Helsinki, August 14th, 2006

Virtual Ostrobotnia portal opens for beta testing

Virtual Ostrobotnia area portal with 3D map of city of Kalajoki opens for beta testing.
3D map user interface is based on Fontus new CityGuide3D tehnology. www.virtuaalipohjanmaa.fi (Link opens a new window).

Web2.0 user interface with AJAX

Fontus is developing its CityGuide3D technology in cooperation with Ostrobothnia Telephone PPO. Project is partly financed by Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland.
CityGuide3D uses modern AJAX technology that makes it possible to publish 3D city maps with local Point Of Interest (POI) information without any web browser plugins.

Current city portal version is beta 0.6. Version 1.0 should be finished by the end of 2006 and final opening of Virtual Ostrobotnia is to take place in early 2007.

Virtual Ostrobotnia as a 3D Wikipedia

Virtual citizens of Ostrobotnia are invited to take part in adding and editing local POI-data to Ostrobotnia 3D map. The goal is to make Virtual Ostrobotnia a living "Provincepedia".

Virtual Ostrobothnia and 3D map of Kalajoki

Province of Ostrobothnia is in Western Finland. During winter 2005-2006 Fontus built a 3D map of Kalajoki. 100 square kilometer model covers famous sand beaches of Kalajoki and the center of the small city of the same name. Pilot model was bult using map data by Finnish Land Survey.

There is a plan to build model of Kalajoki larger and start modelling city of Ylivieska later in 2006.
Ultimate goal is to model all of province of Ostrobothnia in coming years.

View from 3D model of Kalajoki beaches.

More information:

CEO Immo Teperi,
Tel. +358-44-2928775
Email immo.teperi@fontus.com
Fontus Oy, Pihkatie 4, FIN-00410 Helsinki

Managing director Pauli Korpi-Tassi
Tel: +358-8-4291 212
Email: Pauli.Korpi-Tassi@ppo.fi
Pohjanmaan PPO Oy, Ratakatu 1, FIN-84100 Ylivieska