Maptech Navigation, another good home found

Many_Maptechs

Above is the new home page at Maptech.com, and while it represents the end of the old Maptech, it sure doesn’t mark the end of the Maptech name. In fact, the blue “Marine Software” tab takes you to a new company called Maptech Navigation. It’s the creation of Peter Martin, who’s worked for Maptech, Chartkit, and as a professional mariner. Martin bought the rights to develop and market Maptech’s digital charts and software packages (except for The Capn, which found its own good home). Martin says his plan is basically “business as usual”…



That is, Maptech Navigation will update and distribute all the U.S. and foreign electronic charts and charting bundles currently available. He’s also working on an updated Chart Navigator Pro package, hopefully using Rosepoint’s Coastal Explorer 2009 (supposedly releasing at the Fort Lauderdale show). And he further notes that he’ll be working closely with Lee Estes of Richardson’s Publications, the company that bought Maptech’s “Marine Books & Charts” paper business (the red tab above), which included the actual Maptech.com Web address. Martin and Estes went to Massachusetts Maritime together, and you’ll find them within shouting distance at the Annapolis Sail and Power shows, each introducing their respective slices of the Maptech brand.
   Meanwhile, Maptech’s topographic business (the green tab) went to MyTopo, which apparently will keep developing Maptech Terrain Navigator (good software, I think). Plus it looks like Faria, owner of Maptech’s touch screen software (also good), is continuing to use the “Powered by” logo. And for years www.Maptech-Marine.com has been the home of a U.K. company that distributes Maptech, Memory-Map (yes, also good), and related products in Europe. So there will be many Maptechs! It’s going to be a little confusing, but it seems that no Maptech division disappeared (Captn Jack’s excepted) and most are under new, more focused management.  

Ben Ellison

Ben Ellison

Panbo editor, publisher & chief bottlewasher from 4/2005 until 8/2018, and now pleased to have Ben Stein as a very able publisher, webmaster, and editing colleague. Please don't regard him as an "expert"; he's getting quite old and thinks that "fadiddling fumble-putz" is a more accurate description.

3 Responses

  1. GPSNavX says:

    This is great news for GPSNavX and MacENC users alike. The international charts on DVD are a great deal.

  2. Ryan says:

    Except for all of us SeaRay Navigator owners who no longer have support, or software fixes / updates.

  3. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Good point, Ryan, but have you checked with Sea Ray? They seem very careful about the gear they put in their boats, and may have negotiated some sort of guaranteed customer service from Maptech?

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