MapInfo Renamed

Pitney Bowes, the parent company that acquired GIS software maker MapInfo has announced that MapInfo will be merged under the Pitney Bowes name and will be renamed Pitney Bowes Software.  This change has been met with groans and disappointment in the GIS world.  Joe Francica editorialized on the All Points Blog about the name change, stating “It’s a marketing blunder only a billion dollar company could make.”  James Fee chimed in on his blog, saying “Why anyone would dump one of the most recognized names in GIS for a company that at least for me has more to do with postage meters and fax machines seems idiotic.“