GEO World articles from March 2004

GEO World archives from March 2004

Handheld devices continue to evolve.(Position)
March 1, 2004... While researching the various location-enabled devices available at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (see "Location Devices Abound at Consumer Electronics Show," page 11), I was reminded of a memorable contribution to GeoWorld's 1998...

ITT Industries acquires Kodak's Remote Sensing Systems.(NewsLink)
March 1, 2004... ITT Industries Inc., White Plains, N.Y., signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) business from Rochester, N.Y.-based Eastman Kodak Co. for $725 million, significantly broadening its space payload and service...

Location devices abound at Consumer Electronics Show.(NewsLink)
March 1, 2004... The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), hosted annually by the Arlington, Va.-based Consumer Electronics Association, has become a springboard for the launch of electronic consumer gadgets of all shapes and sizes. CES, the world's largest annual...

DigitalGlobe and Keyhole deliver imagery to business customers.(NewsLink)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Longmont, Colo.-based DigitalGlobe will provide its QuickBird satellite imagery with Mountain View, Calif.-based Keyhole Inc.'s Internet-based 3-D Earth visualization products for business customers. DigitalGlobe's natural-color,...

WWII images now online.
March 1, 2004... More than 5 million aerial photographs of World War II were made publicly available via the Internet on Jan. 19, 2004, at http://www.evidenceincamera.co.uk. Taken by the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF), they were used by Allied...

ESRI, Redlands, Calif.(Online Update)
March 1, 2004... http://www.esri.com Subscribers to ESRI's ArcWeb for Developers now can obtain instant Web access to real-time traffic information from TrafficCast, current weather from Meteorlogix, recent earthquake information from the U.S. Geological...

ERSI Business Information Solutions (BIS), Vienna, VA.(Online Update)
March 1, 2004... http://www.esribis.com ESRI BIS introduced Business Analyst Online, an updated and renamed version of its Web site. Business Analyst Online is a "one-stop shop" for businesses and marketing professionals seeking marketing information...

Intergraph mapping and geospatial solutions, Huntsville, Ala.(Online Update)
March 1, 2004... http://imgs.intergraph.com/freebies/demos.asp Intergraph introduced a new online geospatial infrastructure-management solutions demo designed for public-works professionals. The demo addresses crisis situations and what can be done to...

National Geodetic Survey.(Internet Resource of the Month)
March 1, 2004... http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) operates the Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) to provide Global Positioning System (GPS) users easier access to the National Spatial Reference System. OPUS allows...

Avatech Solutions Inc., Baltimore, Md.(People Link)
March 1, 2004... http://www.avatechsolutions.com Avatech Solutions named George Cox, Gary Clark and Ed Aronson to its board of directors.

Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT), Lebanon, N.H.(People Link)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geographic.com Software and GIS professional Tony Lupien was named GDT's managing director, federal government. Lupien will help expand GDT's presence in federal digital mapping projects.

Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA), Aurora, Colo.(People Link)
March 1, 2004... http://www.gita.org GITA introduced a new board of directors headed by President Stewart Asbury, president of the SpatialAge Solutions Division, Byers Engineering Co., Atlanta. Asbury previously served as chair of GITA's Annual Conference...

RADARSAT International, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.(People Link)
March 1, 2004... http://www.rsi.ca RADARSAT International appointed John Hornsby to president. Hornsby joined RADARSAT International in 1991 and has held the positions of director of operations, director of worldwide sales, vice-president of sales and...

Leica Geosystems names Williams president of Surveying and Engineering.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Leica Geosystems appointed Bob Williams as president of the company's Surveying and Engineering Division for the Americas region. Williams replaces Matthew Smith, who is moving to corporate headquarters in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, to work on...

NOAA rolls out Climate Network.(Government Connection)
March 1, 2004... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce, began operating a new climate-monitoring network designed to track temperature and precipitation trends in the United States. The new system, called...

FEMA taps Michael Baker for Map Modernization.(Government Connection)
March 1, 2004... The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) selected Michael Baker Jr. Inc. to serve as the program manager to develop, plan, manage, execute and monitor the Multi-Hazard Flood Map Modernization Program for flood-hazard mitigation across the...

Proven techniques used for Mars program.
March 1, 2004... Images from two NASA rovers sent to Mars have made the "Red Planet" seem as accessible as a national park. Views of landscapes, landing sites and general terrain show a planet that, although millions of miles from Earth, shares similar features...

GITA conference examines Information, Strategy and Vision.(Conference Connection)
March 1, 2004... With catchphrases like "homeland security" and "critical infrastructure protection" on the lips of nearly all utility, government and other infrastructure-based organization officials, the applicability of geospatial information as a germane...

ESRI hosts 2004 Federal User Conference.(Conference Connection)
March 1, 2004... The Fourth Annual ESRI Federal User Conference (FedUC) was held Jan. 20-22, 2004, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The new venue featured expanded exhibit space and larger meeting rooms. Conference attendees had the...

CHC 2004 offers dynamic program.(Conference Connection)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The 33rd Canadian Hydrographic Conference (CHC 2004) will take place along the historical Rideau Canal at the Ottawa Westin Hotel from May 25-27, 2004. This year's theme, "A Canadian Celebration of Hydrography: Foundation for the Future," will...

Use a map-ematical framework for GIS modeling.(Beyond Mapping)
March 1, 2004... As GIS technology moves beyond mapping, an increasing number of analytical operations come into play. Tools for zooming, panning, coloring and superimposing map displays are being augmented by analytical procedures such as coincidence,...

The "G" moves onward.(The "G" in GIS)
March 1, 2004... My first "G in GIS" column appeared in January 1991, not long after GeoWorld's predecessor, GIS World, shifted from newsletter to magazine format. Since then, I've written a column about every two months--79 in all--and it's been a great ride....

GIS and Martus: technology with a conscience.(Edge Nodes)
March 1, 2004... Previous "Edge Nodes" columns argued that GIS technology can be used for altruistic purposes as well as to serve an unjust status quo or facilitate the growth of a more repressive social, economic and political environment. Subscribing to a...

Enterprise Enablement: the new economics of spatial processing in association with the Open GIS Consortium.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... All major corporations and agencies are embracing the new paradigm of loosely coupled processes interoperating across the Internet, because it enables unprecedented communication benefits and cost savings. This special GeoWorld Enterprise...

Standardization: the necessary luxury.(Industry Standards)
March 1, 2004... Imagine a hall filled with chief information and technology officers in front of a speaker who asks "Who are your standards people, and where are they in your organization?" Silence. The speaker then asks "Where do your standards people...

Open spatial processing delivers actionable decision making.(Intelligence)
March 1, 2004... In the movie Saving Private Ryan, Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, learned that he must take a squad of men into hostile territory and somehow find a missing soldier. As he and a sergeant walk through a horde of men landing on Normandy, he...

GIS enters the Matrix.(Government)
March 1, 2004... Anyone who has seen the Matrix trilogy will probably agree that the story's concept pushes enterprise computing, including GIS, to new levels. The Matrix concept illustrates some of the issues facing spatial data and processing in an integrated...

ESRI develops real benefits from interoperability.(OGC Member)
March 1, 2004... One of the hallmarks of GIS is its inherently collaborative nature. GIS illustrates relationships, connections and patterns in data. The unique integration capabilities of GIS bring together data from many sources for visual display and...

Hitachi software's Any*GIS uses open standards.(OGC Member)
March 1, 2004... When Forest Technology Group (FTG) wanted to extend its webFRIS ASP service, the company knew that open standards were a critical success factor. Open standards would allow FTG to assemble a truly interoperable system that included GIS and...

Safe Software specializes in spatial ETL.(OGC Member)
March 1, 2004... Safe Software Inc., a member of the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) since 1997, specializes in Spatial ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) technologies. Founded in 1993, the company has since become the industry leader in spatial data interoperability....

Avoid port bottlenecks: Web-based mapping tool puts port of Tacoma on track.(Asset Management)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... Managing spatial information is a common practice at the Port of Tacoma, Wash., but sharing spatial data among different departments and customers is a relatively new approach. As the port continues to set yearly container throughput records,...

GIS in a small town: inventive resources for construction and maintenance.(GIS Development)
March 1, 2004... Small towns without a GIS staff normally don't have the ability or resources to construct and maintain a municipal GIS. The University of Mississippi GeoInformatics Center (UMGC) worked with the city of Long Beach, Miss., and Long Beach High...

Do you really know where your customers are?(Enterprise Integration)
March 1, 2004... Due to its use of integrated technologies, Allegheny Power (AP) provides nationally recognized customer service to its 1.7 million customers. AP is the energy delivery business of Allegheny Energy, delivering electricity and natural gas to...

Geographic Data Technology (GDT) Canada, Toronto.(Data)
March 1, 2004... To submit information for "Product News" and "Business News," send press releases to GeoWorld, 6666 Gunpark Drive, Suite 102, Boulder, CO 80301 [303-544-0594, fax: 303-544-0595, e-mail: geoworldnews@aip.com]. Also, be sure to post your releases...

Navigation Technologies, Chicago.(Data)
March 1, 2004... http://www.navtech.com Navigation Technologies is offering sample NAVTECH maps to developers creating applications for QUALCOMM's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform. Developers incorporating location-based services...

3D Nature, Arvada, Colo.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.3dnature.com 3D Nature introduced SRTMFill, a free data processing utility for all Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data users. SRTMFill patches holes in SRTM digital elevation models by progressively in-filling from...

ARCBridge Consulting, Herndon, VA.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.arcbridge.com ARCBridge released NETSolv Network Analysis Extension for ESRI's ArcGIS, allowing users to create point-to-point routes, turn-by-turn driving directions, find closest facilities, create multilevel service areas and...

Blue Marble Geographics, Gardiner, Maine.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.bluemarblegeo.com Blue Marble released Geographic Calculator 6.0 and Geographic Transformer 5.0 with a focus on the Australian and New Zealand mapping community. Geographic Calculator also has new support for custom local...

CARIS, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.caris.com CARIS released CARIS HOM ENC version 3.3 software for producing S-57 Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) files. HOM software supports the International Hydrographic Organization ENC and River/Inland Waterway product...

Discrete Wireless Inc., Atlanta.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.discretewireless.com Discrete Wireless released its MARCUS Fleet Management Application version 5. The "backend" architecture was redesigned to perform redundant auto processing of all application components independently, and...

Earth Resource Mapping, Perth, Australia.(Software)
March 1, 2004... http://www.ermapper.com Earth Resource Mapping introduced ER Mapper 6.4, the latest version of its geospatial image-processing application for GIS, computer-aided design, imaging, office and Web applications. Highlights of ER Mapper 6.4...

ESRI, Redlands, Calif.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.esri.com ESRI released BusinessMAP Travel Edition 2, a routing and database mapping solution for business travelers. Enhancements include connection to a Global Positioning System receiver, the ability to add raster image map...

GeoConcept SA, Paris.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geoconcept.com GeoConcept released GeoConcept Pocket 2.0, a mobile application that provides detailed images which can be modified and enriched to meet user requirements. GeoConcept Pocket features high-quality image display...

GeoHealthcare, San Luis Obispo, Calif.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geohca.com GeoHealthcare introduced EPITOOLS 1.0, an extension for Maptitude GIS. EPITOOLS contains a suite of Epidemiologic and Public Health Software, including EpiInfo 2002 as well as cluster and other geospatial tools. ...

GlobeXplorer, Walnut Creek, Calif.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.globexplorer.com GlobeXplorer released ImageAtlas 2.0, its new aerial imagery viewer that provides online access to nationwide aerial imagery and street maps for anyone with a Web browser, with no software downloads needed. Users...

InfoSAR Ltd., Liverpool, United Kingdom.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.infosar.co.uk InfoSAR released InfoPACK 1.2, offering advanced synthetic aperture radar image-processing algorithms, an easy-to-use interface and image viewer, and versatile scripting language based on Python.

Leica Geosystems, Heerbrugg, Switzerland.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.leica-geosystems.com Leica Geosystems introduced ERDAS IMAGINE 8.7, which features JPEG2000 support (including GeoJP2), improvements to its mosaic tool and a faster, smoother multi-threaded IMAGINE Geospatial Light Table viewer....

MapInfo, Troy, N.Y.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.mapinfo.com MapInfo introduced Envinsa, a location platform designed to centrally link location data to applications throughout its information system, giving users instant access to enterprisewide location technology while...

Safe Software Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.safe.com Safe Software added support for IBM DB2 Universal Database Spatial Extender to its product line, including Feature Manipulation Engine (FME), FME Objects, SpatialDirect and FME SDP Server. The result is a direct...

Spatial Business Systems, Lakewood, Colo.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://spatialbiz.com Spatial Business Systems introduced a solution for integrating the Smallworld Core Spatial Technology from GE Network Solutions with Safe Software's Feature Manipulation Engine (FME). The solution allows full control...

Stora Enso, Vantaa, Finland.(Product News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.storaenso.com Stora Enso released EnsoMOSAIC 5.0 software for aerial image orthorectification. The software automatically ties large image sets together using search and correlation algorithms. New features include support for...

I-Site Pty Ltd, Adelaide, Australia.(Hardware)
March 1, 2004... http://www.isite3d.com I-SiTE released its I-SiTE 4400 Laser Imaging system. Setup, back-sight coordinates and instrument height are stored with scan data, so scans are always located in the correct coordinate system. Enhanced capability...

Navman, Foothill Ranch, Calif.(Hardware)
March 1, 2004... http://www.navman.com Navman released Navman 4460, a voice-enabled, Bluetooth Global Positioning System receiver designed for PalmOS 5-based handhelds. The device is powered by Navman's SmartST Professional Version II navigation software,...

American Fisheries Society, Alpharetta, Ga.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... http://www.fisheries.org Geographic Information Systems in Fisheries was developed to summarize a growing body of information on GIS applications in fisheries research and management. The book introduces ways GIS can be applied to...

Earthwide Communications, Greeley, Colo.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... http://www.eijournal.com Earthwide Communications began publishing Earth Imaging Journal, a bimonthly magazine reporting on the expanding global remote-sensing industry.

National Land & Water Resources, Canberra, Australia.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... http://www.nlwra.gov.au A new toolkit, produced by the National Land & Water Resources Audit and ANZLIC (the Spatial Information Council) and funded by the Natural Heritage Trust, aims to make spatial information stored by government...

Positioning Resources Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... http://www.posres.co.uk Positioning Resources introduced Thales MobileMapper, which combines GIS data collection and navigation software in a handheld Global Positioning System receiver. The new system is designed to handle a range of...

Vexcel Corp., Boulder, Colo.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... http://www.vexcel.com Vexcel added support for its Vexcel UltraCam-D large-format digital aerial camera through an updated version of its EarthFinder data management system, which features Vexcel software hosted on a Microsoft Windows XP...

3001 Inc., Gainesville, Fla.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.3001data.com Prime contractor 3001, in conjunction with Horizons Inc., EarthData and North West Group, began work for the St. Johns River Water Management District in production of orthophotography using the Leica Geosystems...

DMTI Spatial, Markham, Ontario, Canada.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.dmtispatial.com Garmin International selected DMTI Spatial's Canadian map data for Garmin's newest version of MapSource MetroGuide Canada, which will feature DMTI Spatial's CanMap RouteLogistics and Enhanced Points of Interest...

Earth Resource Mapping, Perth, Australia.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.ermapper.com Earth Resource Mapping completed a World Geocover Mosaic from Landsat satellite imagery that's thought to be the world's largest image served via the Internet as well as the largest image of Earth. More than 600...

ESRI, Redlands, Calif.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.esri.com ESRI provided teacher training to Iraqi nationals from the Ministries of Planning, Mines, Housing and Construction, and Water Resources in support of the country's redevelopment efforts. In addition, ESRI donated...

ESRI Canada, Toronto.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.esricanada.com The county of Essex, including the lower-tier municipalities, selected ESRI Canada to implement an asset-management solution. The system will help county and member municipalities meet minimum maintenance...

European Space Agency (ESA), Paris.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.gmes.info The ESA introduced SAGE, one of 10 Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Service Elements that address priority activities recommended by the final report for the GMES initial period (2001-2003). SAGE...

GeoConcept SA, Paris.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geoconcept.com GeoConcept announced revenues of $6.5 million (a rise of 30 percent) and a net profit of $1 million for the financial year 2002-2003. This is the 11th profitable year for GeoConcept in its 13-year history.

Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT), Lebanon, N.H.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geographic.com GDT partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to enhance location information within the National Bridge Inventory. The partnership is an extension of GDT's existing contract to provide USDOT...

Geographic Technologies Group (GTG), Goldsboro, N.C.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.geotg.com GTG won the following contracts in a variety of categories: emergency GIS dispatch: city of Broken Arrow, Okla., Spalding County, Ga., and the Wisconsin State Police; GIS browser software: city of Boca Raton, Fla.; GIS...

Group 1 Software, Lanham, Md.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.g1.com Group 1 Software extended an exclusive reseller relationship to integrate Geographic Data Technology's geographic boundary data into Group 1's tax-related applications.

Hummingbird Ltd., Toronto.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.hummingbird.com Hummingbird partnered with Ricoh Corp. to provide customers with the ability to securely capture, manage and share scanned documents and photographic images across an enterprise. The alliance introduced two...

Idevio, Gothenburg, Sweden.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.idevio.com The Swedish Armed Forces Intelligence and Security Centre equipped its Anubis system with Idevio's RaveGeo compression and streaming technology for digital maps. The Anubis system compiles intelligence information and...

Ionic Enterprise, Alexandria, Va.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.ionicenterprise.com The Open GIS Consortium (OGC) recognized IONIC RedSpider Web 3 software as OGC Compliant for Web Map Service (WMS 1.1.1) and Web Feature Service (WFS 1.0.0) interfaces. With RedSpider WMS and WFS components,...

James W. Sewall Co., Old Town, Maine.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.jws.com To assess the effect of Hurricane Juan, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commissioned James W. Sewall to acquire aerial photography of 1.5 million acres of forested land and develop digital...

JumpStart GIS Inc., Richmond, Va.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.jumpstartgis.com JumpStart GIS completed the first segment of a conversion project of more than 136,000 parcels in Richland County, S.C. The mapping project includes the development of a custom cadastral geodatabase model to...

Leica Geosystems, Heerbrugg, Switzerland.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.leica-geosystems.com The Design Survey Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation ordered from Leica Geosystems six TCRA1103 extended-range PowerSearch total stations with Allegro wireless data collectors and three...

LizardTech Inc., Seattle.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.lizardtech.com LizardTech's DjVu and MrSID file formats are supported within LEAD Technologies' LEADTOOLS version 14, which is designed to help programmers integrate raster, document, medical, multimedia, Internet and vector...

Merrick & Co., Denver.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.merrick.com Merrick & Co. won base-mapping contracts from Bozeman, Mont., and Jackson Hole, Wyo., for the ICON/G & O Joint Venture. Merrick will deliver 0.5-foot digital black-and-white orthophotography, two-foot contours and a...

ORBIMAGE Inc., Dulles, Va.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.orbimage.com ORBIMAGE emerged from bankruptcy protection effective Dec. 31, 2003. ORBIMAGE's final plan of reorganization was confirmed on Oct. 24, 2003, by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The...

R.A. Smith & Associates Inc., Brookfield, Wis.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.rasmith.com R.A. Smith & Associates became an authorized reseller of CommunityInfo, a GIS software product available through ESRI Business Information Solutions' Partner Program. CommunityInfo provides demographic data about a...

Tele Atlas, Menlo Park, Calif.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.na.teleatlas.com Pioneer's newest in-car navigation system, the AVIC-N1, uses Tele Atlas' turn-by-turn map data and points-of-interest content.

UCLID Software, Madison, Wis.(Business News)
March 1, 2004... http://www.uclid.com UCLID Software introduced the UCLID Educational Grant Program for qualified colleges, universities and technical institutes, representing a potential $6.25 million software donation by UCLID to support GIS education...

Cadcorp SIS 6.0.(Quick-Take Reviews)
March 1, 2004... Price: Map Viewer--$300, Map Manager--$1,200, Map Editor--$2,200, Map Modeller--$2,700. Requirements: Microsoft Windows NT 4/95/98/ME/2000/XP, Pentium 133 or faster processor, 64MB or more RAM recommended, 100MB free disk space. ...

Are we mainstream yet?(Tech Time)
March 1, 2004... For several years, people have been talking about GIS becoming part of mainstream information technology (IT). Doug Seaborn, president of GeoVision, presented in 1992 a conference paper titled "1995: The Year GIS Disappeared," in which he...