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Webcasts of Geospatial Web Services 2008

Fetched: July 18th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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The Geospatial Web Services workshop at Centre for Geospatial Science, University of Nottingham held June 16-17th, 2008 had an interesting twist: a live webcast. More than 300 viewers followed the presentations over two days. Organizer Dr. Suchith Anand of the University wants to share the content as he believes "technologies like webcasting and podcasting will help in widening participation of GIS research conferences and events for the benefit of the society at large."
Podcast: Interview with Safe Software and WeoGeo on Cloud Computing

Fetched: July 17th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Safe Software and WeoGeo are partnering to bring spatial ETL (extract, transform and load) technology to the cloud. Not sure what the cloud is? Not sure how geospatial technologies can take advantage of it? Safe's president Don Murray and WeoGeo's CEO Paul Bissett tackle these topics and prepare you for your future in the cloud.
What I Learned Moving to a Mac

Fetched: July 16th, 2008, 8:30pm CEST

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When you attend a conference are you seeing more people with Macs? Unlike a few years ago when Mac users were either hip programmers or not so tech-savvy folks, more and more regular computer users are going Mac, both in and outside of geospatial. Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg joined the group back in March and thinks back on those three months to share what she's learned. While she appreciates what the Mac can do, the real revelation how her computer use has moved to the cloud.
July 2008: The Current Housing Market

Fetched: July 16th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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The predominant development in 2008 is not growth, but decline - the fallout from the downturn in the housing market. There are still areas of growth, pockets of prosperity to report; however, there are few areas untouched by the decline of the housing market and the ensuing credit crunch. ESRI's chief demographer, Lynn Wombold, takes a close look at the current housing situation in the context of demographic factors.
Podcast: You are a Sensor

Fetched: July 15th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Clever researchers have determined that you, even without a portable device can be an effective geographic sensor. This week we explore examples of how individuals, sometimes along with their electronic gadgets, can act as effective sensors for disease or natural disaster. Our editors share some proven techniques and explore how this type of data collection might play out in the future.
Podcast: Tracking Fleets...On Land and Water - An Executive Interview with Pointer Telocation's Israel Ronn

Fetched: July 11th, 2008, 2:30pm CEST

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In todays executive interview podcast we spoke with Israel Ronn, General Manager of Pointer Telocation's products division. Pointer Telocation is based in Isreal and is a supplier of Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and asset management solutions for fleet management and they are working with G4S Telematix S.A. of Greece to provide tracking technology for live coverage of a series of Mediterranean sailing races. Editor-in-chief Joe Francica spoke with Mr. Ronn about the event and about Pointers technology.
SERVIR Viz: A 3D Data Access and Visualization System for Mesoamerica

Fetched: July 9th, 2008, 11:30pm CEST

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The challenge may sound familiar: deliver geospatial data hosted remotely at many different locations via one access point to many different levels of user. The goal may also soud familiar: share, disseminate and visualize across eight countries, with multiple languages and in some areas, limited infrastructure. But, more than likely, you've not yet heard about the solution: SERVIR, the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System for Mesoamerica, which extends from southern Mexico to Panama, including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT) developed a key part SERVIR Viz, a free, easy-to-use data access and visualization framework for geodata built on NASA's World Wind. Three team members give us a tour.
Advanced Geospatial Intelligence Enhances Commercial Imagery

Fetched: July 9th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Advanced Geospatial Intelligence or AGI, applied to imagery is what we'd likely call "image analysis." It describes techniques "to look beyond the visual information depicted in the image." For the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, NGA, that has two key implications: more intelligence and the ability to create and then share unclassified products with partners for a variety of uses. Kensey Liebsch of NGA explores the present and future of the analysis and the core imagery.
Podcast: Web Mapping Platform Migration

Fetched: July 8th, 2008, 4:41am CEST

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Last week Ask.com moved off its longtime mapping platform to Microsoft's Virtual Earth. What are the practical choices these days for those who want mapping as part of their portals? Has customization and a unique look and feel been overshadowed by a few strong hosted solutions to which everyone will eventually migrate? Our editors sort out the options and trends and end up using the "c" word - commodity.
Skyhook's XPS 2.0 - Location Solutions for Truly Converged Devices

Fetched: July 2nd, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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For a cell phone user living in a deep urban canyon, a GPS signal is often difficult to obtain and if you are indoors, nearly impossible. Location determination often requires other means if a clear GPS signal can't be acquired. Assisted GPS provides a backup to a clear line of sight based on triangulating cell tower locations but sometimes the accuracy falls short for some applications. Since its inception, Skyhook Wireless offered the ability to triangulate position based on a database of Wi-Fi hotspots to help solve both problems. Now, the company is offering a way to incorporate all three location determination technologies to solve the problem of indoor positioning and improving accuracy.
Retailers Go IP Geotargeting - Turning Internet Clients into Foot Traffic and More

Fetched: July 2nd, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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It's not enough anymore to just have a good supporting website to capture additional retail sales. The Web experience for individuals not only needs to be customized for the retailer's "frequent buyers" with regard to their buying preferences, but can now be specifically targeted based on their location, as well. Ace Hardware is using Internet Protocol (IP) geotargeting technology to immediately recognize its Web traffic to create a nearly hyperlocal experience for its Web visitors. Editor-in-chief Joe Francica explores the technology with executives from Digital Element and GSI Commerce.
Podcast: Location Determination Goes Hybrid

Fetched: July 1st, 2008, 5:10am CEST

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Skyhook announced a hybrid location determination software solution that can tap into GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell towers to locate devices. What does that mean for knowing where you are anytime, anywhere? Is this step forward accompanied by an increased sense of location privacy comfort? Our editors explore the new technology and offer a suggestion for tackling the privacy bugaboo.
Naming Names

Fetched: June 30th, 2008, 8:30pm CEST

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On Monday, Nokia reported it would acquire Plazes for an undisclosed sum. Plazes is reasonably well-know in the geospatial arena for its location-tagged messaging offering. Outside our community, Plazes' geospatial focus and clever location-related name didn't necessarily come into play in reports about the acquisition. Adena Schutzberg explores how the media understands this small, but increasingly important company, and what it says about the terms the geospatial community holds dear.
Mapping It All Out: FEMA's GIS Program Has Positive Impact On Moss Point Recovery

Fetched: June 30th, 2008, 5:30pm CEST

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When the average person thinks of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its role in the recovery of a community after a disaster, images of the initial response usually come to mind; a man in a FEMA shirt sitting at a table signing residents up for disaster assistance, an assembly line of workers unloading bottles of water from a truck and handing them to waiting disaster victims or, perhaps, a FEMA official joining local, state and national leaders on a tour of the disaster area. The aforementioned imagery provides a relatively narrow perspective of FEMA's functions and responsibilities. A great example of the lesser known roles of FEMA's assistance comes through the GIS program.
MapInfo 9.5 - Under the Hood

Fetched: June 28th, 2008, 6:42am CEST

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Editor-in-chief Joe Francica spoke with Moshe Binyamin, MapInfo Professional Product Manager, about some of the features announced in the release of MapInfo Professional 9.5. The product was released on June 11.
MapInfo 9.5 Under the Hood

Fetched: June 25th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Editor-in-chief Joe Francica spoke with Moshe Binyamin, MapInfo Professional Product Manager, about some of the features announced in the release of MapInfo Professional 9.5. The product was released on June 11.
Five Questions with Susan Marlow About Parcel Datasets

Fetched: June 19th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Smart Data Strategies has been in the parcel / land records business for 20 years. In the last year or so, parcel data has become an incredibly hot topic. Today, several large commercial companies are in the process of building a national parcel dataset. Adena Schutzberg asked Susan Marlow, CEO of Smart Data Strategies, about parcel data.
Five Questions (Plus One) About Korem's Mapworkspace

Fetched: June 18th, 2008, 6:33am CEST

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In May, Korem launched a website aimed at MapInfo Professional users that allows them to share their workspaces and associated files. Adena Schutzberg asked Korems vice president and CTO, Jean-Sébastien Turcotte, about the product.
Podcast: Who is #1 in GIS...and Does It Really Matter?

Fetched: June 17th, 2008, 8:30am CEST

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Who's #1 in GIS? How big is the GIS market? Is the impact of Google affecting the sales of GIS vendors? These questions are asked all the time and the answer is...nobody really knows. But more to the point, does it really matter? With the fragmentation of the geospatial technology market during the last few years, it is difficult to place a number on the total size of the market, despite the best efforts of market research firms. Editor-in-chief Joe Francica lays out a framework for the sectors of the geospatial market and what really needs to be considered when trying to size the market...but as importantly, why the numbers today are irrelevant.
Podcast: Exclusive Interview with Judson Green, president & CEO, NAVTEQ

Fetched: June 12th, 2008, 4:20am CEST

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In an exclusive interview, Judson Green, president and CEO of NAVTEQ spoke with Directions Media Editor-in-chief Joe Francica about a broad spectrum of topics related to the growth of the location-based services market and the ability of NAVTEQ to address an exploding market for digital map products. Green spoke of the opportunities for NAVTEQ not just in terms of its current ability to serve a variety of market segments but provided some insights in what may be possible in the future with NAVTEQ data. "Don't think of our map going into a nav system in the front seat of the car; think of our map going into the engine of the car to help drive the car ... and therein you find dozens and dozens and dozens of applications which would fundamentally improve the safety of the car, the productivity of the car, the efficiencies, and we think that's a very exciting area," he said. Green, once the president for Walt Disney Attractions, now has the challenge of sorting through the opportunities that range from real-time dynamic content to advanced driver assistance systems.
Serendipity in News and Travel

Fetched: June 11th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Are you the type who grabs the latest cell phone with GPS? Or upgrades to the latest tools for tracking your hiking expedition or bike ride? Not all geospatial professionals are geo-gadget people. Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg isn't one when it comes to satellite navigation devices - she doesn't have one. In this editorial she explains the choice in one word: serendipity. She puts it this way: "It's my contention that if you follow a track too closely you are not open the wonders you may find along the way."
Podcast: Speedy Browsers for Web Mapping ... Which Ones Are Faster?

Fetched: June 10th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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It's always about speed. In the early days of geospatial technology, the argument was about getting things done faster with speedier computers: VAXes, mini-VAXes, and those "wiz-bang" 486 PCs! Now the discussion has changed. With geospatial solutions being delivered by Internet-based mapping programs some of the bottleneck with speed is tied up in browsers. Is Internet Explorer faster than Mozilla? What browser best renders maps and which is tops in security? Editor Joe Francica explores the options.
The Open Geospatial Consortium: Fostering a Climate for Collaboration

Fetched: June 4th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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The OGC is best known for creating standards, but one of its great contributions is as a forum for collaboration. In this article, John Olesak of Northrop Grumman Information Technology TASC highlights how organizations come together and enhance efforts including national spatial data infrastructures and the global spatial data infrastructure. He explains that "collaborative environments are difficult to achieve and maintain over time. OGC has a proven track record of keeping a balance between a structured steady course and the rapid adaptation and assimilation of new ideas."
Seven Questions about Contigo's New Mobile Items Monitoring Patent

Fetched: June 4th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Contigo received a patent earlier this year for monitoring the locations of mobile items. The patent is not linked to a specific location technology, meaning it applies to existing and perhaps future technologies. Editor-in-Chief Joe Francica asked company representatives to share insights on the implications of this patent for the company's existing fleet tracking and future solutions.
Podcast: Wither Paper Maps in a World of Satellite Navigation?

Fetched: June 3rd, 2008, 2:31pm CEST

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This week the California State Automobile Association announce it would end its production of road maps due to falling demand. The slack will be picked up by the national Association. At the same time police and response organizations are warning the public and their staffs to keep a paper map on hand. What is happening to paper maps as GPS devices become part of our daily lives? Editors Adena Schutzberg and Joe Francica share their thoughts.
Five Questions (Plus One) About TRF and the New Version of PolicyMap

Fetched: June 2nd, 2008, 2:30am CEST

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GIS has long been used in development and redevelopment efforts. The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) updated its PolicyMap online application which serves organizations and individuals interested in redeveloping and revitalizing neighborhoods. Maggie McCullough, TRF's director of PolicyMap explains the project's vision, technology and business model in answering our questions.
Operations Meets Analytics at Pitney Bowes MapWorld '08

Fetched: May 30th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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To understand how MapInfo and Group 1 Software, both divisions of Pitney Bowes, will be positioned going forward, an attendee of MapWorld 2008 need only observe the trade show floor. Joe Francica explains.
Issues and Ideas from the New York State Geospatial Summit 2008

Fetched: May 29th, 2008, 4:47am CEST

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Did you ever attend a regional GIS conference that really was not about the region's GIS or even about the work you do day to day? Adena Schutzberg did; she spoke at the New York State Geospatial Summit, an eclectic event held in the wilds of New York State. It's a small, all-plenary event designed to get geospatial professionals to think outside their daily work "boxes." The 2008 edition did just that as she explains in this event wrap-up.
Podcast: (Geo)technology 2008 - Findability, Accessibility, Portability

Fetched: May 28th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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This week Adena Schutzberg offers a condensed version of the presentation she gave last week at the NYS Geospatial Summit, in Skaneateles, NY. It focuses on the challenges of finding, accessing and moving Web-based content both geospatial and otherwise, and highlights some technologies and tools addressing those challenges. She also looks into the future and predicts what she expects to see in these areas in the coming months and years.
NSDI Implementation Strategies

Fetched: May 24th, 2008, 11:30pm CEST

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"What are the strategies to implement NSDI?" Asmat Ali asserts no consolidated documents exist at the moment to answer that question. In this paper he reviews only socio-technical approaches to implementing NSDI, highlighting the Rainbow Metaphor Approach and the Public Private Partnership Approach. Neither approach alone offers all the potential benefits, but each brings key elements to the table.
Five Questions About Avencia's Sajara

Fetched: May 21st, 2008, 8:30pm CEST

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Avencia launched a new version of its Web-based digital asset management (DAM) software, Sajara, earlier this month. Why are consulting firm offering products? How is the revolution in online mapping changed demands on digital asset management? We posed these and other questions to company president and CEO Robert Cheetham and the Sajara team.
Five Question About Avencia's Sajara

Fetched: May 21st, 2008, 8:30am CEST

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Avencia launched a new version of its Web-based digital asset management (DAM) software, Sajara, earlier this month. Why are consulting firm offering products? How is the revolution in online mapping changed demands on digital asset management? We posed these and other questions to company president and CEO Robert Cheetham and the Sajara team.
Podcast: ESRI and Google Offer New Solutions for Finding and Using Geospatial Data

Fetched: May 20th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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At last week's Where 2.0 conference held in Burlingame, California, Google's John Hanke and ESRI's Jack Dangermond shared the stage to describe their updated vision for making ESRI's users' geodata and services more usable across the Web. Our editors describe the key points in this technological and business handshake and explore its implications.
Addressing Fire

Fetched: May 16th, 2008, 8:31am CEST

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England's fire services are tapping into many location technologies to get the right information to the right people at the right time. Many partners have come together to outfit vehicles across the region with Mobile Data Terminals complete with data from the National Land and Property Gazetteer. Carl Hancock explains how it all comes together.
Business Globes 1.0

Fetched: May 14th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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What is it you like about Google Earth, really? Satellite images or the "zooming" factor? The ability to use the "globe" to grasp a much wider perspective has implications for how businesses can manage their multinational operations. Joe Francica explores "business globes" that will be created specifically for organizations or industries, and how they might support a better view of a corporate ecosystem from a geographic perspective.
Podcast: Four Technologies That May Soon Impact Geospatial - Are You Ready?

Fetched: May 13th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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The editors look outward to find technologies that will impact how geospatial products and practices will change in the next 12 to 24 months. Some of the suggestions are already appearing in cutting edge products, others are not yet implemented in geospatial solutions, but we expect them to be soon.
The LI 15 Minute Update: Short Conversations with Geo Technology and Data Providers Part 2

Fetched: May 9th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg challenged exhibitors and attendees to provide updates on their organization's latest news and products in just 15 minutes. She shares a sampling of interesting tidbits from WeatherBug, WeoGeo, Seisan, MapQuest and Quova in part two of a two-part article.
The LI 15 Minute Update: Short Conversations with Geo Technology and Data Providers Part 1

Fetched: May 8th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg challenged exhibitors and attendees to provide updates on their organization's latest news and products in just 15 minutes. She shares a sampling of interesting tidbits from Tele Atlas, Europa Technologies, Ubisense and Microsoft in part one of a two-part article.
Location Intelligence 2008: Maturing Market Players Look for New Relationships

Fetched: May 7th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Directions Media hosted the fifth annual Location Intelligence Conference last week in Santa Clara, California. Adena Schutzberg shares how a location-savvy audience reacted to the possibilities for indoor location tracking, discusses a lightning panel, and details BP's work implementing location intelligence across the entire 100,000 person company. She also offers up the key themes of the event.
European Mobile Mapping Trends

Fetched: May 7th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Where is Europe compared to the rest of the world with location-based services? What cultural differences suggest a preference for "locate services" or "friend finders" versus turn-by-turn navigation that is a staple of the U.S. market for LBS? And why does the word "free" raise skepticism in some parts of Europe? Michael Fisher explores some of these difference and adds his own forecast for location-based advertising.
Podcast: Why is it so Hard to Sell Geospatial Technology to the Enterprise?

Fetched: May 6th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Senior executives from leading technology companies, speaking at our Location Intelligence Conference last week shared that the entire value proposition for spatial enablement is a "push" to the market rather than a "pull" or demand for the technology. Our editors ask: Are we doing an adequate job of selling the technology to more of the people who will eventually implement geospatial tools with other IT solutions? Why is it still so hard? What are we not doing well? Will it take another "Google Earth" to push the technology deeper into corporate computing or a new crop of graduates to be more geospatially enlightened?
Top Ten Things I learned at LI 2008

Fetched: May 5th, 2008, 4:01pm CEST

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Location Intelligence 2008 provided a glimpse into some of the technology trends shaping the industry. Conference Chairman Joe Francica provides a quick takeaway on his observations of the event and the conversations he had with attendees. The conference took place last week in Santa Clara, CA.
GCI Sells Maptech

Fetched: April 30th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Maptech, a company known in geospatial circles for its Terrain Navigator Pro and Pocket Navigator map applications, but even more well-known in marine circles for its paper and electronic marine navigation tools, quietly went on the block earlier this year. Adena Schutzberg takes a look at the company's interesting past and its expected future.
Podcast: Do You Think Spatially?

Fetched: April 29th, 2008, 7:17am CEST

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An interactive session at a recent regional GIS event prompted our editors to explore how we are trained in GIS, and how and if we use spatial thinking in our day-to-day work. Are we just pushing buttons and following recipes or are we truly using the underlying ideas of how people, places and things behave in space? Does it matter if you are trained in geography vs. GIS vs. another discipline? What does the future look like for those skilled (or not) in spatial thinking?
17th Annual GIS SIG Draws Genesee/Finger Lakes Region Geospatial Users to Tackle Local and Universal Challenges

Fetched: April 28th, 2008, 3:32pm CEST

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Adena Schutzberg has argued in the past that you can learn as much (or more) at a regional GIS gathering of a few hundred than at a multi-day event of several thousand. Case in point: the 17th GIS Special Interest Group Conference serving the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region of New York state held last week. Not only did neighbors learn what neighbors were doing, they also were forced out of their comfort zones to explore topics outside geospatial technology and at its heart.
Satellite Imagery Production Grows Up: Land Cover for Local Governments

Fetched: April 24th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Earth Day 2008 has just passed providing solid evidence citizens and governments are turning their attention to all things green. Local governments are hearing the call of green as well and often look to acquire a land cover dataset to understand what's on the ground within their geography. Until recently such a dataset was the result of a one-off negotiation with an aerial firm and/or a imagery analysis specialist who could turn the image into land cover polygons. But there's a new game in town that takes advantage of high resolution satellite imagery and accelerated feature extraction, making land cover data more accessible for even the smallest towns. Adena Schutzberg explains how three companies have come together to introduce land cover datasets for the Chicago area next month, hoping to tap into the pent up demand.
Pitfalls of SDI's Hierarchy

Fetched: April 23rd, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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A spatial data infrastructure model must serve many constituents. Asmat Ali, the Assistant Director of the Survey of Pakistan, explains how the data may be developed by corporate, local, state, national, regional or global interests, and each potential creator imbues them with different characteristics "due to different needs at these different levels." That, he suggests, presents a potential pitfall, which he aims to address via a new SDI hierarchy model for federated nations.
Cost-effective Information Interoperability for All-Hazards Events in Spite of Decreasing Preparedness Funding - Part Two, The Solution

Fetched: April 20th, 2008, 5:30pm CEST

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Ric Skinner follows up on last week's article describing the environment of diminishing all-hazards preparedness funding, with a vision for a solution. He offers the concept of the "Disaster Management Interoperable Information System" (DMIIS) that would provide participating towns, agencies and other resources with a cost-effective capability for enhanced situation awareness, disaster response, resource request and allocation, and a collaborative environment for training and exercises.
Cost-effective Information Interoperability for All-Hazards Events in Spite of Decreasing Preparedness Funding - Part One, The Environment

Fetched: April 17th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Emergency management agencies are expected to do more with less. The scope of responsibility is increasing at the same time as budgets are decreasing - and are likely to decrease even more sharply as federal and state agencies cut funding. Ric Skinner describes the environment and need in part one of this two part article, presented here. In part two, he will review a potential solution for how agencies can become better prepared for "all-hazards" events by implementing a cost-effective information interoperability solution.
Product Review: Maptitude 5.0

Fetched: April 16th, 2008, 5:28am CEST

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Caliper Corporation's Maptitude has a reputation for being a powerful, easy-to-use desktop mapping program. Version 5.0, released early this year, should turn a few heads according to reviewer Michael Cline. He suggests that GIS professionals will find more advanced analytical capabilities that take Maptitude beyond a simple mapping tool. Users will also like the low cost offering, which includes some functions unavailable in more expensive packages.
NGA and Mongolia Map New Horizons

Fetched: April 14th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has had an exchange and cooperative agreement with Mongolia since 2004. What's in it for NGA? The opportunity to collect gravity and elevation data over the country, gain access to the latest country maps and geographic names database, to name a few. What's in it for Mongolia? Access to NGA base data for mapping, use of loaner GIS workstations, training and more. There's an interesting "win win" situation going on as NGA helps develop geospatial capabilities in this fast-growing democracy on the other side of the world.
An Insider's View of Remote Sensing Fire Applications for Conservation

Fetched: April 9th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Remote sensing is increasingly used as a tool for conservation management. Beyond traditional satellite imagery popularized by Google Earth, new sensing applications are allowing researchers located anywhere in the world to track fires, illegal logging and mining, and deforestation in some of Earth's most isolated regions using a computer or handheld device.
Podcast: BI and Web 2.0 and the Latest in Location Privacy Lawsuits

Fetched: April 8th, 2008, 4:31am CEST

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This week our editors revisit two themes that continue to pop up as geospatial technology, ideas, visualization and data move into the mainstream IT world and popular culture. First we look at two announcements regarding the integration of Business Intelligence or BI, with online mapping. Then, we'll pick apart the latest data capture privacy lawsuit - where a couple is suing Google over StreetView images of their house.
ADCi's Barb Wenninger Discusses Company Strategy

Fetched: April 7th, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Barb Wenninger was recently promoted to the position of director of Sales and Marketing at American Digital Cartography, Inc. (ADCi), where she has worked for six years. In her new position Wenninger will be responsible for managing and growing ADCi's sales activity, as well as planning, implementing and directing the company's marketing and public relations strategies. ADCi has been around for 20 years, and is best known as a provider of digital cartography data. Wenninger brings more than 20 years of experience to her new role. Directions Magazine asked her several questions about her career and the company.
Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging Rebrands as ERDAS and Takes Aim at the Enterprise Geospatial Market

Fetched: April 3rd, 2008, 5:30pm CEST

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Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging announced yesterday that it is rebranding the company as ERDAS. The new tagline, "The Earth to Business Company," is a clear signal ERDAS wants to be a more aggressive player in the enterprise geospatial market. Unshackling itself from the Leica name allows the company to develop a stronger, more focused software brand. Read more in this report from Editor-in-chief Joe Francica.
3D, BIM and Going Green: Cities Are Challenged by a New Geospatial Revolution

Fetched: April 3rd, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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Green is the "new black." BIMs (building information models) evolved from 3D, and geospatial technology finds itself in the midst of so much disruption that revolution is afoot. The beneficiary of all these changes? Perhaps, Mother Earth. From the 2D world with which we "mappers" are most familiar to a third dimension that includes not just terrain but the buildings that occupy it, geospatial technology is trying to keep up with new demands from those seeking better visualization of their environment. Joe Francica reports.
Podcast: Deep Dive into Real-Time Traffic and Location-based Advertising on Mobile Handsets

Fetched: April 2nd, 2008, 5:30am CEST

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What's new in receiving real-time traffic information on your mobile handset? What's the latest in location-based advertising? Discover the latest information in Editor-in-chief Joe Francicas interview with Tim Lorello of TeleCommunications Systems. This is the second part of an interview conducted on March 20, 2008.
Podcast: EU Investigates Geodata Acquisitions; Pitney Bowes Plans Growth, Rebranding

Fetched: April 1st, 2008, 2:30am CEST

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This week the European Union extended its investigations into the acquisition of Tele Atlas by TomTom and NAVTEQ by Nokia causing stocks to drop and some to wonder what's ahead. Here in the United States Pitney Bowes CEO talked up his plans for growth for its recently acquired MapInfo, along with a rebranding of the corporate parent. Our editors explore what's ahead on all three fronts.
Freese and Nichols Automates Field Data Collection with Digital Pen and Paper Software Platform from Adapx

Fetched: March 30th, 2008, 5:31pm CEST

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Mark Valentino of Freese and Nichols explains how the company recently integrated the new digital pen and paper software platform, Capturx for ArcGIS Desktop, into field operations. The company specializes in engineering and architecture, inventory and asset management, as well as environmental science, and collects a large volume of geospatial information for most of its projects.
How Current Household Geo-Demography Can Help With Site Location

Fetched: March 28th, 2008, 2:30am CET

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In recent years spatial technology has evolved so that anyone with a personal computer and access to the Web can, with only a few mouse clicks, "see" almost any place on earth. That raises expectations when it comes to how current data are -- and for retail network planners (the folks figuring out where to open, close and move stores) having the most recent demographic data possible is critical. The Gadberry Group's Larry Martin describes the demand and touches on his company's offerings.
Addressing: The Revenge of Geography

Fetched: March 27th, 2008, 4:26pm CET

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Canada Post's Timothy Grayson takes a deep dive into addresses and explores their relevance in an increasingly online world. "Pondering a future for location intelligence is a speculative journey through geographic permanence and human transience that ends with proving location intelligence to be evermore crucial to businesses and governments," says Grayson. Read more...
Five Questions About ((Echo))MyPlace

Fetched: March 26th, 2008, 5:30am CET

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The Carbon Project received $100,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation to further develop its product, ((Echo))MyPlace. There is a possibility of up to $1.1 million in additional funding. The company is seeking $3 million in private investment. Nora Parker asked The Carbon Project's founder, Nuke Goldstein, and its CEO, Jeff Harrison, some questions about ((Echo))MyPlace.
Podcast: Location-based Emergency Alerts

Fetched: March 26th, 2008, 5:30am CET

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In times of a natural disaster how will local authorities alert you to potential danger? Or, how will you be alerted in case something happens on the campus where your son or daughter is in school? Tim Lorello of TeleCommunications Systems talks with editor-in-chief Joe Francica to discuss short messaging services as well as other mobile alerting technology that his company and the wireless carriers are implementing to comply with WARN Act.
Podcast: Google Map Edits, ESRI Dev Summit, RFID in the News

Fetched: March 25th, 2008, 5:30am CET

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Google's opened up "Point of Interest" editing to all. ESRI gives its third party developers new application development environments. China and Wal-Mart push the envelope on RFID. Our editors look at these developments and what they may mean to the geospatial community and beyond.
Oracle Pushes Deeper into the Enterprise with Vertical Applications: Highlights of the Oracle Spatial Users Meeting 2008

Fetched: March 24th, 2008, 5:30pm CET

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Oracle conducted its annual users group meeting following the GITA conference in Seattle on March 13. From the outset, it was clear that Oracle is continuing its rapid move from simply supporting core spatial data types for spatial data management to offering "full blown" application suites. Last year's meeting revealed the beginning of this trend. This year's customer and partner presentations further illustrated the move. Joe Francica reports.
Exploration and GIS: Closing the Productivity Gap

Fetched: March 21st, 2008, 2:30am CET

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Exploration software and GIS are essential for geologists searching for petroleum and mineral deposits. With discoveries harder to find, geoscientists are collecting more data than ever before and examining their findings with greater scrutiny. This article, by Geosoft's Carmela Burns, discusses integration between earth mapping platforms like Geosoft and ESRI's ArcGIS environments, and describes a case study at Brazil-based mining company Companhia Vale do Rio Doce.
Podcast: GITA 2008 - A Post Conference Interview with Bob Samborski, Executive Director

Fetched: March 18th, 2008, 4:07am CET

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Just after the final session at GITA's Annual Conference, Executive Director Bob Samborski sat down with Editor-in-chief Joe Francica to review the association's new emphasis on infrastructure and its special track dedicated to emergency response. Samborski shared his thoughts on how the change affected this year's event planning and the conscious effort to highlight the importance that GITA members bring to solving the challenges brought on by the world's aging gas, water, electric and telecommunication utilities.
Podcast: Broadcasting Your Location on Social Networks, Blogs and Mobile Devices

Fetched: March 17th, 2008, 8:30pm CET

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The MyLoki service from Skyhook is location-enabling social networking websites like Facebook. Ted Morgan, CEO and founder of Skyhook provides his insights into the new service and the hurdles that must be addressed regarding privacy concerns as well as cultural barriers that come with publishing your location. Listen to this brief podcast with editor-in-chief, Joe Francica.
New Dimensions in Spatial ETL: Safe Software's FME User Conference 2008

Fetched: March 17th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

Safe Software's FME User Conference was a GIS conference that was not so much about GIS. The challenges are geographic, to be sure, but the conference was really about integration - integration of data, platforms, services, levels of government, etc. Adena Schutzberg reports.
New Dimensions in Spatial ETL - Safe Software's FME User Conference 2008

Fetched: March 17th, 2008, 2:30am CET

Tags: Article

Safe Software's FME User Conference was a GIS conference that was not so much about GIS. The challenges are geographic, to be sure, but the conference was really about integration - integration of data, platforms, services, levels of government, etc. Adena Schutzberg reports.
Agile Adoption in the GIS Industry

Fetched: March 13th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

The software development world has taken a keen interest in agile development practices and agile project management. The practices have crossed the chasm, becoming part of mainstream application development, according to Chris Spagnuolo. But has the geospatial development worldpicked up on agile? Spagnuolo explores the results of a recent survey on that topic.
An Expedition into the Abyss of Addresses: The IEE Conference Exposes the Achilles Heel of the Location Intelligent Enterprise

Fetched: March 12th, 2008, 2:30am CET

Tags: Article

At the Intelligent Enterprise Expedition (IEE) Conference hosted by DMTI Spatial in Toronto on March 5-6, Joe Francica heard a recurring theme that is reverberating throughout the industry: Addresses linked to customer files are too often wrong. This problem is costing forward-thinking companies time and profits to fix and clean customer records before they even attempt spatial analysis. Even basic geocoding is still a major "pain point."
Podcast: Apple iPhone SDK and Yahoo! Fire Eagle Open Doors to LBS Apps

Fetched: March 11th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

This past week two of the many tech players with a toe in the geospatial waters, Apple and Yahoo, announced new developer offerings that will add to the twists and turns location based services have taken on the road to maturity. One of the services of the iPhone SDK is Core Location, meaning developers can develop native applications that take advantage of the pseudo-location abilities. We'll have a look at the iPhone SDK and Fire Eagle from a geospatial perspective plus explore what the real reason is for wanting navigation on your mobile device.
State of Delaware to Deploy a Public Health Preparedness System

Fetched: March 10th, 2008, 2:30pm CET

Tags: Article

The state of Delaware tapped a team of three organizations, Integrated Warehousing Solutions, ESi and Towson University's Center for Geographic Services, to assemble and provide a "public health preparedness" system. Integrated Warehousing Solutions' (IWS) President Carl Brewer shared details of the project in this brief article.
Smooth Dataflow Assures Smooth Oil Flow

Fetched: March 7th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

During the long process from extraction to refining, crude oil is pumped through an intricate system of closely monitored storage tanks and distribution pipes that help maintain an uninterrupted flow of petroleum products to both industry and the individual consumer. In this article, ESRI's Jim Baumann discusses how Texas-based Plains All American Pipeline uses technology to control that process and adhere to strictly enforced federal regulations for storage and transportation of crude oil.
Follow up: Details on the USGS Use of Tele Atlas Data in USGS Product

Fetched: March 6th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

At the ESRI Federal User Meeting (Feb. 20-22), Tele Atlas announced that some of its data would be used in USGS map products. Directions Magazine followed up with Tele Atlas, which put us in touch with USGS to provide some background. Kari Craun, director of the USGS National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, answered our questions on the agreement and use of the data.
5 Questions: IDV's Visual Fusion Server Explained

Fetched: March 5th, 2008, 5:30am CET

Tags: Article

In this brief interview, IDV Solutions explains the "how and why" their Visual Fusion differs from other composite applications. Visual Fusion has the ability to focus the display of data around its "where" and "when" elements, and then display this in a rich, highly interactive user environment. Senior Managing Editor Nora Parker posed five questions to IDV Solutions' Product Manager Scott Caulk about the company's latest release, Visual Fusion Server 3.0.
Assemblymember Jose Solorio's Bill Threatens Public Access to Government Geodata - Background Documents

Fetched: March

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