GEO World articles from February 2005

GEO World archives from February 2005

"Systems of systems" emerge.(Global Earth Observation System of Systems)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... A "Digital Earth" has been a topic of conversation in the geospatial technology industry, and this magazine, since former U.S. Vice President Al Gore publicly expressed the concept in 1998. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea is for a...

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami examined.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, was unprecedented in human impact and geo-graphic extent. An undersea earthquake centered off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered the tsunami. Aceh province in...

LandScan assesses human toll.(global population distribution dataset)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The LandScan global population distribution dataset, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was instrumental in assessing the human toll and helping agencies coordinate relief efforts. "We are...

U.S. agencies and commercial satellite companies react quickly.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Within hours after the tsunami disaster occurred, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) began providing relief organizations worldwide with pre- and post-tsunami satellite images...

Scientific delegation set to assess tsunami.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A delegation of American scientists from the National Science Foundation's Tsunami Research Group and the USGS headed to Sri Lanka in early January 2005 to assess the tsunami. The scientists examined inundated areas to estimate wave heights...

Straits of Malacca waters require re-charting.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Alarming reports about shallow water depths in parts of the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping channels off the coast of Sumatra, caused the NGA to issue a warning through its publication U.S. Notice to Mariners. The...

Call for volunteers.(geospatial industry volunteer organizations)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Several geospatial industry volunteer organizations were quick to respond to the need for skilled mapping personnel. Global MapAid (www.globalmapaid.rdvp.org), MapAction (www.aidforaid.org.uk) and GISCorps (www.giscorps.org) all responded to...

www.aligo.com/products/worktrack.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ALIGO INC. Aligo is using ESRI's ArcWeb Services for WorkTrack, a hosted solution for managing the time and productivity of mobile employees. WorkTrack combines mobile software with Global Positioning System-enabled mobile phones and...

www.bentley.com/youdeservebetter.(upgrade program and Web site for AutoCAD users)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BENTLEY SYSTEMS INC. Bentley Systems launched its "You Deserve Better" upgrade program and Web site for AutoCAD users facing forced retirement of their software by Autodesk. The upgrade program, in response to Bentley's survey of more than...

www.bluemarblegeo.com.(won first place in the Directions Magazine Web-mapping contest )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BLUE MARBLE GEOGRAPHIC Blue Marble Geographics' Internet Mapping Solution, BeyondGeo, won first place in the Directions Magazine Web-mapping contest for its design of the city of Glenwood Springs, Colo., community Web site.

www.esri.com.(training courses )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ESRI Web-based ESRI training courses now earn participants educational achievement points from the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI). Upon completion, students may submit course certificates to GISCI for verification as part of the...

www.kidsdata.org.(RESOURCEOFTHEMONTH)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH Kidsdata.org provides information on the health and well-being of children in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in Northern California. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Web site lists and...

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.(PEOPLELINK)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Justin Carasick is the first GIS/LIS technologist to complete the requirements for certification under the recently introduced American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) certification program for technologists. ...

GeoDecisions.(PEOPLELINK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Kevin Switala director of the state and local government market for GeoDecisions, served as moderator for a panel discussion at the final Open GEodaTA Consortium Forum for 2004. www.geodecisions.com

GeoFields.(PEOPLELINK)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GeoFields hired Jim Roberts as lead integrity specialist, responsible for GeoField's integrity consulting practice. www.geofields.com

Geographic Technologies Group Inc.(PEOPLELINK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Geographic Technologies Group Inc. (GTG) added Joe Rubisch as chief client services officer, serving as manager for marketing and business development. Rubisch also will expand GTG's service and software offerings for the utility market. ...

Innoprise Software.(PEOPLELINK)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Debbie Felty joined Innoprise Software as a financial product consultant, responsible for sales support on all financial enterprise software sales activities. Also, the company appointed Jeffery Peterson director of sales, responsible for...

ITT Industries.(PEOPLELINK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The board of directors of ITT Industries elected Steven R. Loranger, company president and CEO, to the position of board chairman. Loranger replaces Lou Giuliano in this capacity, who earlier in 2004 retired as ITT's president and CEO. ...

KOREM Inc.(PEOPLELINK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Mark Cattini, MapInfo president and CEO, served as honorary president and keynote speaker at the KOREM Inc. GEOdiffusion conference. George Moon, chief technology officer, Kevin Antram, vice president and general manager, Canada, and Mark...

ORBIMAGE.(PEOPLELINK)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... William Schuster joined ORBIMAGE as chief operating officer. www.orbimage.com

R.A. Smith & Associates.(PEOPLELINK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... R.A. Smith & Associates named David Haines GIS project manager. www.rasmith.com

Woolpert.(Brenda Wilder earned GIS professional certification)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Woolpert's Brenda Wilder earned her GIS professional (GISP) certification, the company's second GIS professional to earn the designation. www.woolpert.com

TruePosition names new presidents.(Kent Sander and Joseph Sheehan)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Berwyn, Pa.-based TruePosition Inc. named Kent Sander president of International Operations. In addition, Joseph Sheehan, TruePosition's chief technical officer and leading expert on the design and implementation of wireless location solutions,...

Warning Center poised for tsunamis.(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration )
February 1, 2005... The tsunami of December 2004 caught most of the world off-guard, but scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii worked rapidly to disseminate information after the...

Transportation plan highlights technology, weather forecasting.(Integrated National Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Federal officials released a roadmap for the future of air travel: the Integrated National Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta called the plan "a blueprint that will lead to the...

Aura delivering daily data on pollution.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... NASA's Aura spacecraft is providing daily, direct global measurements of low-level ozone and other pollutants affecting air quality. Aura should help scientists monitor global pollution production and transport with "unprecedented" spatial...

GPS artillery shell aims for improved accuracy.
February 1, 2005... Interstate Electronics Corp. (IEC), Anaheim, Calif., announced the successful test firing of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-guided 155-millimeter artillery shell that may help reduce collateral damage on the battlefield and in...

GITA returns to mile high city.(Geospatial Information and Technology Association)
February 1, 2005... The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) returns to Denver March 6-9, 2005, for its Annual Conference 28. The site of GITA's largest-ever conference in 2000, Colorado's Convention Center will again host thousands of geospatial...

Use spatial statistics to map abnormal averages.(beyond mapping)(Column)
February 1, 2005... The last few "Beyond Mapping" columns identified two dominant forces that are moving mapping toward map analysis: spatial analysis and spatial statistics. The discussion mostly focused on spatial analysis, which supports a wealth of new...

Software patents cause mixed emotions for GIS.(ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION)
February 1, 2005... Software patents are relatively new in the United States, and they're starting to work themselves through the system. Multiple new patents appear each week, including several applied to GIS. Part of my job with MapInfo Corp. is to review...

Real-time differential correction options abound for mobile GIS users.(mobile geographic information systems)
February 1, 2005... Nothing keeps a mapping project on budget and schedule better than a dataset that's collected accurately the first time without needing a return trip to the field to correct inaccuracies. Therefore, mobile GIS users enjoy the benefits of...

OGC papers widen geospatial perspectives.(open geospatial consortium)
February 1, 2005... To take advantage of opportunities afforded by evolving technologies and markets, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) membership continues to expand OGC's focus beyond GIS and imaging. OGC's widening standards purview includes the following:...

Scarcity and conflict: seeking correlation in the Sudan.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... Recent violence in Sudan's Darfur region brought renewed international attention to a civil war and famine that have continued, with brief intermissions, since the British ceded control in 1956. In 2003, negotiations between the northern...

Rolling river: analysts map Apalachicola changes.
February 1, 2005... River courses, floodplain sloughs and forests are constantly changing due to natural geomorphology, but recent changes in the Apalachicola River main channel and floodplain are probably more related to construction of the Jim Woodruff Dam and...

Open source me! Internet mapping leads county to treasure.
February 1, 2005... Located directly southeast of Raleigh, Johnston County, N.C., has experienced explosive growth in the last decade, putting great pressure on the county government to improve infrastructure and services. Consequently, the Johnston County...

Operation summer breeze: real-time data support emergency operations; NC OneMap and The National Map served as essential geographic data resources in Charlotte, N.C., when emergency officials recently tested readiness skills and response plans for a biological terrorism event.
February 1, 2005... The Charlotte Metropolitan Region is located in the central piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina and is recognized for its high quality of life. The city of Charlotte, located in Mecklenburg County, functions as the central...

Earthcomber LLC.(virtual treasure map)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Earthcomber released its flagship product, a "virtual treasure map" that guides mobile users to their favorite things. Earthcomber is a software solution for Palmpowered devices that constantly sweeps the landscape for users' favorite things...

GeoLytics.(Data)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GeoLytics released its new ZIP+4 2004 database updated with the U.S. Census Bureau's latest release of the TIGER/Line files and the January 2004 U.S. Postal ZIP+4 codes. The CD uses geocoding technology developed by GeoLytics for more than 80...

NAC Geographic Products Inc.(Data)
February 1, 2005... NAC Geographic Products added Australia, Greece and Slovakia to the 22 countries digitized with Universal Addresses and Natural Area Codes. www.nacgeo.com

NAVTEQ.(Data)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... NAVTEQ integrated three new attributes providing detailed lane information into the NAVTEQ map of Germany. The initial product enhancement includes extended lane information for select critical junctions on German highways and seven...

Northport Systems Inc.(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Northport Systems released FUGAWI Map of America, which provides map viewing, printing and 3-D views as well as GPS support. FUGAWI Map of America also is the only map software to come complete with pocket versions for Palm OS and Pocket PC...

Ordnance Survey.(Data)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Ordnance Survey launched a fully searchable national gazetteer for use with its mid-scale raster map data products. OS Locator enables users to find and identify a specific location using the road name or number in conjunction with a locality,...

GfK MACON.(Data)
February 1, 2005... GfK MACON updated its maps for all 39 European countries, working for the first time with data offered by EUROSTAT. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] www.gfk-macon.com

3D Nature.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Using ER Mapper's Image Web Server and its streaming imagery protocol, large terabyte-plus images now can be used and manipulated in 3D Nature's Visual Nature Studio 2.5. The images can be served from within a Local Area Network or the...

Azteca Systems Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Azteca Systems released Cityworks Equipment Manager, which offers an intuitive user interface for scheduling, reserving and tracking equipment within the Cityworks environment. Users can assign equipment items to specific domains, browse by...

Digital Map Products (DMP).(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... DMP introduced a new version of its flagship product, CityGIS5, for enterprisewide deployment of an organization's maps and data. CityGIS5 is deployed from DMP's mapping platform by subscribers through an Internet browser and a secure data...

ESRI.(Software)(Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ESRI enhanced ArcGIS Business Analyst desktop software for the ArcGIS 9 platform. Enhanced functionality includes a new geoprocessing framework for modeling and scripting, new spatial statistics tools, improvements to annotation and labeling,...

InfoGeographics Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... InfoGeographics released version 2 of its GeoConnector geodata publishing software. Major improvements include the ability to perform data joins between "tabular into tabular" and "GIS into tabular" sources; input/output of more spatial...

Layton Graphics.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Layton Graphics introduced its GeoPDF Export extension for ArcGIS, which automatically embeds the coordinate system within a PDF exported from ArcMAP to create a georeferenced, intelligent PDF map (GeoPDF). www.layton-graphics.com

LizardTech Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The CARIS product line now supports LizardTech's MrSID format. The MrSID plug-in installs onto an existing installation of CARIS software and allows users to add MrSID imagery created using LizardTech's GeoExpress with MrSID software. ...

LuraTech.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... International Land Systems integrated LuraTech's JPEG 2000 image-compression technology into its ILS GeoViewer software. The integration is expected to speed the geo-information industry's uptake of the open imaging standard, JPEG 2000, as a...

MapInfo Corp.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... MapInfo introduced MapInfo MapMarker 2.0, a new United Kingdom address cleaning and geocoding solution. Two versions are available depending on the level of geocoding accuracy required: MapMarker UK ADDRESS-POINT, providing geocoding to...

MapText Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... MapText released Label-Web 1.0, a text-placement engine that labels Web-based maps "on the fly" in a GeoMedia WebMap 5.2 environment. Label-Web places text in accordance with cartographic rules and conventions, avoids text-to-text and...

Origin GeoSystems Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Origin GeoSystems released Origin GIS 2.2, an application extension for ArcGIS. Version 2.2 provides more than 25 new features and enhancements, including a configurable trace-based query and reporting tool, intelligent electrical...

Orion Technology Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Orion Technology launched OnPoint Lite based on Orion's OnPoint Standard and OnPoint Professional products. Upgrading from OnPoint Lite to OnPoint Standard or OnPoint Professional is a simple change in key-code that can be done via e-mail. ...

Spicer Corp.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Spicer Corp. introduced Imagenation 7.5 and Image a.X 7.5, the newest releases in its Universal Viewing suite. Release 7.5 increases the strength of Spicer's mechanical design drawing capabilities with the addition of DWG 2005, Autodesk...

TDC Group Inc.(Software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The new Freeance Direct software lets users dynamically map collected GPS points and street address data such as police, fire and environmental data on an ESRI-based Web-mapping platform. Freeance Direct will link industry-standard databases...

Telemorphic Inc.(Software)
February 1, 2005... Telemorphic introduced Map-Imager On-Line with interactive before/after satellite imagery of Fallujah, Iraq. Live demonstrations of Maplmager On-Line for Fallujah are available at www.telemorphic.com/launch/imager-fal.htm. DigitalGlobe provided...

Meridian GIS.(Software)
February 1, 2005... Meridian GIS released Compass Enterprise. Leveraging off the success of the Compass data management product for MapInfo, Compass Enterprise broadens the scope to an enterprisewide, multiformat data management tool. In addition to a spatial...

DAP Technologies.(Hardware)
February 1, 2005... DAP Technologies introduced the Microflex 2240, a rugged PDA designed for all-day operation in extreme environments. The Microflex 2240 weighs only 500 grams, but is built to endure tough environments. The Microflex 2240 runs Windows Mobile...

Leica Geosystems.(Hardware)
February 1, 2005... Leica Geosystems introduced the SR20, a single-channel GPS receiver for surveying applications. The SR20 incorporates a 12-channel L1 GPS engine that delivers centimeter-level accuracy in post-processing mode. The system can be used for...

Navman.(Hardware)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Navman introduced its iCN 650 navigation device, which is equipped with an internal hard drive preloaded with maps of the entire United States and Canada, a high-precision GPS antenna, fast processor and daylight-viewable screen. ...

Ubisense.(Hardware)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Ubisense Smart Space devices received certification from the Federal Communications Commission to operate in the United States. www.ubisense.net

Air-Trak Inc.(Misc.)
February 1, 2005... Air-Trak introduced geofencing on its Cloudberry mobile resource management system. Fleets using Cloudberry now can automatically receive an alert when a vehicle or other asset enters or exits a user-defined geographic area. Alerts appear...

ESRI.(Misc.)
February 1, 2005... ESRI Press released Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Second Edition, which acquaints readers with the principles of a GIS and explains the mechanics of using ArcGIS 9 Desktop software. The revised materials and updated exercises give readers...

Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA).(Misc.)
February 1, 2005... GITA published a white paper on using its Geospatial Technology Report as a GIS benchmarking tool. GITA also released details on how infrastructure-based organizations can receive a free copy of the report's next edition. The white paper is...

MWH Soft Inc.(Misc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... MWH Soft released its Comprehensive Sewer Collection Systems Analysis Handbook for Engineers and Planners. Topics range from basic open-channel flow theory and sophisticated rainfall-runoff modeling to dynamic (unsteady) routing of combined...

Air-O-Space International.(recognized for its high-tech methods)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Air-O-Space International, a wholly owned subsidiary of GB Tech Inc., was recognized for its high-tech methods used in a partnership with the Picayune Police Department in combating the "War on Drugs." www.gbtech.net

Air-Trak Inc.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Custom Air Trucking implemented Air-Trak's Cloudberry mobile resource management system to increase route efficiency and improve customer service. Also, Vertrax chose Cloudberry as a foundation for its SmartTraxT mobile resource-management...

Bentley Systems Inc.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc. joined Bentley's Enterprise License Subscription program. www.bentley.com

Cadcorp.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Cadcorp won a tender to provide software and services, including GeognoSIS.NET, to the London Borough of Hounslow for its corporate GIS. The deal also includes the supply of Cadcorp SIS Map Modeller, which is packaged with Cadcorp's Ordnance...

Charone.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Charone's Rapid Environmental Modeling System won the 2004 Autodesk Innovation Award for the Infrastructure Solutions Division's Customer Innovation Award. www.charone.ca

Civil Solutions.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Civil Solutions won a GIS parcelmapping services contract from the Camden County Improvement Authority of Cherry Hill, N.J. The county and Civil Solutions will create a county-wide GIS parcel base complete with other cadastral layers, a zoning...

CORDA Technologies Inc.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... CORDA Technologies won the "Best Government Solution" and was nominated for "Best Vendor Presentation" at the Government Solution Summit. www.corda.com

DigitalGlobe.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Nature Conservancy is using DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite imagery to assess biological diversity and conservation progress in several regions throughout the United States and worldwide. The Nature Conservancy leverages satellite...

EarthData.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... EarthData demonstrated its new rapid-response mapping system at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. The Airborne Rapid Imaging for Emergency Support system, consisting of a multi-sensor airborne component, rapid data down link, and a mobile...

ER Mapper.(BUSINESSNEWS)(contracts)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ER Mapper appointed a new Master Reseller, DataNet Solutions (Pty) Ltd., for the Southern African region. www.ermapper.com

ESRI.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ESRI deployed its ArcIMS Open Location Services (OpenLS) connector by ESRI Sweden as part of an effort to improve TeliaSonera's mapping-engine capabilities for location-based services across Scandinavia. The ArcIMS OpenLS connector is based on...

GDC.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GDC added three customers of its GeoReveal interactive geostatistical presentation tool: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council and Milton Keynes Observatory. www.graphdata.co.uk

GeoAnalytics Inc.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GeoAnalytics signed a business partnership agreement with SAS to help organizations make GIS a central and interoperable part of critical business information systems, including environmental, ERP, asset, financial, human-resource, justice,...

GeoDecisions.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Open Geospatial Consortium)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GeoDecisions became a member of the Open Geospatial Consortium. Also, GeoDecisions installed the GeoDecisions Crime Analysis and Mapping System (GeoCAMS) for the Bristol Township, Pa., Police Department, allowing command staff, detectives and...

Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA).(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GITA launched "Location in Education," an educational program for middle and high school students in the Denver metropolitan area. The program consists of 14 GPS units, a copy of the PBS video, The World in a Box, and a detailed lesson plan...

GlobeXplorer.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... GlobeXplorer and Skyline Software Systems demonstrated new capabilities in a jointly sponsored booth at the GIS for Homeland Security tradeshow in Washington, D.C. www.globexplorer.com

INLINE Corp.(BUSINESSNEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... James W. Sewall Co. selected INLINE to provide an integrated Storage Area Network/Network Attached Storage combination enterprise storage solution. www.inlinecorp.com