GEO World articles from April 2005

GEO World archives from April 2005

Building blocks amass for immersive environments.(methods for multisensor data collection)
April 1, 2005... This month's GeoWorld feature, "Data Fusion Reactions--3-D Digitization Powers Design Technology," outlines a method for multisensor data collection for the creation of a rich 3-D environment (page 28). The accuracy obtainable through the...

Google maps raises Internet mapping bar.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Google Corp., Mountain View, Calif., released Google Maps (maps.google.com) as a beta-test site that soon may be added to the home page of the world's most popular Internet search engine. The move enhances the company's geospatial offerings...

ESRI launches developer network.(Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Redlands, Calif.-based ESRI launched a subscription-based developer network, EDN, that's available online at edn.esri.com. The program was created in response to demand from developers that want to build custom GIS solutions on the ESRI desktop...

MapInfo acquires GeoBusiness Solutions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Troy, N.Y.-based MapInfo Corp. acquired privately held GeoBusiness Solutions Ltd., Wendover, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, a provider of location-based analytical and modeling services and software in the United Kingdom. The acquisition...

Sanborn purchases Space Imaging business unit.(Sanborn Colorado L.L.C.)
April 1, 2005... Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Sanborn acquired Thornton, Colo.-based Space Imaging's commercial and civilian value-added solutions business unit. Terms of the acquisition were not announced. Space Imaging's Federal Civil and Commercial...

www.air-trak.com.(new software)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... AIR-TRAK INC. Air-Trak is offering a free Web-service application programming interface to allow customers and partners to integrate location, routing or telemetry data with enterprise, office or third-party software. Using the Air-Trak...

www.thecognetgroup.com/landmass.php.(new service)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... THE COGNET GROUP The COGNET Group assembled a hyperlink library of land-base information available free on the Internet, providing access to geospatial information covering the United States. The Land Base Library is part of its online GIS...

www.ermapper.com.(new service from Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ER MAPPER [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Corporate GIS Team at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council created a project to provide online access to all of the borough's raster map and aerial photography datasets.

www.esri.com.(Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ESRI ESRI was selected by the Department of the Interior to develop the full implementation of the Geospatial One-Stop Operational Portal (GOS 2).

www.globexplorer.com.(AirPhotoUSA, contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... GLOBEXPLORER AirPhotoUSA is using GlobeXplorer's online services through its AirPhotoEXPRESS.com Web viewer, integrating GlobeXplorer technology into customer solutions that require online delivery capability. In addition, AirPhotoUSA is...

www.ionicenterprise.com.(Generalized Natural Sciences Online and Spatial Information System, contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... IONIC ENTERPRISE The Generalized Natural Sciences Online and Spatial Information System consortium chose IONIC to build a geoportal to discover and access information available at the Belgian federal scientific institutes. Various datasets...

www.kheops-tech.com.(KHEOPS Technologies, contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... KHEOPS TECHNOLOGIES The Faculty of Environmental Studies of the University of Waterloo is using KHEOPS Technologies' JMap software for distributed geospatial teaching and research. JMap is to be used as part of a new project on Internet...

www.mapinfo.com.(Troy Community Policing Unit, contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... MAPINFO CORP. MapInfo's community policing application, developed for the Troy, N.Y., Police Department, was named a Best Solution at the GTC Southwest conference. The Troy Community Policing Unit is using MapInfo's intranet-based crime...

mapsherpa.com/tsunami.(new website)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... TSUNAMI DISASTER MAPPING PORTAL The Tsunami Disaster Mapping Portal (DMapP) Web site was created to help aid workers coordinate their work during the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Indian Ocean Basin. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

AERO-METRIC Inc.(Roger E. Crystal appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... AERO-METRIC Inc. named Roger E. Crystal contracts manager for federal programs, responsible for interacting with leaders of geospatial programs within the federal government. www.aerometric.com

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.(Lawrence R. Pettinger 2005 Fellow Award winner)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Lawrence R. Pettinger was named American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) 2005 Fellow Award winner for active society members who have performed exceptional service in advancing the science and use of the mapping sciences...

E Team Inc.(Lawrence S. Jordan, John Tullie, Robert Shiverdecker, Robert Patten)(appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... E Team Inc.'s board of directors elected Lawrence S. Jordan to serve as chairman of the board. John Tullie, formerly E Team's vice president of worldwide sales, was named president and CEO of the company. Also, E Team promoted Robert...

EarthData.(Joel Campbell appointed at EarthData International)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... EarthData appointed Joel Campbell as senior vice president of corporate sales, responsible for expanding and leading the organization's worldwide sales teams, developing new vertical and geographic markets, and maintaining relationships with...

GeoDecisions.(Brian Jensen appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... GeoDecisions named Brian Jensen GIS analyst, responsible for supporting Geo-Decisions' regional government client base in Madison, Wis., and performing GIS data integration and application development. In addition, Bill Schuman was named senior...

Intermap Technologies.(Robert Eadie appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Intermap Technologies named Robert Eadie director of sales in the northeastern United States, responsible for managing and expanding the NEXTMap USA program. www.intermap.com

KEMA.(Ali Ipakchi appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Ali Ipakchi joined KEMA as senior vice president of Integration Services. www.kema.com

Leica Geosystems.(Paul Stack, Jim Farley appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Leica Geosystems announced a major strategic initiative to expand and integrate technical support, service and training for customers in North America. Paul Stack, newly appointed vice president of support and service for the Americas, is...

Ordnance Survey.(PEOPLELINK)
April 1, 2005... Ordnance Survey appointed GIS specialist Simon Doyle as development manager within its Information Systems group, heading up the mapping agency's software and systems application development. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Thank You As...

Key softelec.(PEOPLELINK)
April 1, 2005... Key softelec members Stefan Horvatin, Bernd Rau and Juergen Buhr have taken over the company's management after long-time president and founder Michael Horvatin retired. www.softelec.com

Vexcel appoints vice president of mapping and photogrammetric solutions.(PEOPLELINK)(Bill Gail)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Bill Gail (left), former director of earth science advanced programs at Ball Aerospace, joined Boulder, Colo.-based Vexcel as vice president of mapping and photogrammetric solutions. Gail's remote-sensing experience, including advanced...

Proposed laws focus on ocean observation.(GOVERNMENTCONNECTION)
April 1, 2005... A group of U.S. senators proposed legislation that would overhaul systems for observing oceans and the coast. The various bills have been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for hearings. [ILLUSTRATION...

Trends at heart of NOAA survey on remote sensing.(GOVERNMENTCONNECTION)
April 1, 2005... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tapped Cleveland-based Global Marketing Insights Inc. to conduct a comprehensive research study of international remote-sensing markets for aerial and satellite data technologies. ...

NASA tools help coordinate flights.(GOVERNMENTCONNECTION)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... NASA completed an Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project designed to improve air travel by giving workers tools for managing traffic in the air and on the runway. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Specifically, AATT focused on...

2005 GeoTec Event provides perspective.(CONFERENCECONNECTION)
April 1, 2005... The 19th annual GeoTec Event took place Feb. 13-16, 2005, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina. The event's theme, "Providing Perspective, Gaining Insight," spoke of the decision-improving effect that...

European Geosciences Union assembly set for Vienna.(CONFERENCECONNECTION)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The European Geosciences Union (EGU) will hold its General Assembly in Vienna, Austria, for the first time from April 24-29, 2005. Considerable attendance from Eastern European countries is expected, and EGU 2005 promises to be larger than last...

GeoSpatial World 2005 focuses on enterprise.(CONFERENCECONNECTION)
April 1, 2005... GeoSpatial World 2005, the Fifth Annual Intergraph GeoSpatial Users Community International Conference, will take place April 26-28, 2005, in San Francisco. The event is the annual international training and management conference for Intergraph...

Measuring distance is neither here nor there.(BEYONDMAPPING)
April 1, 2005... Measuring distance is one of the most basic map-analysis techniques. Historically, distance is defined as "the shortest straight line between two points." Although this three-part definition is easily conceptualized and implemented with a...

The "G" in GIS: do we need a GIS certificate?
April 1, 2005... There's now a nationwide GIS Certificate. Established in January 2004, it's run by the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI), a nonprofit spin-off of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). To be certified, an applicant...

Sensor data are spatial data.(OPEN GEOSPATIAL CONNECTION)
April 1, 2005... Because every sensor has a location, all sensor data have a spatial context. "Sensors" include everything from satellite imaging systems to meteorological stations, stream gauges, SCADA networks, air-quality stations and traffic cameras....

Up for the count: Census Bureau continues technology tradition.(Data Collection)
April 1, 2005... Keeping up with new home construction in and around your own neighborhood can be tricky as developers "plop down" house after house, transforming villages into burgeoning suburbs almost overnight. But imagine that you're a census taker. It's...

Data fusion reactions: 3-D digitization powers design technology.(3-D Visualization)
April 1, 2005... With current advances in laser scanning, photogrammetry and GIS-related technologies, the integration of 3-D imaging techniques within existing workflows has become a viable and cost-effective solution. The benefits of utilizing multi-sensor...

Build-out or build-in? Two alternatives for geospatial enterprise integration.(Enterprise GIS)
April 1, 2005... It's understandable for GeoWorld readers to live in their own, geospatial-centric world, but they need to remember that geospatial information is only a small part of the information technology (IT) efforts of most businesses and government...

Crime stoppers: web-based mapping makes safer neighborhoods.(Data Sharing)
April 1, 2005... For the first time, law-enforcement agencies within the U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO), Eastern District of Pennsylvania, are reaching across criminal justice boundaries to collect, archive and share data. The initiative's cornerstone is the...

Airborne 1 Corp.(DATA)
April 1, 2005... Airborne 1 collected more than five square miles of high-resolution LIDAR data for generating digital terrain maps of key landslide-stricken areas through La Conchita, Calif. The LIDAR data captured by the company's airborne laser terrain...

ESRI.(DATA)
April 1, 2005... ESRI announced significant additions to the data offered via Arc-Web Services. Highlights of the added data include premium imagery from GlobeXplorer, road network data from NAVTEQ, detailed data for Australia from MapData Sciences and Italian...

LeadDog Consulting LLC.(DATA)
April 1, 2005... LeadDog Consulting released Dubai City Streets to support asset-tracking, government and commercial GIS applications. www.goleaddog.com

NAVTEQ.(DATA)
April 1, 2005... NAVTEQ expanded its Eastern European database with two more countries: Poland and Slovenia. In Poland, the field researchers recorded more than 13,300 kilometers of roads, including detailed information on the Warsaw area and approximately...

Fugro-Inpark B.V.(DATA)
April 1, 2005... Fugro completed the survey of more than 100,000 kilometers using its FLI-MAP corridor mapping system. The 100,000th kilometer was surveyed for the Portuguese survey and photogrammetry company Estereofoto. The project covered multiple sites for...

Bentley Systems Inc.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... MicroStation V8 2004 Edition users now can include 3-D models and animations in Adobe PDF documents. www.bentley.com

Blue Marble Geographics.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Blue Marble Geographics updated its GeoTransform software developer toolkit 5.1, the image transformation library behind its Geographic Transformer. Also, Blue Marble released cross-platform versions of its coordinate conversion libraries,...

CARIS.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... CARIS released CARIS HOM AML 2.0 with full support for AML version 2.0 product specifications. HOM AML 2.0 contains a complete set of specialized tools for creating, editing, updating and managing reliable, clean and fully compliant S-57...

CEDRA Corp.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... CEDRA released its CEDRA-DxfExport software, an ArcView GIS and ArcGIS extension that enables users to create an Auto-CAD Drawing Interchange File for all visible features in a current map from within ArcView 3.X or ArcMap. www.cedra.com

DM Solutions Group Inc.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... DM Solutions Group released Chameleon version 2.0, an open-source technology that allows users to create customizable Web-mapping applications. www.dmsolutions.ca

ER Mapper.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... ER Mapper updated its free imagecompression application to output to the JPEG 2000 compression format as well as the ECW format. The ECW JPEG 2000 Compressor allows users to compress images of up to 500MB in size. www.ermapper.com

Idevio.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Idevio released RaveGeo for ArcGIS, a new compression and streaming technology for multi-resolution vector maps. www.idevio.com

IONIC Enterprise.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... IONIC released RedSpider LOBOS for deploying location-based services for mobile devices, Web applications and enterprise processes. LOBOS allows users to create business applications such as geospatial call desks, roadside assistance, customer...

KOREM Inc.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... KOREM released Push'n'See 4.7.1 for MapInfo MapXtreme Java Edition, which was enhanced with new capabilities and advanced features as well as a third extension for product integration in a Web Services approach. www.korem.com

LizardTech Inc.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... LizardTech released GeoExpress 5.0 with MrSID, providing MrSID and JPEG 2000 image-compression and manipulation tools. Key enhancements include image re-projection, which enables users to re-project imagery from one coordinate reference system...

Origin GeoSystems.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Origin GeoSystems launched Origin Reader, an enterprise GIS viewing and data distribution solution that leverages ESRI's ArcReader 9.0 framework to provide workstation-quality graphics and attribute data in a low-cost GIS viewer application....

Osmose Utilities Services.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Osmose Utilities Services introduced FastGate Manager to help utilities manage and maintain pole and related field assets. The new application provides viewing and editing of poles and other network features in map and table formats and offers...

Pharos Science & Applications Inc.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Pharos Science & Applications introduced version 7.0 of its Ostia Smart Navigator routing and navigation software for GPS-enabled mobile devices. www.pharosgps.com

Stora Enso.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Stora Enso released EnsoMOSAIC 5.1 software for small- and medium-format aerial image orthorectification. The software automatically ties large image sets together using advanced search and correlation algorithms. Image sets can contain...

Tadpole-Cartesia.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Tadpole-Cartesia introduced GO! Sync for ArcPad 9.0, which provides field practicality to ESRI's ArcPad by automating the process of fully synchronizing GIS data among ArcSDE or Personal Geodatabases and Shapefiles stored on handheld devices...

TDC Group.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... TDC Group released Freeance 3.2, its ArcIMS application developer that makes alternate legends within Web-mapping sites possible. www.freeance.com

Trinity Consultants.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Trinity Consultants upgraded its AERMOD/ISC product, allowing environmental professionals who conduct air-quality impact assessments to experience enhanced visualization of modeling results and management of input data. The new version allows...

Applanix.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Applanix launched its POS LV 200 system for organizations whose survey vehicles already incorporate GPS and Distance Measurement Indicator sensors. POS LV 200 is designed to provide uninterrupted positioning and orientation information in areas...

Getac Inc.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Getac introduced its MobileForce M220 laptop computer. The new 14-inch screen is able to withstand jarring and bending associated with extreme use found in military and commercial applications. www.getac.com

HP.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... HP launched its new HP Designjet 4000 Printer series to meet the needs of architecture, engineering, construction, MCAD and GIS markets. New technology allows the printer to double the print speeds of color and monochrome documents when...

Leica Geosystems.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Leica Geosystems introduced its SmartStation with integrated GPS. The surveying system combines TPS and GPS in one instrument and can reduce the time required for setup and orientation by up to 80 percent. In addition, TPS and GPS can be used...

Lexmark International Inc.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Lexmark International unveiled three new multifunction products, the X632s, X634e and X634dte, which give businesses the ability to move documents seamlessly from paper to digital formats. www.lexmark.com

Matrox Graphics Inc.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Matrox Graphics launched its new Parhelia DL256 PCI graphics card supporting high-resolution, dual-link monitors under Microsoft Windows 2000/XP. Also, Matrox released its Millennium P650 PCIe 128 graphics card, the first Millennium P-Series...

Ricoh Corp.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Ricoh launched its Pro G3, a high-resolution digital camera that embeds captured images with GPS coordinate information received from its onboard GPS unit or external GPS devices. After the captured geo-images are transferred to a PC, they're...

Symmetricom.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Symmetricom introduced the XL-750 GPS Time Source, a GPS timing instrument for power-industry substation and utility companies. www.symmttm.com

Trimble.(HARDWARE)
April 1, 2005... Trimble introduced its Trimble S6 Total Station, a surveying instrument based on a new design platform that includes Trimble MagDrive, SurePoint and MultiTrack technologies to improve performance, accuracy and productivity. www.trimble.com...

ESRI.(MISC.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A new ESRI Press book, Designing Geodatabases--Case Studies in GIS Data Modeling, presents a compendium of best practices in geodatabase design. ESRI Press also released GIS and Land Records: The ArcGIS Parcel Data Model, which demonstrates...

ESRI.(MISC.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ESRI released ArcGIS 9.0.1, which extends the supported platforms for ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Engine and ArcIMS ArcMap Server from Windows-based operating systems to the Linux and Solaris platforms. ArcGIS 9.0.1 also updates the ArcIMS Web Map...

upFront.eZine Publishing Ltd.(MISC.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... upFront.eZine Publishing introduced a new e-book, Tailoring AutoCAD LT 2004-2005, a 152-page e-book that contains step-by-step tutorials and explanations. The company also released Inside IntelliCAD 5, a 242-page e-book available in PDF format...

WIT Press.(MISC.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... WIT Press released Management Information Systems 2004: Incorporating GIS and Remote Sensing, which features the papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Management Information Systems. www.witpress.com

ACD Systems International Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ACD Systems International joined the ESRI Business Partner Program. www.acdsystems.com

Advantica.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... NW Natural selected Advantica's Code Compliance product to automate its asset-inspection compliance activities. The utility will use Code Compliance to update its current mainframe-based processes for maintaining plant information, field assets...

DigitalGlobe.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Kearny County, Kan., retained the Native Communities Development Corp. to use DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite image products for mapping tamarisk, an invasive plant species that has infested the banks of the Arkansas River. ...

Arcadis G & M.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities selected the joint-venture partnership of ARCADIS and EMA to provide GIS consulting and system data collection and conversion services as part of a pilot study. www.arcadis-us.com

Bentley Systems Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Bentley Systems acquired AutoCAD-based applications for process, electrical, piping and instrumentation design from IFS. As part of the agreement, Bentley will provide maintenance and support services for more than 100 firms, located primarily...

Cimmetry Systems Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SpatiaX Infosystems embedded Cimmetry's AutoVue visualization and collaboration technology into its sxMARKUP-Web application. SpatiaX customers now can view, print, markup and collaborate in real time on more than 450 formats. ...

Clark Labs.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Clark Labs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are constructing maps of potential gypsy moth establishment and damage in uninfested areas of the United States. The current gypsy moth management program strongly relies on survey data acquired...

COGNET Group.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Madison Gas and Electric selected COGNET Group as its value-added reseller for licensing and deployment assistance of new GIS viewing technology. Also, COGNET Group completed delivery of asset-management and analysis-application integration...

Definiens Imaging.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Definiens Imaging introduced its new Academic Software Subscription Program for eCognition Professional. Through the program, academic customers may purchase subscriptions for a minimum of three years to run multiple licenses of eCognition...

DM Solutions Group Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... DM Solutions Group and Orkney Inc. partnered to deliver an internationalized version of MapServer. DM Solutions Group worked with Orkney to enhance MapServer capabilities to an international standard and provide Web-mapping solutions based on...

ESRI.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... In the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster in Asia, volunteers from ESRI (Thailand) Co. Ltd. went to the Phangnga province in Thailand to assist search teams and analyze the damage technology. A command center was established at the Takua Pa...