From the Publisher
By Roland Mangold

Primer for the GeoTechnologies

This issue, is a primer on one of the hottest technologies in this industry. "The Lowdown on LIDAR" will give you an introduction to a GeoTechnology that is generating a lot of excitement and digital elevation models with accuracy's that are measured in centimeters.
      Bob Fowler gives both an educational and entertaining perspective, breaking-down the LIDAR system into its various intricate parts, explaining how they work providing a brief history of the various technologies. This is the type of information that needs to get out. The better one understands the technology, the better one can apply the technology to solve one's problems. Chances are most non-technical people such as myself will never understand the science behind these technologies, but getting a better understanding of the principles behind the technology, will make us enlightened potential consumers, allowing us to understand how this technology can be applied to our applications. I appreciate Mr. Fowler's efforts in helping to educate the marketplace - this is one of the most important efforts that this industry can undertake.
      One of EOM's primary objectives has always been to not only to be missionary in disseminating the benefits of the GeoTechnologies, but to also provide information which will make the GIS, mapping and remote sensing professional more productive. The article "Updating Maps of Kazakhstan Using Stitched SPOT Images" by Dr. Phillip Cheng et al illustrates a method of satellite image processing which lives up to this objective. In this article, SPOT scenes are taken from the same satellite path and using a new technique to stitch and process satellite data was successfully applied in updating maps for large areas, reducing the time and cost for map updating by an approximate factor of two to three times.
      If dollars, sense and efficiency are not enough to sell the GeoTechnologies, well then maybe saving lives will get their attention.
      The Connecticut State Police will soon begin using GIS technology with their new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, replacing a 30 year old manual information gathering system. Because the state police in Connecticut patrol a wide area and often remote territory, ensuring the necessary help arrives on the scene safely and promptly was a major concern in selecting a new dispatch system.
      In "GIS Saving Lives - Connecticut State Police to use state-of-art Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System," GIS, GPS, CAD and a host of other acronyms are integrated to provide a system which will increase trooper safety and improve efficiency in responding to the public's call for help. The saving of lives comes down to a matter of time, distance and resources - GIS technology is uniquely suited to handle these issues - and as such becomes a key component in the Connecticut dispatch system.
      The World Wide Web has become ubiquitous in our society and is more than a major application for the GeoTechnologies. We are fortunate to have Dr. Carl Reed continue his Industry Insider column with "Application Service Providers and their Impact on the GIS Market."
      According to Dr. Reed, Industry analysts believe that, with Y2K behind us, we will see incredible growth in the ASP industry. International Data Corporation projects that the ASP market will grow from $150 million in 1999, to over $2 billion per year by 2003. The majority of the current ASP activity in the GIS market is a logical progression from numerous front counter applications as provided by government agencies.
      The geospatial ASPs have the potential to radically change the way geospatial services, data, and applications are delivered to the end user. This is especially true if one accepts that the majority of users of geospatial technology and data will be accessing geospatial applications via the Internet through Web appliances and location-based services. This pool of users, thousands of times larger than the current GIS installed base, will access and use spatial information on a daily basis.
      This will have a tremendous impact on the GeoTechnologies and we at EOM intend help you sort out where the opportunities and the concerns are for this industry.

Cheers!

Roland Mangold
Publisher, EOM
E-mail: [email protected]

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