INFORMATION minister Daryl Vaz says that iMap Jamaica, the Internet application that gives information on every single registered parcel of land in Jamaica, will help to transform business on the island.

iMap service is provided by the National Land Agency in partnership with Global Insurance Company. The service is targeted at the insurance industry, land surveyors, realtors, land developers and spatial data professionals.

"Geographical Information System (GIS) technology is and will continue to undoubtedly transform how businesses operate. It allows for certain information to be more accessible and hence allows the response time to be quicker. Organisations are better able to respond to market dynamics. This ultimately results in more profitable and affordable services and improved customer service," said Vaz at the iMap launch today.

He said that the technology will allow businesses to access information more quickly and conveniently.

Similar to Google Earth, the application gives a visual location of each parcel of land on the island once its property address and valuation number or title reference is known or its geographic coordinates. The added value of the application is that it provides information about the parcel of land, such as the size, owner, occupier, unimproved value, and in the near future, will carry its tax status.

Also speaking at the launch, Managing Director of Globe Insurance, Evan Thwaites, praised the high level of professionalism of NLA staff for the quality of their data collection which had enabled a smooth launch.