Users of Mapscape are provided with the steps and the data to perform market planning and strategic development to make more well-informed real estate decisions. Mapscape can now provide the salient characteristics such as demographics for a retail property or a look at the potential workforce surrounding a commercial property.

"Mapscape enables a real estate executive to assess the character of the market he is looking at," says Robert Reading, executive vice president of Tactician. "It tells you what type of businesses are around the area, what the traffic is like, what is the educational level of the people in the area. When Toys R Us is looking for a location, these are the details they need to know."

The web-based technology of Mapscape, which has been on-line since last December, means that users do not have to download or install any software. The data is continually updated. Registered users can have access to some data free of charge while report packages start at $19 a location or at $250 per year.