|
|
Overview
The Local Impact Map is easy to use and deploy. Simply sign in to the cloud-based Content Management System (CMS) by using a Windows Live ID, add your stories, and publish. The map is a Microsoft Silverlight application, so you can add it to your own webpages by using simple object embed code.
Key Features & Technologies
Show your organization’s impact around the world or in local communities. Tell your stories with rich photos and videos, mapped anywhere in the world.
The Local Impact Map enables you to:
- Geo-locate stories by using the power of Bing Maps.
- Deploy by adding simple embed object code to an existing webpage—no development needed.
- Create custom tours and easily share them for marketing or sales purposes.
- Use Microsoft Tag to view stories on mobile devices.
The Local Impact Map provides:
- A powerful backend story management system that uses Windows Azure, SQL Azure, and DataMarket.
- A simple yet robust CMS that uses Windows Live ID to enable submissions from both internal and external partners.
- A scalable user interface that enables you to share thousands of stories through one rich application.
- Discoverability through touch-enabled and surface monitors.
The Local Impact Map uses:
- Microsoft Silverlight as the basis of the rich-media web application.
- Bing Map APIs to provide a rich, immersive map experience.
- Windows Azure and SQL Azure database architecture for the cloud-based content management system.
- Microsoft Tag to enable the use of mobile devices to view stories.
Rich Interactive Media
Showcase your priorities and organize stories based on region or topic with Featured Stories
Use heat maps to provide a visual representation of company data and statistics
Share stories on mobile devices by using Microsoft Tag
Customize Your Map
Add a custom logo, links, and colors through the Local Impact Map tool.
Local Impact Map : FAQ
Expand All
Collapse All
Q. What is the Local Impact Map?
The Local Impact Map is a compelling marketing tool that enables you to showcase the impact your organization is making nationally or globally. This rich-media web application based on Microsoft Silverlight lets you dynamically highlight stories about your organization or project and show them by location on a global map. Map viewers can explore the map and learn about what your organization is doing around the world. A story can include text, pictures, videos, links, and other file attachments, such as documents.
The Local Impact Map can be integrated into your website, retaining its rich web 2.0 features while taking on the visual identity of your organization’s site.
Q. How is the Local Impact Map updated?
The Local Impact Map is updated through the Local Impact Map Publishing tool, a Content Management System (CMS) which is based on Windows Azure and uses SQL Azure. The tool is accessible online over the web, making it easy to support and update information that is displayed on the map even when contributors are spread around the world. Users with permissions for the tool can add, update, and delete stories as defined by their user role.
As a unified platform, the Local Impact Map Publishing tool enables you to control story data and publishing from one place. The map can be updated at any time through the tool, and updates are published almost immediately.
Because the Local Impact Map Publishing tool is based on Windows Azure, it has all the benefits of cloud-based solutions. All resource management for the application is handled in the cloud, so you don’t need to be concerned with supporting servers, storage, operating systems, or databases.
Q. How can I begin using the Local Impact Map?
The Local Impact Map and the Local Impact Map Publishing tool are available as a subscription through the Windows Azure Marketplace.
When you subscribe, you will be asked to complete a subscription request. As part of the process, you will need to designate an account owner for the new instance of the content management system (CMS). This account owner will be the site administrator for your map and will designate others who can access the Local Impact Map Publishing tool for your organization. No one can access your data unless the site administrator provides permissions.
The site administrator will receive notices regarding downtime and outages and will also have access to notifications on the admin welcome page of the Local Impact Map Publishing tool. Your use of the Local Impact Map Publishing tool can be suspended if the account owner/site administrator unsubscribes or if the Azure account is not paid.
After you sign in to the Local Impact Map Publishing tool, you will have access to downloadable training materials to help you get started.
Q. What is the Windows Azure Marketplace?
The Windows Azure Marketplace is a global online market for software as a service applications and premium datasets. Through the Marketplace, you can subscribe to a range of premium datasets within your applications, or you can monetize and distribute your own datasets. When you list your Windows Azure-based applications in the Windows Azure Marketplace, you can commerce-enable and sell your applications internationally.
To access the Windows Azure Marketplace, go Windows Azure Marketplace and sign in by using your Windows Live ID. The Marketplace allows you to create and manage your account, find, preview, and subscribe to datasets, and more.
Q. How much does it cost to use the Local Impact Map?
The Local Impact Map is available as an application through the Windows Azure Marketplace on a subscription basis. There is no cost for the application, but there is a $15 monthly fee for the Windows Azure Marketplace subscription which pays for the Azure platform (storage, compute time, etc.). Billing for Windows Azure Marketplace subscriptions is only through pre-paid monthly debit or credit card, no annual or invoiced billing is available.
Learn more about subscribing and using paid offers
Q. How do I render the Local Impact Map?
Through the Local Impact Map Publishing tool, you can generate HTML code that you can use to embed the Local Impact Map in an existing website. The code will call the map, enabling you to render the map on your webpage inside your customized chrome. Because the code is HTML, there are no compatibility issues across websites.
When you generate the code, you can specify a region that you want the map to show when it is opened from your website. The default region is “The World,” which loads a full world view map.
Q. What are the basic development requirements for the Local Impact Map?
After you sign in to the Local Impact Map Publishing tool, you can generate code that you can use to embed the map on your webpages. This embed code should be used on a webserver that can host an HTML file and that has access to the Internet.
The code is designed to provide a way for you to host the map as its own page on your website. If you want to host the map within an existing webpage as a smaller map, you will need to take into account the minimum map width of 1010 pixels. You may need to increase the width on your site to fit the map. There is no minimum height for the map, but we recommend 530 pixels for best map display.
The Local Impact Map is a web application based on Microsoft Silverlight. Custom content management systems (CMS) such as Drupal may have restrictions on embedding Silverlight files. However, any requirements or restrictions are specific to the system. If you have trouble with restrictions, you can load the map in an Iframe tag; however, you will lose the bookmarking and snapshot functionality.
For more information on Silverlight development requirements, review the Microsoft Silverlight Installation Experience White Paper and Sample Code.
Q. How can my organization share stories that are part of the Local Impact Map?
You can easily share stories that are showcased on the Local Impact Map. Each story has an individual URL that can be shared with anyone, as you would share any webpage.
You can also take a “snapshot” of a portfolio of up to 20 stories that you want to keep together. These stories can be saved as a group with a single URL, and the URL can be shared with others. To save a snapshot of stories in the Local Impact Map, open a story and click the camera icon in the upper right corner. Add the stories that you want to group on your snapshot, and then click Save. The map will generate a URL for you to copy and share.
The Local Impact Map also enables you to view stories on mobile devices. Each story has a tag that can be scanned with a tag reader to display the story on a phone or other mobile device. To see the tag, view a story on your computer, and then click View on Mobile. This will display the tag that you can scan with your tag reader.
Learn more about Microsoft Tag
Q. How do I control access to the Local Impact Map Publishing tool?
The Local Impact Map Publishing tool uses Windows Live ID to authenticate users who want to access the tool. Windows Live ID is a multi-site authentication service that enables you to sign in to multiple websites and services and to conduct e-commerce transactions.
If you don’t already have a Windows Live ID, you can get one by signing up for a free MSN Hotmail account. You can also use an existing email address from any email provider to create your credentials for Windows Live ID. These credentials enable you to sign in to any Windows Live ID site.
Before a user can access the Local Impact Map Publishing tool, a site administrator must register the users in tool by adding that user’s Windows Live ID to the system and assigning the user a role. The user can then sign in to the tool online by providing the Windows Live ID sign-in information on the main Local Impact Map Publishing tool website.
Q. What are the different roles and permissions available in the Local Impact Map Publishing tool?
The following table shows the available roles and the permissions for each role in the Local Impact Map Publishing tool.
| Task |
Content Administrator |
Content Author |
Editorial Reviewer |
Site Administrator |
| Stories: Create/Manage |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Regions |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Programs |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Categories |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Statistics |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Sources |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Facts |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Import/Export |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Publish Site |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Users |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Embed Map |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Customize Site |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Admin Tool |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Feedback |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Q. What is the story workflow?
The story workflow in the Local Impact Map Publishing tool enables you to manage the process of publishing stories through the tool. Each user is able to do different tasks based on his or her role and permissions, enabling different users to submit, review, and publish the stories for your map. A story starts out with the status of Draft, then moves through several status levels as it gets reviewed, approved, and published.
In general, a story will follow this workflow for publication:
When a story is first written, it has a status of Draft. Content authors can edit their stories when they are in the Draft status. After the story is completed, a Content author sets the story status to Submitted; after the story is submitted, the author cannot modify it.
When the story has a status of Submitted, it goes to a reviewer to be approved or rejected. There is no email notification for stories, so reviewers must sign in to the Local Impact Map Publishing tool and filter the story list by status to find recently submitted stories. Reviewers can then review the submitted stories to ensure that they are correct and appropriate for publication. Stories that are ready for publication can be set to Approved Editorial status. A reviewer can also reject a story that is does not meet the publishing criteria.
When a site administrator publishes the map, all stories that have the status Approved Editorial are published. At this point, the system changes the status of these stories to Published. If a story is no longer relevant, the status can be changed to Archived, and it will be removed from the map the next time the map is published.
Q. How does the mapping work?
The Local Impact Map uses Bing Maps for geocoding. Bing Maps provides a world map that users can directly manipulate by panning and zooming to find locations throughout the world.
The Local Impact Map Publishing tool enables you to select locations by using the map itself, either through keyboard controls or by typing an address or place to find a location. If Bing Maps can find an address, place, location, or city, it will render a geo-location for it. Bing Maps provides different levels of geographic coverage for every country/region in the world.
Q. In which countries is Windows Azure commercially available?
Windows Azure is commercially available in the following 41 countries/regions: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong S.A.R., Hungary, Israel, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, and Trinidad and Tobago.
|
