|
|
DMTI’s Street Intersection Data Model for Canadian FSA Boundaries
TORONTO, January 12, 2000 – Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc., Canada’s premier publisher
of precision built street map data, innovative geocoding technology, and geospatial data, is pleased to
announce the launch of the next generation of Forward Sortation Area (FSA) Boundaries.
Direct marketers and service industries increasingly use Forward Sortation Areas to target their
customers, prospects and retail site locations. By integrating their customers’ FSA and transaction data,
with DMTI’s FSA Boundaries, they can accurately pinpoint and analyze the best locations for their
retail presence, provide service coverage details, reposition sales territories, or carry out targeted
marketing campaigns.
Background on FSAs:
Forward Sortation Areas (FSAs) are polygons representing the boundaries that encompass
postal code points with the first three characters in common, designating a postal delivery
area. A postal code is comprised of an FSA LDU or in other words a Forward Sortation Area
and a Local Delivery Unit. For example, both postal codes V5L 2H2 and V5L 2H3 would be
found in the same FSA – "V5L".
The Next Generation of FSAs:
DMTI has developed the Street Intersection Data Model for FSAs to allow for more accurate
placement of FSA boundaries. Using CanMap Streetfiles as the base, DMTI painstakingly
re-created the FSA Boundaries to account for where street addresses would actually fall on a
map. When encountering a street intersection the boundaries intersect at approximately 45°
degree angles to account for houses on the other intersecting block that would belong to a
different FSA Boundary. Upon first glance these new boundaries may seem odd as they are
scalloped along the entire boarder instead of the standard straight line boundaries that one
may be used to in Traditional FSA Boundaries. Straight FSA Boundaries along the street
centerline such as those shown in Diagram 1 do not cover postal codes on both sides of the
street and they do not accurately account for houses or buildings that are near the
intersection of two or more streets.
You can see the difference that the new Street Intersection Data Model makes by comparing Diagrams
1 and 2.
Diagram 1 - Traditional representation of FSA Boundaries digitally with geocoded postal code points shown.
Diagram 2 - DMTI's New Street IntersectionData Model for FSA Boundaries with geocoded postal code points
shown.
Diagram 1 has the traditional street centreline boundaries and Diagram 2 is built on DMTI’s new Street
Intersection Data Model boundaries. In Diagram 1, you can see that some of the postal codes
represented by circles and squares are clearly contained within the wrong FSA boundary. Whereas in
Diagram 2 you can see that all of the appropriate postal codes are within the appropriate boundary.
This makes for more accurate geocoding of your customers to the map and ultimately more accurate
analysis or use of the map.
The DMTI Street Intersection Data Model has improved the geocoding hit rate for postal codes to
97.75%, an increase over the hit rate achieved by traditional FSA Boundaries which was 94.6%.
"DMTI’s commitment is to provide our customers with the most accurate data. The DMTI Street
Intersection Data Model is the next generation of Canadian Postal Code Boundaries." said John Fisher,
President and CEO of DMTI. "This new method of representing FSA Boundaries will allow our
customers to geocode more accurately to their maps."
The December 1999 FSA Boundary update builds on the DMTI November release of the updated
Enhanced Postal Code file. The DMTI December 1999 FSA Boundary file will include 33 NEW
FSAs, 1 in Alberta, 1 in Saskatchewan, 4 in Quebec and 27 in New Brunswick. Six retired FSAs, all
of which were in New Brunswick, have been excluded.
DMTI’s Forward Sortation Area (FSA) Boundary File is available Nationwide in unprojected latitude
and longitude with the NAD83 Datum.
DMTI has a Maintenance Program available for the FSA Boundary File which allows clients to
subscribe in 1, 2, or 3 year contracts. This convenient program allows clients to stay current with their
data, which lets them focus on their work, knowing that they’ll be using the most up-to-date geospatial
data. As a program member, clients will automatically receive all updates within 30 days of the release
date, allowing them to load the data immediately or whenever it fits into their project schedule.
Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc., (DMTI) is Canada’s premier publisher of precision built street
map data (CanMap®), and innovative geocoding software (GeoPinpoint™). In addition, DMTI
publishes a comprehensive portfolio of census data and boundaries, postal geography, topographic
maps, US maps and data, marketing databases and a wide range of GIS services.
Established in 1994, DMTI’s clients are represented from a wide range of industries including
telecommunications, utilities, high technology, banking, insurance, transportation, real estate, retail,
manufacturing, and government.
For further information please contact:
Max Hardinge
Marketing Manager
Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc.
Toll Free Phone (U.S. & Canada) 1-877-477-DMTI (3684) ext. 247
Phone (905) 477-0770 ext. 247
Fax (905) 477-6551
Email: mhardinge@desktopmapping.com
A White Paper entitled “Street Intersection Data Model for FSA Boundaries - The Next Generation of Postal Code Boundaries” is available for download in .pdf file format posted to the Information Centre of the DMTI web site at
www.desktopmapping.com/informationcentre
CanMap is a registered trademark of Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc. GeoPinpoint is a trademark of Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc.
www.desktopmapping.com
Return to News Page
|
Sponsored by:
For information
regarding
advertising rates
Click Here!
|
