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GISWeekly examines select top news each week, picks out worthwhile reading from around the web, and special interest items you might not find elsewhere. This issue will feature Industry News, Top News of the Week, Acquisitions, Agreements, Alliances, Announcements, Awards, People, New Products, Around the Web and Events Calendar.

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Industry News
Online Mapping Sites Extend the Reach of Geospatial Data
By Susan Smith

As the world turns, satellites maintain their fixed orbits to image a wide swath of the earth’s surface, then displayed by online mapping sites or geographic search engines. Productivity tools for mission-critical defense applications rely on enterprise data search capability linked to customized geospatial views provided by those same geographic search engines. Users of ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Server now have the opportunity to connect directly to Microsoft Virtual Earth and thereby gain fast access to that site’s content for their geospatial projects in order to perform spatial analysis.

Recent announcements highlight ways these online mapping sites provide dynamic base map data on which to layer geospatial data for real time analysis and visualization. Also announced, new high resolution satellite imagery from GeoEye-1 is being delivered to Google Earth.

An announcement this week which extends the reach of geospatial data was made by NCI, Inc., provider of IT technology and services to U.S. Federal government agencies. The firm has been awarded an extension to its task order for the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to develop cutting-edge search and geospatial visualization capability for the Joint Information Operations Warfare Command (JIOWC) at Lackland, AFB, TX. This task order award is shared under the U.S. Air Force Network-Centric (NETCENTS) solutions contract with partners Google and Next Tier (NT) Concepts.

The job of the NCI team will be to link and create searchable web applications and web-based portals with information from external databases and other enterprise data sources. Google Earth Enterprise and Google Enterprise Search are used by these applications to integrate a customer enterprise data search capability linked to customized geospatial views and visualization for critical customer information. NCI essentially incorporates both Google Enterprise Search and Google Earth Enterprise technologies into a single productivity tool that can be integrated with Department of Defense mission-focused applications. This combination of behind-the-firewall enterprise data search and geospatial display from an online mapping site ramps up critical real-time information analysis and visualization. NT Concepts is a technology services firm that offers custom application development, geospatial information systems, and tailored eLearning solutions.

Although ESRI offers its own ArcGlobe, Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth have extended GIS farther than the ESRI product perimeter.

A new agreement gives ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Server users the chance to be able to connect directly to Microsoft Virtual Earth and gain fast access to that site’s content for their geospatial projects. The agreement gives ArcGIS Desktop users who are current on maintenance and have an Internet connection access to Virtual Earth access to mapping content including aerial imagery, roads, and hybrid (aerial with labels) imagery. They will also have to opportunity to perform spatial analysis on this dynamic data.

Dynamic base maps will appear as another data layer in a GIS, onto which users can overlay their other operational data. The data can then be shared online with other users in the company.

ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Web SDKs allow users to build web applications that support geospatial services, and enable them to provide clients with access to Virtual Earth content from their applications, using APIs for JavaScript, Flex, and Microsoft Silverlight. The integration of Virtual Earth across all ArcGIS products gives users of spatial analysis software access to up-to-date geographic data. Plus, Virtual Earth geocoding and place-finding functionality are available to ArcGIS Server users.

ArcGIS users can preview Virtual Earth street maps, imagery, and hybrid map layers at ArcGIS Online Services website.

[ Click to Enlarge ] Cairo, Egypt imaged by GeoEye-1

In a recent announcement, GeoEye, Inc. reported that it has begun delivering its high-resolution, color satellite imagery from its newest GeoEye-1 satellite to Google. The images were all taken within the last 60 days and include images of the Pyramids of Giza, Mount Fuji, Sydney Australia, and many other recognizable locations. Examples of imagery can be seen at this website.

According to press materials, the images were all taken from 423 miles in space as GeoEye-1 moved around the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour, encompassing a 15.2 kilometer swath. The 4,300-pound GeoEye-1 satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2008.

Most of the imagery collected by GeoEye-1 has been contracted by the National Spatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) and is available in the company’s public archive. Primarily, GeoEye meets their demands for billions of square kilometers of imagery every month.

A new dynamic search and discovery tool on the website, GeoFUSE, allows customers to purchase imagery from the archive, which includes all imagery collected since the first IKONOS satellite was launched in 1999.

Unlike competing DigitalGlobe who has a partnership with both Google Earth and Microsoft, GeoEye maintains an exclusive relationship with Google so they cannot sell GeoEye-1 imagery to other online mapping sites. This agreement gives Google the right to display GeoEye-1 imagery on their site.

Mark Brender, GeoEye’s vice president for communications and marketing, said that Google has “special areas of interest” that GeoEye will make an effort to address.

Expanding Markets

Current markets for geospatial data continue to be oil and gas, mapping, defense and intelligence, and environmental monitoring. Brender suggests that infrastructure could be an interesting new market for satellite imagery, driven by the $787 billion Stimulus Plan. According to MAPPS, $73 billion of that figure will be used in some type of geospatial context.

Brender said that the mapping search engines have created awareness of geospatial technology that the industry could not have created on its own. Although in the case of GeoEye-1, new markets will not appear because ground resolution goes from .8 to .50, but providing enhanced data adds to an overall in capabilities which will extend the reach of the technology.

Overall, concluded Brender, “It’s the magic of increased bandwidth, satellite imagery, and the mapping search engines finally bringing satellite imagery down to earth and the capabilities of the satellites themselves that intertwine to create a new awareness and open up new imagery uses.”

Top News of the Week

eSpatial announced the world’s first full-function Web GIS as a software as a service (SaaS) at CTIA Wireless Conference, April 1-3 at the Ireland Pavilion, Central Hall, C3 Booth #6310.

With eSpatial’s Web GIS as SaaS, Telcos can integrate geographic and related business data from a variety of sources and present it in a controlled manner over the web. Departments can migrate core aspects of planning and engineering and other key workflows to a single shared environment and therefore increase efficiency in network rollout processes for design, planning, optimization and maintenance.

ERDAS Inc. announced the release of ERDAS Software 2009, Version 9.3.2, featuring the complete portfolio of Geospatial Business Systems for authoring, managing, connecting and delivering information. This includes new releases of ERDAS IMAGINE, LPS, ERDAS ER Mapper, ERDAS Extensions for ArcGIS, ERDAS APOLLO and ERDAS Image Web Server.

SeaZone’s GeoTemporal software allows easy import, processing and presentation of marine data from multiple sources. It then creates standard formatted data so that the information can be used in different Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Previously only highly end specialist software programs had existed and offered limited data interchange capability.

Acquisitions, Agreements, Alliances

ESRI (UK) has acquired Digital Worlds International (DWI) Ltd, a leader in the development and delivery of GIS as a teaching tool for UK schools.

The deal will enable ESRI (UK) to increase its existing work within the education sector and further support the teaching of Geography and other school subjects using its GIS technology. DWI will benefit from the depth of ESRI (UK)’s resources to develop and support products and applications for schools.

VUEWorks, Inc. announced that Alsea Geospatial, Inc. (AGI) of Corvallis, Oregon, has joined its channel partner program. AGI will provide sales, implementation, and web hosting services for the VUEWorks GIS-integrated work order and asset management solutions in the Pacific Northwest.

NAVTEQ announced from the Geographic Information Systems for Transportation conference that it has been awarded a contract by the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC). The contract calls for NAVTEQ to provide ongoing maintenance of CSCIC's geographic information system (GIS) spatial street address databases while giving CSCIC and all other New York State agencies access to the NAVTEQ(R) map database and comprehensive Point Address data.

geoXMF LLC and GIS Solutions, Inc. announced the signing of a strategic value-added reseller agreement. This agreement allows GIS Solutions customers to buy geoXMF products directly from GIS Solutions. In the agreement, the partnership allows geoXMF to broaden its reach into the federal, state and local GIS markets where GIS Solutions services and products are well known.

ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the workforce management business from Manchitra Services Private Limited.

Announcements

During its Annual Meeting on April 1, 2009, the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) welcomed new Board members, elected new officers, and recognized the contributions of those who had completed their leadership terms.

Each of GISCI’s four member organizations appointed a new representative to serve on the Board of Directors:

• Association of American Geographers (AAG)
  Matthew Koeppe, Association of American Geographers
• National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC)
  Michael Vanhook, State of Alabama Geospatial Office
• University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
  Rakesh Malhotra, North Carolina Central University
• Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)
  Kim McDonough, GISP, Tennessee Department of Transportation

New officers were also elected by the Board to lead GISCI for the next year:

• President – Ed Arabas, GISP, State of Oregon Dept of Administrative Services
• Vice President – Bruce Joffe, GISP, GIS Consultants
• Secretary – Michael Vanhook, State of Alabama Geospatial Office
• Treasurer – Kim McDonough, GISP, Tennessee Department of Transportation

Governments looking to stretch fleet-related resources and increase productivity should plan to participate in a webinar hosted by ESRI and NAVTEQ on ArcLogistics software and NAVTEQ map data. The online seminar takes place April 8, 2009, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CDT).

The Efficient Government Fleets: Optimize Routing with ArcLogistics and NAVTEQ webinar is the first of a series hosted by ESRI and NAVTEQ. To register, visit the ESRI NAVTEQ website.

The deadline to participate in URISA’s Student Paper Competition is rapidly approaching (May 1, 2009). The competition is open to all eligible students but particularly those interested in careers using GIS, information technology, geospatial technology, planning and/or community development.

Only papers meeting the evaluation criteria will be considered. Further information regarding eligibility, submission criteria, prizes, and policies are available on the URISA website.

The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) 2009 Annual Conference held March 9-13 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland marked the 75th anniversary of the Society with over 1500 attendees at the many and varied conference activities.

People

Intelligent Addressing (IA) has appointed Roger Wong-Moon as an Associate Director of the company’s operational board of management. The appointment is in response to greater demand for IA consultancy services in the wake of continued and widespread adoption of the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer) as a central source of addresses for UK national projects such as FiReControl and CORE (Co-ordinated On-line Record of Electors).

Maponics LLC, a provider of highly-local geographic data, announced the promotion of two senior executives. Mark Friend has been named vice president of sales and marketing and will oversee the expansion of US and international spatial database licensing and partnerships. A key focus will be continuing to develop the Maponics reseller network, a group recently broadened to include MapInfo, Infusion and AWhere.

Steve Zuckerman, who joined Maponics in 2003, has been named vice president of technical operations. In this role, Zuckerman will continue to lead the design, production, delivery and maintenance of all Maponics spatial datasets.

Darrin Clement, founder and CEO of Maponics, will continue to set the strategic direction of Maponics and lead the corporate development initiatives focused on acquiring companies and data assets.

Avineon announced that Linda B. Hall has been appointed as Business Development Executive for Defense and Homeland Security. Hall brings to her position more than 30 years of technology sales and marketing experience to generate new business and maintain customer relationships within Avineon's Federal Systems division.

Awards

Autodesk and Citrix Systems, Inc. announced they were awarded the 2009 Emerging Alliance Excellence Award by the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP). The Emerging Alliance Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate best practices between companies that have achieved success in alliance efforts in setting milestones and goals. ASAP recognized the depth of the partnership between Autodesk and Citrix in relation to a pilot program involving Autodesk's AutoCAD(R) Map 3D software and Citrix XenApp(TM) software across a variety of criteria, including product development, quality, services, support, and sales.

Applications for the URISA ESIG Award must be submitted by May 11, 2009. Winners in each category will be recognized at URISA's 47th Annual Conference, September 29-October 2, 2009 in Anaheim, California.

For more information or to review the winning submissions for the 2008 ESIG Awards, visit URISA ESIG application website or call (847) 824-6300.

Nominations for URISA’s GIS Hall of Fame must be submitted by May 1, 2009. The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors the best in GIS. Started in 2005, the URISA Hall of Fame documents the contributions made by key individuals. URISA welcomes nominations from any profession and is not restricted to those having a past or current relationship with URISA. This award is not given every year, and some years there may be multiple recipients.

Nominations must be submitted to URISA by May 1. For details go to URISA Hall of Fame

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. announced that the company's next generation Short Message Service Center (SMSC) is ready to support carriers' upcoming migrations to 4G networks including Long Term Evolution (LTE). As operators roll out 4G access networks, the TCS SMSC will make sure that their growing volume of text messages will be delivered with the same reliability as before, regardless of where the subscribers' mobile devices are registered

By tracking the number of hits to its website after an earthquake, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), based in Arpajon, France, can accurately measure the impact of the event, in near real time. EMSC is using Digital Element's IP Intelligence technology to accurately detect the areas affected by an earthquake based on the geographic location of each site visitor.

A number of seismological centers have websites that collect real-time earthquake information, but EMSC has developed an original system to organize the data into "felt maps" that determine where earthquakes are felt, regardless of their magnitude. While traditional seismological procedures can take up to several hours to register the impact of an earthquake, felt maps can provide in-situation information on the impact of an occurrence in less than 10 minutes.

New Products

ArcPad 8, ESRI's latest mobile geographic information system (GIS) software for field mapping and data collection is now available. ArcPad 8 has new usability and performance enhancements to increase productivity and help users manage their GIS projects more efficiently.

This major release includes the ability to synchronize edits with ArcGIS Server. Any device that can connect to the Internet (e.g., cradle, USB, Wi-Fi, or phone connection) can synchronize ArcPad edits directly with the enterprise geodatabase via ArcGIS Server. Field staff can now share data faster and save time by no longer needing to return to the office to update their GIS database.

Caliper Corporation announced the latest Congressional District boundaries for the entire United States ($495). Caliper released the nationwide boundaries for the 111th (2008-2010) Congressional Districts for use with Maptitude mapping software. For each District this dataset includes accurate and up-to-date boundaries, and politician name, party, address, phone number, website, district code, and detailed Census demographic data.

Spatial Insights, Inc. announced the release of Freeway 2009 and Freeway 2009 Premium from Applied Spatial Technology, Inc. The standard US and Canadian versions have been enhanced with the most up-to-date street networks from TIGER 2008 and 2008 Statistics Canada while the premium versions have incorporated NAVTEQ streets.

Telvent announced the availability of ArcFM 9.3 Rev2, the newest version of the ArcFM Solution. Telvent’s latest ArcFM Geographic Information System (GIS) release provides numerous product enhancements, tool additions, and expanded functionalities for electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities.

Leica Geosystems announced the Leica RCD100, the first completely integrated medium-format mapping camera on the market. The Leica RCD100 is a highly productive, yet affordable, mapping solution for those who want to convert from analog to digital airborne imaging and for those who want productivity and efficiency for smaller to medium-sized photogrammetric mapping and orthophoto projects.

Congressional Quarterly Inc., the nation's premier provider of news, analysis and information on Congress, politics and public policy, announced the launch of a new interactive map that shows the results of the 2008 presidential election by congressional district. The exclusive map and analysis can be found on CQ Politics on the website.

Osmose Utilities Services announced a new solution for electric utilities seeking to improve distribution network reliability. Osmose has formed an alliance with Exacter, Inc. that enhances both companies’ ability to help customers eliminate or reduce outages and meet their reliability targets. The alliance combines Osmose’s nationwide team of professional-grade technicians and project managers with Exacter’s proprietary predictive-maintenance technology.

SimActive Inc., a developer of software solutions for the generation of geospatial data, is pleased to announce the release of Version 2.0 for Correlator3D. The software now supports Leica ADS40 data and features significant improvements, including a new architecture leading to enhanced performance.

ITT Visual Information Solutions announced the release of the ENVI Orthorectification Module, a new, add-on module to ENVI, a leading software solution for processing and analyzing geospatial imagery. The new ENVI Orthorectification Module combines the advanced, rigorous model from renowned orthorectification experts, Spacemetric, with an ENVI-based automated workflow approach that steps users through the orthorectification process to geometrically correct an image to remove distortions that occur during image capture. Providing support for a wide set of both satellite and aerial sensors, the ENVI Orthorectification Module makes the complex task of orthorectifying imagery accessible to image analysts of various experience levels, while providing mathematically accurate results.

Around the Web

Data reuse not possible without ontological work, group asserts, by Joab Jackson, April 7, 2009, Government Computer News (GCN) -Data models are insufficient to enable widespread system interoperability, and organizations need to develop an ontology to explain how different data elements interact. Only when this context is rendered in a computational form can external systems make sense of a data model, asserted Steve Ray, chairman of the Ontology Summit being held this week at the headquarters of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md.

KENYA: Helping farmers at the touch of a button, April 6, Reuters and AlertNet - The ability to correctly diagnose and treat crop diseases such as banana wilt via mobile phone is just one of endless possibilities for smallholder farmers if location-specific (geospatial) information were available, according to researchers.

Industry Laments Digital Piracy  by Michael Cieply, April 6, 2009, (registration required), The New York Times - Less than a week after a pirated copy of the unreleased movie “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” popped up on the Internet, federal legislators and entertainment executives presented an extraordinarily bleak picture of the damage digital piracy can inflict, and the grim prospects for limiting it.

OpenJump GIS [Free Java based GIS] (MapperZ blog)

Events