport, Maine, and produced maps for New England
and upstate New York
.
In 1987, the company produced a compact disc
with detailed topographic map data of the entire world.
The early success resulted in contracts with government and private businesses.
During 1991, DeLorme began vending Street Atlas USA on a single CD-ROM, and it became the most popular street map CD in the United States, as well as one of the first mass consumer CD-ROM software products of any kind.
By 1995 DeLorme had 44 percent of the market share for CD maps, exceeding Rand McNally
with 25 percent, and Microsoft
with 17.5 percent. The same year the company partnered with the American Automobile Association
to the produce the AAA Map 'n Go, which was the first CD product to generate automatic routing. They also introduced the DeLorme GPS receiver to work with its maps.
During 1996, they introduced their maps into the PDA
environment via Palm
.
During 1997 the company relocated to a new corporate campus in Yarmouth, Maine, that features a giant model of the world, named Eartha
, the largest rotating globe in the world. The company has provided complimentary geographic educational sessions for thousands of school children over the years and the public is welcome to visit and see Eartha from the three-story balconies.
During 1999 DeLorme introduced 3-D TopoQuads DVD and CD products, which include digitialized U.S. topographic maps.
During 2001 it introduced an XMap professional GIS map program on CD. In 2002, an expanded XMap was modified to provide GPS functionality to Palm OS
and Pocket PC
.
During 2005, DeLorme became the first company to sell a USB GPS device, the Earthmate GPS LT-20, for less than $100. At the same time it began offering downloadable satellite and USGS 7.5-minute quads that could be overlaid on its maps using an innovative new NetLink feature.
During 2007, it introduced its first full-featured GPS standalone receiver—the Earthmate GPS PN-20. During 2008, the company continued expanding its handheld GPS line with the Earthmate GPS PN-40 model. DeLorme also began selling OEM GPS modules allowing other manufacturers to add GPS to their products. In addition, the company began selling data to businesses which desired alternative suppliers.
During 2009, they introduced the E-Z Nav Wizard, a feature that makes Streets Atlas 2010 interface intuitive to first time users, easy to use on small laptop computers (netbooks, UMPCs), and touch-screen friendly.
In early 2010, DeLorme announced a partnership with Spot Inc. This partnership will include the ability to text message almost anywhere in the world using the Globalstar
simplex network.
Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
DeLorme's products include Street Atlas USA, XMap, Topo USA and Earthmate GPS receivers (PN-20 and PN-40, BT-20, and LT-20). The company is also a data solutions provider to several major businesses and industries.
Its headquarters features Eartha
Eartha
Eartha, the world's largest rotating and revolving globe, is located within the headquarters of the DeLorme mapping corporation in Yarmouth, Maine. The globe weighs approximately 5,600 pounds , and has a diameter of over 41 feet . This gives it a scale of 1:1,000,000, on which one inch represents...
, the world's largest rotating globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
.
History
The company was founded during 1976 by David DeLorme, who, being frustrated over obsolete backcountry maps of the Moosehead LakeMoosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, the lake is the source of the Kennebec River. Towns that border the lake include Greenville to the south and...
region of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, vowed to create a better map of Maine.
DeLorme combined state highway, county, and town maps as well as federal surveys to produce The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer which was printed in a large format book with an initial printing of 10,000, which he marketed out of his car. The Gazetter, which listed bicycle trails, canoeing and kayaking trips, and museum and historic sites, proved quite successful.
During 1986 the company expanded to 75 employees working in a Quonset hut
Quonset hut
A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semicircular cross section. The design was based on the Nissen hut developed by the British during World War I...
in Freeport, Maine, and produced maps for New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1987, the company produced a compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
with detailed topographic map data of the entire world.
The early success resulted in contracts with government and private businesses.
During 1991, DeLorme began vending Street Atlas USA on a single CD-ROM, and it became the most popular street map CD in the United States, as well as one of the first mass consumer CD-ROM software products of any kind.
By 1995 DeLorme had 44 percent of the market share for CD maps, exceeding Rand McNally
Rand McNally
Rand McNally is an American publisher of maps, atlases, textbooks, and globes for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data...
with 25 percent, and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
with 17.5 percent. The same year the company partnered with the American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
to the produce the AAA Map 'n Go, which was the first CD product to generate automatic routing. They also introduced the DeLorme GPS receiver to work with its maps.
During 1996, they introduced their maps into the PDA
PDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
environment via Palm
Palm (PDA)
Palm handhelds were Personal Digital Assistants which ran the Palm OS. Palm devices have evolved from handhelds to smartphones which run Palm OS, WebOS, and Windows Mobile...
.
During 1997 the company relocated to a new corporate campus in Yarmouth, Maine, that features a giant model of the world, named Eartha
Eartha
Eartha, the world's largest rotating and revolving globe, is located within the headquarters of the DeLorme mapping corporation in Yarmouth, Maine. The globe weighs approximately 5,600 pounds , and has a diameter of over 41 feet . This gives it a scale of 1:1,000,000, on which one inch represents...
, the largest rotating globe in the world. The company has provided complimentary geographic educational sessions for thousands of school children over the years and the public is welcome to visit and see Eartha from the three-story balconies.
During 1999 DeLorme introduced 3-D TopoQuads DVD and CD products, which include digitialized U.S. topographic maps.
During 2001 it introduced an XMap professional GIS map program on CD. In 2002, an expanded XMap was modified to provide GPS functionality to Palm OS
Palm OS
Palm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management...
and Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
.
During 2005, DeLorme became the first company to sell a USB GPS device, the Earthmate GPS LT-20, for less than $100. At the same time it began offering downloadable satellite and USGS 7.5-minute quads that could be overlaid on its maps using an innovative new NetLink feature.
During 2007, it introduced its first full-featured GPS standalone receiver—the Earthmate GPS PN-20. During 2008, the company continued expanding its handheld GPS line with the Earthmate GPS PN-40 model. DeLorme also began selling OEM GPS modules allowing other manufacturers to add GPS to their products. In addition, the company began selling data to businesses which desired alternative suppliers.
During 2009, they introduced the E-Z Nav Wizard, a feature that makes Streets Atlas 2010 interface intuitive to first time users, easy to use on small laptop computers (netbooks, UMPCs), and touch-screen friendly.
In early 2010, DeLorme announced a partnership with Spot Inc. This partnership will include the ability to text message almost anywhere in the world using the Globalstar
Globalstar
Globalstar is a low Earth orbit satellite constellation for satellite phone and low-speed data communications, somewhat similar to the Iridium satellite constellation and Orbcomm satellite systems.-History:...
simplex network.
External links
- Company Website
- DeLorme Street Atlas 2008 review - a review by Laptop GPS World