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InfoMap was developed to compete in the Web Map Viewer market in New Zealand. Emtel, the creators of InfoMap, saw the need for a locally made solution that could provide direct support to New Zealand customers.
The idea for InfoMap originated at the 2016 ALGIM Conference in Auckland, where Emtel showcased a basic viewer called MapIT. While the product attracted interest, its functionality didn’t quite match up to other Web Map Viewers available in New Zealand at the time.
After rethinking the approach, we decided to rebrand MapIT as InfoMap. The development process took us down the path of using MapServer, with several phases of work spanning 3 to 4 years. Once we reached a comparable level of functionality with other Web Map Viewers, we aimed higher. However, we soon realized that MapServer wouldn’t take us to the next level we envisioned. At that point, InfoMap was at version 1.0.
Enter QGIS Server. We had tested QGIS Server in 2019, but it was still in its early stages and not as advanced as MapServer. By 2022, QGIS Server had made significant advancements and surpassed MapServer, becoming our preferred Map Engine.
We began transitioning our code from MapServer to QGIS Server, and within nine months, InfoMap v1.1 was ready for our first client, Wairoa District Council. Wairoa needed a public Web Map Viewer and selected InfoMap Public. Just six months later, we released v1.5, and Wairoa opted for InfoMap Pro for their internal Web Map Viewer. Otorohanga District Council also chose both InfoMap Pro and InfoMap Public.
Today, InfoMap is at version 1.9, with a major release in the works. We’ve surpassed other Web Map Viewers in functionality and are now focused on expanding even further. Stay tuned!
