Thinking Digital conference: Digital mapping

May 22 2008 By Andrew Mernin at The Sage Gateshead

THE next 20 years will see online mapping systems such as Google Maps completely replace their paper counterparts according to a leading digital entrepreneur.
 
In the afternoon session at today’s Thinking Digital conference Sean Phelan – an entrepreneur who sold his digital mapping company Multimap to Microsoft for £25m last year – unveiled the secrets of his success.
 
Mr Phelan set up Multimap in 1995 to become the first UK company to put maps on the web. His firm played a major role in the rapid growth of online mapping and online location-based services over the last decade.
 
According to the internet guru, advancements in technology will help screen-based mapping systems wipe out traditional paper-based maps.
 
He said: “I think we are 20 years into a 40-year transition from a world navigated with maps on paper to a world navigated with maps on screen."
 
Mr Phelan also said the next 10 years could see on-screen mapping systems become sources of advertising revenue through paid-for map icons.