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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, People, New Products, Around the Web, and Events Calendar.
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Susan Smith, Managing Editor
Industry News
From the Exhibit Floor
By Susan Smith
In May I had the opportunity to visit two conferences back to back and see some interesting technologies. Just to catch up with those offerings a few of them are noted here:
BE Conference:
Over the past six to seven years, Bentley has turned its attention to acquisitions rather than attracting third party developers. With over 40 acquisitions over the last five years, CTO Keith Bentley said they are making third party software solutions a priority. Although the exhibit floor at BE didn’t yet reflect that change, there were some hardware vendors and a few third parties as follows:
Hewlett-Packard (HP)
HP has been in the news a lot lately with its KungFu Panda promotions, yet the DreamWorks technology was not what was being presented at BE.
HP announcements made while at the show included:
HP announced what they are touting as “the world’s first two-in-one server blade, which offers customers with scale-out environments improved data center performance, reduced floor space and lower power usage.”
The HP ProLiant BL2x220c G5 addresses the needs of cloud computing, Web 2.0 and high-performance computing (HPC) deployments that have data centers with hundreds to thousands of servers, multi-petabyte(1) levels of storage capacity and massive performance needs. These types of environments must address energy consumption, along with improved cooling techniques and maximizing existing data center floor space, plus the ever increasing demand for increased performance.
HP ProLiant BL2x220c G5 combines two independent servers in a single blade, which gives customers the advantage of double compute power and significantly reduces data center space requirements. Environmentally, it addresses the energy consumption and cooling techniques issues by delivering 60 percent better performance per watt than similar configurations on the market(2) and minimizes cooling and power costs.
HP’s “Scalable Computing and Infrastructure” business unit has created a dedicated set of resources, expertise and development efforts to build solutions designed for scale-out environment customers. The BL2x220c joins the recently announced
HP StorageWorks 9100 Extreme Data Storage System (ExDS9100), a highly scalable storage system designed to simplify the management of multiple petabytes of data at an affordable cost. The system is derived from HP’s domain expertise of designing and retrofitting more than 30 million square feet of data center floor space and powering 166 of the top 500 supercomputer installations.
HP xw6600 |
A big plus in today’s environmentally conscious world is the fact the HP xw6600 has an 80 PLUS efficient 650 watt power supply, ENERGY STAR qualified configurations, and EPEAT Gold listing, designed for cooler and more energy efficient operation.
LizardTech
A top provider of software for distributing and managing geospatial content, LizardTech announced the release of its free GeoExpress 7 SDK, a toolkit for decoding and viewing MrSID and JPEG 2000 images in third-party applications.
What is available in this latest release: support for 64-bit platforms, which provides better compatibility with GDAL and other third party libraries for developers plus access to more memory than was available before when working with MrSID and JPEG 2000 imagery.
The GeoExpress 7 SDK also includes support for modern compilers including Visual Studio 2008 and gcc 4.1 and the latest operating systems such as Windows Vista, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, and Mac OS X 10.5.
Developers will enjoy improved documentation and sample applications that will make it easier to integrate with third-party applications. The GeoExpress SDK offers the benefits of both MrSID technology and ISO standard JPEG 2000 without any compromise in the quality of imagery, according to the press release.
Z Corp
Exhibiting at the BE Conference was Burlington, Mass.-based Z Corp. Also featured in Bentley’s Applied Research booth, a demonstration featured a Z Corp 3D printer that can print labels, logos and text around and on top of a physical 3D model. You can create an “interactive” 2D barcode and with software added to a camera phone, it can read the barcode code.
In April, Redmond, Wash.-based LandPrint.com, employed 3D printing from Z Corporation to create 3D physical models of any landscape on the planet. The models are a unique application for geospatial information that could be both a consumer and professional tool. Consumers can visit the website select their favorite place, and submit their order.
Although currently LandPrint.com is geared toward the consumer and the “fun user” such as marathoners and adventure racers, Landprint CEO Tom Gaskins sees a bigger marketplace out there. Virtually any kind of data can be added to the model to make a 3D print, creating a print for anything from real estate to schools to city planning to land development. See GISWeekly, April 14, 2008
Intergraph:
Many of Intergraph’s third party offerings revolved around utilities, security, and services and solutions for geospatial implementation. The following is a sampling of the offerings:
Leica MobileMatriX 3.0
Newly released around the time of Intergraph 2008, was version 3.0 of the Leica MobileMatriX, a mobile GIS application that offers the ability to synchronize survey data with an enterprise geodatabase, transfer digital images taken from a mobile phone via Bluetooth and link it with a feature, plus much more. With Leica MobileMatriX 3.0, the subcontractor can now provide a finished geodatabase to his client, without the conversion process that normally takes place after submittal.
Leica MobileMatriX v3.0 utilizes a survey enhancement of distributed databases concept from ESRI to provide a flexible and powerful mobile GIS application for use in large and complex mobile GIS projects, as well as small projects involving only a few field crews.
MobileMapper 6
Magellan MobileMapper |
Rolta
Rolta is known for providing services and solutions for geospatial implementation, which includes a wide variety such as GIS database design and development, data migration/conversion, format translation, systems integration, software development and customization and map creation/update and finishing and much more.
The acquisition of Orion Technology Inc. of Canada added web-based, platform-neutral geospatial solutions to efficiently integrate GIS resources to the Rolta suite of offerings. This web-based GIS solution allows users to publish their GIS data securely and quickly over the web. In addition, users can connect to external databases throughout their organization, using the web-GIS as a true enterprise solution. Further enhanced web-GIS can be used for reporting, querying and generating URL functions. Rolta will be able to access new market segments that have not been able to use GIS before.
Sony
Sony announced two new SXRD “4K” projectors for the emerging digital cinema market features such as a 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution, altogether 8.8 million pixel resolution, and a high contrast ratio.
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Sony SXRD |
Sony’s SXRD technology was first introduced in its QUALIA 004 projector, a "2K" design targeted toward the higher-end consumer residential and custom installation markets. This new introduction of an SXRD-based design to the professional market offers the digital cinema industry a clear alternative to existing projection technologies.
Pixels are set at a pitch of 8.5 micrometers, from the center of one SXRD pixel to the center of the next, with an inter-pixel gap of 0.35 micrometers. The SXRD technology’s narrow pitch and thinner gap give a quicker refresh rate to images thus making smoother moving images.
Top News of the Week
NAVTEQ, global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has announced that UPC Broadband, the European cable division of Liberty Global has chosen to support its geographic market intelligence system with NAVTEQ map data supplied by the map provider’s strategic distributor, Geoscape Europe BV.
UPC’s European database marketing department has recently implemented a geographic target market application provided by Geoscape. By segmenting its customer base into groups based on marketing-relevant factors such as age, income, children and products already held, UPC can target them effectively and optimize the allocation of marketing resources.
Acquisitions/Agreements/Alliances
New World Systems, the leading provider of public safety software solutions, has announced a key development partnership with ESRI. This new alliance will dramatically improve mapping capabilities in New World's Aegis Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) version 8. New World Systems is offering the public an exclusive look at this map-centric CAD during the 27th NENA Annual 9-1-1 Conference & Tradeshow, June 9-10, in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Getmapping has launched Aerial Insight a new online service that delivers Land Registry title plans, aerial photography, plus a composite of the two, within 1 day of purchase. Expected to appeal to conveyancers, lenders and property portfolio managers, Aerial Insight provides crucial information about a property and its surroundings that a plan alone cannot. The arrival of Home Information Packs, already seen as a further opportunity to market properties, is likely to create considerable demand for this enhanced product.
Highlighted by a series of methodological changes designed to improve data quality in rapid growth areas, The Nielsen Company announced the release of its annual update of 2008 demographic estimates and 2013 projections for all U.S. markets.
Two key changes include the addition of data on new housing units from ADVO, a leading direct mail marketing company that reaches 90 percent of American households, and the inclusion of estimates for states and large counties (with populations of 65,000 or more) from the Census Bureau’s most recent American Community Survey (ACS).
XēDAR Corporation, a provider of cyber and homeland security solutions, announced that its subsidiary, Pixxures, Inc. of Arvada, CO, was awarded a contract extension to provide color orthomosaic production services of ADS40 aerial sensor imagery to Fit Conseil in Gennevilliers, France. This project is part of Pixxures’ strategic plan to extend its production and service expertise outside of the traditional core markets in North America
Rajant Corporation, a provider of portable, reliable, and adaptable wireless networking solutions, announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Carlson Software to provide world-class productivity solutions primarily for the mining and construction industries.
The partnership combines best-of-breed products from Carlson’s comprehensive suite of civil, surveying, mining, construction, machine-control, GPS and positioning software applications over Rajant BreadCrumb wireless mesh networks.
Announcements
TomTom and Tele Atlas bring the ideal of having fully up-to-date maps closer than ever before. TomTom announced that it is providing all Map Share feedback to Tele Atlas. After extensive verification of these millions of customer suggestions, the results will be made available in map releases to all Tele Atlas partners as early as Q4 2008.
GeoEye, Inc., a premier provider of satellite, aerial and geospatial information, announced that the glass mirror blank for its advanced, next-generation Earth imaging satellite has been delivered to ITT Corporation.
Last fall, GeoEye announced it had contracted with ITT to begin the phased development of the camera for GeoEye-2, slated for launch in the 2011 timeframe. Currently, GeoEye and ITT are working on the sensor electronics and other elements of the camera's telescope, including the primary mirror. The company has also procured additional long-lead focal plane electronic components from ITT which will be integrated into the next higher level of assembly for the sensor system.
Geographic Technologies Institute, part of industry-leading GIS solutions provider Geographic Technologies Group (GTG), is set to launch a new Understanding Local Government Series in Fall 2008. GTG will offer a variety of courses designed to allow local government staff to learn GIS tools and skills that will enable them to perform their job more effectively.
GTG’s new corporate office houses a state-of-the-art training facility. More details on upcoming training opportunities are available on GTG’s website, www.geotg.com/training.
3D Laser Mapping is helping pioneer research into intelligent field mapping robots. The UK firm’s laser scanning technology can create highly detailed 3D visualizations of the surroundings so that robots can make intelligent decisions in virtual real time. As a result of a partnership with Reutech Radar Systems, 3D Laser Mapping has supplied the advanced laser scanning system to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, one of the world’s leading research, development and implementation organizations. The system will assist the CSIR with research into intelligent field robotics for studies relating to perception, mobility and navigation.
People
WilsonMiller announces the recent addition of Trevor P. Trinkaus, GISP, to the Naples GIS staff as Senior GIS Analyst. Mr. Trinkaus brings over sixteen years of experience in the field of information resources with emphasis on GIS implementation and training. Previously with Collier County Public Utilities, Mr. Trinkaus has extensive program development experience obtained through positions with educational, national not-for-profit organizations, private companies, as well as state and county government.
Avalara announced the hire of Martin Sohovich, an innovator in the sales tax industry and an expert in tax jurisdiction assignment for transactional taxes. In his new role, Sohovich will be responsible for imparting his development expertise in spatial boundaries and data sets to increase AvaTax’s already highly sophisticated mapping technology.
New Products
Orion Technology Inc., a Rolta Company, announced the latest release of its flagship product OnPoint, version 6.2, which continues to take Web-GIS solutions to a new dimension. The robust and easy-to-enhance OnPoint 6 platform has allowed for rapid development and enhancement, resulting in the ability to add functionality rapidly and effectively, to meet client requirements. This newest release marks the arrival of enhanced thematic mapping as well as support for various formats common to European locales and ESRI ArcGIS Server geocoding services. It also sets the stage for the much anticipated release of the OnPoint Software Developer Kit (SDK).
Homeland Integrated Security Systems, Inc. announced that the Company has begun marketing and generating sales of mapping software to government agencies and privately owned companies. The Company has obtained the rights to offer this feature rich software through a reselling agreement with the software developer. Homeland has already targeted approximately 750 units of mapping software sales and has begun to get commitments from current customers and prospects.
Following the NOAA prediction for an above average tropical storm season, Applied Science Associates, Inc. (ASA) announces computer modeling and mapping technology as an effective way for planners to visualize the potential impacts from hurricanes and plan for catastrophic flooding events.
The approaching 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be above normal, with up to 16 named storms and up to five major hurricanes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said last week, citing climate conditions. The outlook issued by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center calls for "considerable activity," with a 65 percent probability of an above-normal season.
Intelligent Direct, a market leader in mapping and data services for businesses, announced the introduction of a comprehensive tool and data set for use by direct marketers who need to accurately and quantitatively target neighborhoods. These tools feature access to Urbanware Neighborhoods, Urban Mapping’s database product of 40,000 U.S. neighborhood boundaries found in more than 2,000 cities and towns, as well as Claritas demographics and data with NAVTEQ Streets and mapping layers. The tool set supports direct marketing applications that require accurate geocoding and data analysis, as well as mapping and web-based information systems. The announcement was made at the DM Days New York Conference & Expo, which is being held June 10-12 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
uismedia is pleased to announce MapViewSVG 7, an extension for ESRI ArcGIS Desktop. MapViewSVG offers the possibility to publish ArcMap projects fast, easy and cost-efficient on Internet/Intranet, CD or DVD. Open standards like SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), XML and ECMAScript guarantee a high cartographic quality, functionality and interactivity. MapViewSVG supports vector based object data and image data. Attribute data are stored as XML files or in a database and are dynamically linked to the geometric data. WMS- or ArcIMS server data can be included as well. Several query functionalities allow powerful possibilities in searching attribute data and their geometries.
Around the Web
GeospatialSimple version 1.1
HP unveils new PCs in massive product roll-out CNET.news.com
Hastings County launches The Map Room , June 10, 2008, Trentonian
Upcoming Events
| GIS Enabling Your Water Operations Workflows | |
| Date: | June 26, 2008 |
| Place: | Webinar
USA |
| View Field Mapplet and its plug-in extension capabilities. Automate Work Requests, Hydrant Flushing, Valve Turning, and Meter Reading. Utilize these plug-in extensions to increase productivity and efficiency in your workflows. See how the value of these cost-effective tools leverages your investment in GIS, both in the office and in the field.
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| 21st ISPRS Congress --Silk road for Information from Imagery | |
| Date: | July 3 - 11, 2008 |
| Place: | Beijing International Convention Center (BICC)
Asian Games Village , Beijing, China |
| The Silk Road is the most famous East-West trading route in ancient times. It served not only as the conduit for goods but also as the highway for knowledge transmission between the east and the west. Nowadays, the need for timely, high-quality, long-term, global spatial information is increasing rapidly.
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| 2008 IEEE International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium | |
| Date: | July 6 - 11, 2008 |
| Place: | Boston, MA USA |
| Welcome to the official website for the 2008 IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium to be held in Boston! IGARSS’08 will be the 28th annual symposium for GRSS and will continue the excellent tradition of gathering world-class scientists, engineers and educators engaged in the fields of geoscience and remote sensing to meet and present their latest activities.
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| GEOBrasil Summit 2008 | |
| Date: | July 15 - 17, 2008 |
| Place: | Imigrantes Convention Hall
São Paulo , Brazil |
| GEOBrasil Summit 2008 presents new trends, products and services earmarked for integrated solutions connected with mapping, localisation, navigation, geographic localisation and analysis for management of public and private companies. Integrated events: GEOBrasil, GNSS Navis, GEO Oil & Gas and GEOCities.
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