I have to map territories onto a map from a database, and map Agents
homes onto the map as well.  I have Microsoft Mappoint 2002, but it
doesnt do a very good job of labeling the agents homes on the map (the
labels all overlap each other and become unreadable).

My questions is:  Mappoint asside, what software is available that
will enable me to map territories and individual addresses from
various databases and display them clearly on the same map.

Dear den2002,

Thanks for your question.  First, let me request that if any of the
following is unclear or if you require any further research – please
don’t hesitate to ask me for a clarification.

The leader in GIS – Geographic Information Systems – is ESRI.  They
are at –

www.esri.com

Scanning their product offerings, it seems like the best fit for your
requirements may be Arcview 8.x – you can get additional product
detail at –

http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcview/index.html

You can also download an evaluation from the site – or you can buy the
software.

I hope this response adequately addresses your request.  Please let me
know if you are in need of additional information concerning this
query.

Thanks,
ragingacademic-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by den2002-ga on 27 Dec 2002 05:59 PST

Thanks for the answer.  I've ordered the trial CD, and it looks like a
powerful package, but the 1500+ price tag may be a little rich for my
boss.  If you know of a cheaper product that may be able to do the
same thing then let me know, failing that, i'll go ahead and rate your
answer.

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Clarification of Answer by ragingacademic-ga on 27 Dec 2002 15:56 PST

den2002 -

Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it.

First off, ESRI has a more modest version - Arcview 3.3.  It retails
for $1,195, and you may be able to locate a copy for under $1000.

Google lists a large number of GIS software companies at -

http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Social_Sciences/Geography/Geographic_Information_Systems/Software/

Another product that is competitive with Arcview is MapInfo
Professional - MapInfo has a number of products in this category, you
may want to check them out -

http://dynamo.mapinfo.com/miproducts/index.cfm?ProductCategoryID=1

Finally, once you identify 2-3 products that fit your needs, you may
be able to pick up a used (licensed!!) copy on eBay for a lot less
than you would pay for new.

I hope this all helps.
Good luck,
ragingacademic

Fast, helpful answer.  Thanks very much.