Bell Labs points Web surfers to new destinations with Maps On Us, mapping resource on the Internet.

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 1997--

New Site, Lucent Technologies' First Web-Based Tools Resource,

Allows Users to Collaborate Simultaneously on Travel-Planning

World Wide Web site: http://www.MapsOnUs.com

Lucent Technologies today announced an advanced World Wide Web-based mapping site, Maps On Us(sm) (www.MapsOnUs.com), which integrates yellow pages, directions, and mapping features in an easy-to-navigate manner.

For the first time, Internet surfers can collaborate simultaneously on travel-planning over the Web, making Maps On Us ideal for business travelers and corporate travel planners. The site's tools and its platform, which the company is licensing to service providers (including Internet service providers and travel and hospitality Web sites) deliver unique capabilities.

Created by the Maps On Us team in the Database Systems Research Department of Bell Labs, Maps On Us allows users to plan routes and search for locations within the entire United States.

Features include full color detailed maps of any U.S. address; the ability to set and recall place markers, with latitude/longitude; establish route planning between two end- points with multiple intermediate points; view turn-by-turn directions; the choice of either fastest or shortest routes, and the choice of avoiding or favoring highways. Maps On Us can be easily customized for use by service providers to offer interactive mapping features on their Web sites. Users can search the Maps On Us yellow pages for listings by category, geographic location, or listing name. More than 11 million businesses nationwide are listed. Users can even save locations in a personalized "hot list" of addresses.

Maps On Us: Bell Labs Technology on the Web

Maps On Us, through proprietary algorithms, has minimized the large amount of data processing involved in searching a Yellow Pages database. The database uses a customized technology, known as a multi-dimensional spatial index, to match listings to their geographic locations. This allows Maps On Us users to a) get turn-by-turn directions to the new French restaurant in a nearby town; b) locate all of the antique stores within 20 miles of their homes, and c) print out a detailed map of their neighborhood, marking their home, to send to friends and neighbors for directions to their child's birthday party.

"Navigation Made Simple"

"The Internet provides users with vast stores of information, but not all of it can be customized. Maps On Us offers visitors the ability to store information on common locations, collaborate on routes with friends and business associates, and identify familiar destinations with great detail," said Narain Gehani, General Manager of Maps on Us. "Now, with Maps On Us, a single Web resource provides the kind of sophisticated tools that users truly need for finding locations of interest. Maps On Us is navigation made simple."

First Lucent Web Product Demonstration

Maps On Us is the first public Web-based product offered by Lucent. It will:

-- allow two users to "share" or view the same Universal Resource

Locator (URL) and make changes to the page

-- route turn-by-turn directions with multiple intermediate route

locations

-- provide sophisticated interactive mapping and routing functions

-- remember preferences and "Hot List" of favorite places to visit 

-- set a home, work, start and end marker to ease route planning

-- save and add map and route images to users' Web sites

-- set general, security, map, and route preferences

Lucent plans to sell advertising on Maps On Us. For more information on advertising rates and schedules, contact Laura Henry, Maps On Us Business Development Manager, at 908- 582-5264.

"The research and development community at Bell Labs embraces the Internet as a vehicle to offer compelling, useful technologies," said Arun Netravali, Vice President of Research at Bell Labs. "There are many ways to ensure that Bell Labs' world class technology gets to market quickly, and the Web is one of them. Maps On Us is the first of what we hope will be many full-scale Lucent product remonstration sites on the Web."

Maps On Us incorporates data from Etak, Inc. a leading provider of high-quality digital road maps and technologically advanced supporting software. EtakMap databases cover the continental United States and Hawaii with feature-rich databases that show single streets ranging from alleys to freeways. These databases also contain positionally enhanced addresses from business listings provided by Database America.

Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, consumer and business telephone systems and microelectronics components.

Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. It is a worldwide R&D community of nearly 24,000 people. About 20,000 of them work in Lucent's business units, developing products, systems and technologies that keep Lucent competitive in its markets. About 4,000 Bell Labs people work in central labs, pursuing research and developing advanced technologies on behalf of all the Lucent operating units.

Lucent Technologies was formed as a result of AT&T's restructuring and became a fully independent company - separate from AT&T - on September 30, 1996.

CONTACT: Chris Pfaff  Glynnis Woolridge

Bell Laboratories Bell Laboratories

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