Read the

press release

People

Photo Science President, G. Michael Ritchie, PE, PLS, PSM, CP has been appointed for a two-year term to the newly formed National Geospatial Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee was established by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Federal Geographic Data Committee as an advisory board under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is comprised of geospatial experts from the government, private sector, and academic arenas.

Bradley L. Mallory has been appointed president, chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors of

Michael Baker Corporation, effective February 21, 2008.

Mallory, 55, will succeed Richard L. Shaw, who is retiring as chief executive officer after having served in that position since September 2006. Shaw will remain chairman of the Board as well as chairman of the Board's Executive Committee.

Mallory has been chief operating officer of Baker since October 2007. He has realigned the company's Engineering business segment in order to make it more efficient and focused on the clients and markets that Baker serves. In addition, he has put in place a business strategy for Engineering aimed at achieving organic and acquisition growth, as well as improved profitability.

New Products

Spatial Insights offers accurate and current US postal geography from its newest strategic partner, GBBIS. GBBIS has applied its proven technology and expertise to creating ZIP Code boundaries, ZIP+4 centroids, and carrier route boundaries that are compatible with all desktop mapping and GIS systems. All the postal data offered are updated monthly to the highest US Postal Services standards and have been aligned to the NAVTEQ street data for both accurate and easy-to-use map presentation. In addition to monthly updates, quarterly, semi-annual and annual updates are also available.

ESi(R), the global crisis information management solutions provider, announced the release of WebEOC(R) 7, the latest version in its product suite of emergency communications software. Equipped with new powerful technology tools, WebEOC 7 offers users an upgraded level of interoperability and functionality to better prepare and respond to any event or emergency situation.

Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging announced the release of RedSpider Enterprise 3.5.2. With numerous enhancements, RedSpider Enterprise has increased its compliance with the Open Geospatial Consortium and International Organization for Standardization (OGC/ISO) standards.

RedSpider Enterprise 3.5.2 empowers users to build customized geospatial web applications. With an enhanced user interface, organizations may easily create more intuitive and versatile applications. In addition, new security features provide seamless protection for business applications.

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) regularly announces field control software updates and enhancements. The unveiling of TopSURV 7 is different.

Topcon’s all-new, problem-solving software package utilizes a unique, large graphical and intuitive user interface. TopSURV 7 features map view data collection, graphical stakeout, conveniently stores configurations and is available for Windows PC or CE Mobile systems.

Around the Web

Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System Provides Mission Critical Mapping Capabilities for 911 Call Centers PR Web Newswire, February 21, 2008 - Police and law enforcement dispatch centers benefit from improved Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allowing for quicker response time during 911 emergencies

USGIF accredits first geospatial programs GCN Tech Briefs, February 21, 2008 - Geospatial intelligence is getting more respect. The U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), a nonprofit corporation, has granted accreditation to three geospatial intelligence programs — those at the University of Missouri at Columbia, Penn State University and George Mason University.

More on Maps, Collaboration & some pretty pictures LibraryTechNZ blog

Humboldt County Planning Department Gives Public Fast Access To Land-Use And Zoning Information Logistics Online, February 22, 2008

Upcoming Events

FME Worldwide User Conference
Date:	March 6 - 7, 2008
Place:	Vancouver Canada
We invite you to join us in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada for the FME Worldwide User Conference on March 6-7, 2008. As we explore the theme New Dimensions in Spatial ETL (extract, transform and load), you’ll learn more about new developments in the industry and in FME, including 3D geometries and spatial data federation.
GITA’s Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference
Date:	March 9 - 12, 2008
Place:	Washington State Convention Center Seattle, WA USA
The Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference's technical program will include interactive half-day seminars, educational sessions, user forums, panel deliberations, and networking socials. The corresponding exhibition will feature the leading geospatial hardware, software, and services vendors. Anyone who is interested in using geospatial information technologies is invited to attend. The conference program will address topics of interest to executives and managers in government agencies; electric, gas, and water/wastewater utilities; telecommunications companies; pipeline companies; the public sector; and other organizations interested in using geospatial information to enhance their bottom line.
Geospatial Dimensions of Emergency Response Symposium
Date:	March 9 - 12, 2008
Place:	Seattle, WA USA
GITA is pleased to announce the Geospatial Dimensions of Emergency Response Symposium, a unique forum taking place in conjunction with the association’s Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference (formerly Annual Conference). This event will be the first ever to address the application of mapping technologies such as GIS, GPS, and remote sensing to emergency and disaster response.
NSGIC 2008 Midyear Conference
Date:	March 9 - 12, 2008
Place:	Annapolis MD USA
The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) is an organization committed to efficient and effective government through the prudent adoption of geospatial information technologies (GIT). Members of NSGIC include senior state geographic information system (GIS) managers and coordinators. Other members include representatives from federal agencies, local government, the private sector, academia and other professional organizations.
WALIS International Forum 2008
Date:	March 12 - 14, 2008
Place:	Perth Convention Exhibition Centre Western Australia, Australia
WALIS Forum is one of the premier GIS events in Australia, attracting over 650 participants from a diverse range of professions. Held every 18 months, the Forum provides an opportunity to address issues related to the collection, management and application of geographic or spatial information. The Forum is open to everyone, however, is targeted to people working with geographic information (GI) or those who would like to find out how they can harness GI to improve their business.
2008 ESRI Worldwide Business Partner Conference
Date:	March 15 - 18, 2008
Place:	Wyndham Hotel and Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, CA USA
The 2008 ESRI Worldwide Business Partner Conference (BPC) will be held March 15–18, 2008, in Palm Springs, California. Jack Dangermond, ESRI president and CEO, will share with you the future of GIS business and technology that will help you drive your business. You'll gain insight into ESRI's products, services, data, and technology innovations.
GIS-T 2008
Date:	March 17 - 19, 2008
Place:	Houston, TX USA
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sponsors the annual GIS for Transportation Symposium. It is a chance for persons in government and private industry who are interested in the use of GIS for transportation purposes to get together and share experiences, see state-of-art software, and learn more about this field. The Symposium annually attracts over 400 Symposium registrants in addition to the 50 exhibitors in the technology hall.

You can find the full GISCafe event calendar here.

To read more news, click here.

-- Susan Smith, GISCafe.com Managing Editor.