New version further streamlines enterprise-level field data collection, and  allows users to create their own mobile solutions without any programming experience

Fort Collins, Co. — March 02, 2010 — CartoPac Field Solutions ( http://www.cartopac.com) today announced the release of CartoPac 3.0, an enhanced edition of the company’s flagship suite of CartoPac solutions for field data collection and asset management. CartoPac 3.0 includes a variety of new improvements to CartoPac Mobile software, making it even easier to use, decreasing the time needed for data collection and increasing cost savings for field projects. Users can connect with a diverse set of databases and are enabled with web based server options. CartoPac 3.0 also includes CartoPac Studio, a new product that allows companies to design, configure and maintain custom mobile data collection solutions internally.

Select highlights of CartoPac Mobile improvements include:

• Support for reference projects. This new feature streamlines project set up time and increases ease of use by speeding up the download process and making important reference data available to field users at all times. Users can download reference data once and share it across different solutions.
  
• Move & rotate entire feature tool. This additional spatial editing tool eliminates additional trips to the field, thereby saving money and supporting in-field decision-making.
  
• Improved support for even larger projects. Users can utilize even more vector and raster data in one download. For example, beta users have successfully downloaded over 200 MB of vector data and raster datasets of over 11 GB without compromising speed.
  
• Buffer point features. Now, field users can create buffer polygons in the field, resulting in increased efficiency and fewer trips between the field and office. This new functionality is useful for verifying spatial proximity to an asset for regulatory, compliance and in-field analysis purposes.
  
• Updated picture controls. Updated pictures controls require fewer steps – and less time – for integrating photos during field data collection.

Based on feedback from customers and in-house specialists, CartoPac Studio is a major step forward in enabling office GIS staff to quickly and effectively build and maintain mobile solutions. With CartoPac Studio, users with no programming experience can custom configure a field solution in less than one day.

Select features of CartoPac Studio include:

• Form controls. Customizing digital forms for field data collection has always been a core component of a CartoPac solution. Now, designers can drag, drop and copy from different fields, making it easy to move items around and organize a form so that it is logical to the field crew and workflow. This feature also allows users to copy and paste from form to form, saving a significant amount of time when creating multiple forms that use the same items.
  
• Improved symbology. Set symbol thresholds and select desired fonts for projects to allow better visualization for field users. Any true type font is supported for point layers allowing symbols to be set for both ESRI ArcMap and standalone solutions. For example, a point layer can be set to use multiple symbols—this is a quick way to visually communicate to field users and show them where work needs to be focused.
  
• Project validation and quality check capabilities. Now, users can save trips to the field and greatly improve the solution-building process by identifying problems and testing the solution with real-time error checking and validation in CartoPac Studio.
  
• Autodetect mobile GPS type & settings. GPS settings and types are automatically recognized and set to appropriate defaults, improving GPS data accuracy and offering one less worry for the field user.
  
• Auto-generate forms. With CartoPac Studio, users can auto-generate forms from a selected table, including integrating domains where possible, thereby saving a significant amount of time when building a new project.

“CartoPac Studio has a lot of functionality that developers will soon demand,” said Glenn Vlass, president of CartoPac Field Solutions. “For example, the new software allows the user to link to multiple databases at once, eliminating the need to juggle between separate applications. With this feature, data is seamlessly pulled from multiple databases for use in a single mobile solution, providing the flexibility to support different database environments and different workflows, as well as supporting existing internal processes and business rules.”

Other new features in CartoPac 3.0 include enhanced GPS metadata as more attributes are automatically added, and the ability to store additional parameters returned from measurement data and the improved automatic post-processing. Also, field users can switch between multiple raster images as they move between scale thresholds, enabling users to access many different types of maps seamlessly in the field, supporting in-field decision making and making the field worker’s job easier.

Attendees at the GITA Infrastructure conference or the 14th annual PNEC conference may speak with a CartoPac representative to ask questions, and learn more about the company’s fully integrated mobile solutions.

About CartoPac Field Solutions

CartoPac Field Solutions is more than a GPS mapping software. A leading provider of fully integrated mobile solutions integrate and enhance a wide range of positioning technologies including GPS, laser, cameras and other technologies with comprehensive software that increase field to office workflow efficiency. CartoPac software is ideal for oil and gas, municipalities, railroads, electric or water/wastewater utilities, natural resources, or anyone interested in collecting and managing large amounts of field data. CartoPac Field Solutions is an authorized ESRI and Trimble Business Partner, supporting, enhancing and seamlessly integrating with a full range of software solutions and hardware, and is an authorized Strategic Business Partner to Cityworks.



Contact:

Victoria Bosworth
CartoPac Field Solutions
Phone: 970-493-9500 x183
E-mail: Email Contact