The Delaware Prosperity Partnership recently released an online portal, called Zoom Prospector, designed to help companies find information about developments available in Delaware.

The site is powered by a geographic information system (GIS) technology and incorporates multiple layers of data, including demographic, site and building specifications and labor and business resources.

"We make it easy for anyone to access key data businesses need to make a decision "“ everything from demographic data, to utilities, to internet options and other key infrastructure "“ then we worked to put it in a very intuitive, user-friendly format," said Becky Harrington, director of business development at DPP . "This will give us a valuable edge because we know that more and more businesses are doing much more of their preliminary exploration online."

DPP notes that 97 percent of site selection research happens online. The new tool offers a new and localized tool for researching office space, industrial space, flexible space and other sites for sale or lease. Other key data sets include available transportation options, utilities and business development incentives.

Zoom Prospector also allows for comparisons within the state and with locations outside of Delaware.

"When employers have ready access to the data and can see Delaware's value proposition, it will make the business of deciding to locate here a lot easier," Harrington said. "The way this data can be combined, compared and contrasted, is flashing a well-deserved spotlight on Delaware."