New Zealand Utility Uses ESRI Software to Build Asset Management System
DELTA Utility Services of New Zealand has successfully rolled out a GIS implementation using software by ESRI as its designated platform to build an asset management system. With a recent company acquisition, DELTA inherited a GIS incompatible with its existing legacy system. Faced with the task of maintaining two outmoded systems, the company decided that its best course of action was to implement an entirely new GIS platform for its corporate-wide asset management system.
      GIS software products selected by DELTA include ArcView for analytical and modeling purposes, ArcPad for collecting field data, and ArcIMS for data distribution over the Internet. Approximately 40 people are currently using the Internet/intranet capabilities to view GIS data. Other components include Miner & Miner's ArcFM Designer, which offers utility-specific tools to help maintain and support design and planning of the network.
     ESRI is a developer of GIS software, providing a wide selection of consulting, implementation, and technical support services.
      For further information, please contact Jim Baumann at ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Tel: 909-793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].

ESRI Geodetic Conversion Engine Integrated into SignalSoft Location Manager
ESRI has signed an agreement with SignalSoft to integrate ESRI's geodetic conversion source-code library into SignalSoft's Location Manager product, a standards-compliant location gateway that allows operators to deploy either emergency or commercial location-based services. Location Manager can be configured as a Mobile Positioning Center (MPC) for ANSI-41 networks, or as a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) for GSM networks.
      Because location-based service applications typically serve local areas, applications often require non-World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) conventions in order to establish the location of a mobile device. ESRI's geodetic conversion source-code library is the engine behind the scenes that enables such capabilities.
      ESRI is a developer of GIS software, providing a wide selection of consulting, implementation, and technical support services.
      For further information, please contact Jim Baumann at ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Tel.: 909-793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].

DigitalGlobe Signs Merrick as New North American Reseller
DigitalGlobe has named Merrick & Company as its newest North American reseller of QuickBird satellite imagery. Merrick & Company offers land information services that include image acquisition (both aerial and satellite), GPS surveying, digital photogrammetry, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and many others.
      DigitalGlobe is an imagery and information company that provides high-resolution imagery products derived from the company's 61cm-resolution QuickBird satellite, launched on October 18, 2001.
      For further information, please contact Chuck Herring at DigitalGlobe, Longmont, Colo. Tel: (303) 682-3820. E-mail: [email protected].

Denver Water Chooses Sanborn for GIS Update
Sanborn Map Co. has been selected by Denver Water to update the utility's geographic information system (GIS) data. The company will rectify Denver Water's existing water facility GIS to real world coordinate positions. Sanborn will also correct Denver Water's existing base map and other water utility coverage. The purpose of this project is to rectify existing ArcInfo coverage with their real world coordinate positions, thereby improving database accuracy.
      Using real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS, Sanborn will locate 62,000 water utility features. This GPS data will be used to adjust the facility data to their real world coordinates. The projection algorithm will then project the existing landbase and other ArcInfo coverage. Sanborn expects to complete this work by summer 2002.
      Sanborn Map Co. offers a full suite of photogrammetric mapping and GIS services to federal, state and local government agencies, and to the private sector. For further information, please contact Amy Drescher at Sanborn, Colorado Springs, Colo. Tel: (800) 930-3298. E-mail: [email protected].

Spectroradiometer is Key Tool in World Trade Center Asbestos Investigation
An Analytical Spectral Devices Inc. (ASD) FieldSpec(r) FR portable UV/Vis/NIR spectroradiometer, along with AVIRIS, one of NASA's most sophisticated airborne imaging sensors, were vital elements of an environmental analysis performed at the World Trade Center site just days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The results from this study provided rescue coordinators with access to data on dust distribution, hot spots, and asbestos contamination.
      In the days following the collapse of the two towers, scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) flew in a NASA plane equipped with AVIRIS to aerially map the environmental conditions in lower Manhattan, centering on the World Trade Center site. Two USGS scientists then used the ASD FieldSpec FR portable spectroradiometers at a site in New Jersey to calibrate the AVIRIS data. They also collected a series of dust samples from around the disaster site and transported them back to the USGS laboratory in Colorado for testing with the FieldSpec spectroradiometer, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope instruments. The leachability of metals in the dust was also measured.
      Next came calibration of the AVIRIS data and extensive tests of the field samples at the USGS Imaging Spectroscopy Lab in Denver. What the team found aided the efforts of rescue coordinators. Beginning with the first images released on September 17, AVIRIS data showed hot spots that were otherwise difficult to detect through the smoke and debris.
       USGS data collected from the debris also gave a clear picture of asbestos contamination at the site, showing trace levels of asbestos in about two-thirds of the dust samples. Areas that deviated from these results, however, were centered on the steel beams found in the debris, which were coated with asbestos during the building process. Whereas typical dust samples showed less than one percent asbestos, coatings on the steel beams showed close to 28 percent. However, the asbestos detected in the samples is chrysotile asbestos, a type that many scientists believe is less carcinogenic than amphibole asbestos.
      Analytical Spectral Devices manufactures portable, laboratory-quality spectrometers, spectroradiometers, spectrophotometers and corresponding software, with applications in remote sensing for such industries as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, mining, food and dairy, and others.
      For further information, please contact John Enterline at ASD, 5335 Sterling Drive, Suite A, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 444-6522. Web site: www.asdi.com.

GeoSpatial Data Consulting Now Open for Business
GeoSpatial Data Consulting Inc. (GDC) has announced its official opening, providing data consulting services and products to the government and commercial marketplaces. GDC offers consulting services and products to organizations that plan to acquire imagery or have existing datasets, and to entities selling or redistributing their own geographic data. The company also offers a number of pre-packaged information products and services that help decision makers in various stages of the geospatial data acquisition and management process.
      Nate Boyer, the company's president and CEO, has 25 years of corporate program management experience, including senior positions with General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Eastman Kodak, and Boeing. GDC expects to focus on government, commercial real estate, insurance, and emergency services organizations.
      For further information, please contact Nate Boyer at GDC, Middletown, Conn. Tel: (860) 632-2567. E-mail: [email protected].

Association for Geographic Information Manages Operations with GeoMedia
The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) has decided to manage its own business matters by using GeoMedia(r) products by Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions. AGI has selected GeoMedia, GeoMedia Professional, and GeoMedia WebMap for implementation in its offices. The London-based AGI will use GeoMedia to analyze its membership, plan events, and deliver services more efficiently to its members throughout the United Kingdom.
      With corporate sponsors in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, AGI is an advocacy group whose mission is to maximize the use of geographic information and technology for the benefit of citizens, government and commerce. AGI accomplishes these objectives by providing information through its Web site, numerous publications, specialized seminars, and an annual conference. The association has also formed several regional and technical special-interest groups.
      Immediate plans for the new GIS call for incorporating digital maps of the United Kingdom and geocoded records of AGI membership into GeoMedia. Association analysts will then query the AGI database through the GIS to view member profiles against a geographic backdrop, revealing regional trends based upon membership type, business sector, interests, or preferred AGI activities.
      Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions serves government agencies and commercial enterprises with end-to-end geospatial solutions for cartography and map production, and enterprise-wide mapping and GIS.
      For further information, please contact Intergraph by telephone at (800) 791-3357 (U.S.) or (256) 730-7191 (international), or visit the company's Web site at www.intergraph.com/imgs.

Bordeaux City Council Employs GeoConcept GIS Solutions
The city of Bordeaux (France) has implemented a number of municipal applications using geographical information systems (GIS) technology and software from GeoConcept. These new applications are expected to improve urban management in areas including roads, town planning, parks, property, economic development, open spaces, and city transportation. Bordeaux acquired 15 licenses from GeoConcept in October 2000.
      The use of GeoConcept's Enterprise Server Solution means that Bordeaux and GeoConcept have been able to integrate GIS functionality into Bordeaux's existing client-server architecture, with a direct interface to the city's Oracle database. Two other applications also deploy GeoConcept technology. GeoConcept1s Internet Server allows the sharing of town maps across Bordeaux's intranet. GeoFoncier, an application developed by Géosphère using the GeoConcept engine, provides an effective solution to the management of building permits. Officials working on a case can view the plot with an interactive display of street names, landlords, and information from the land registry and tax authorities.
      GeoConcept SA designs, develops and markets PC-based map-processing software and systems.
      For further information, please contact Marie Alba at GeoConcept, Paris, France. Tel: (33) 1-5394-5700. E-mail: [email protected].

Satellites to Check Gas Transmission Infrastructure from Space
Definiens Imaging GmbH has had its eCognition technology selected for feature recognition duties within the European Commission's PRESENSE project. This is a remote sensing, pipeline monitoring effort headed by Advantica Technologies Ltd. and the European Gas Research Group (GERG), with 17 collaborating partners.
       PRESENSE -- Pipeline REmote SENsing for Safety and the Environment -- aims to improve the secure transmission of gas throughout Europe's extensive high-pressure gas mains transmission systems by assessing the potential benefits of remote monitoring techniques and processes. This project will involve the development of mathematical modeling software, image-processing software, and the evaluation of detector instrumentation. A remote-monitoring satellite system will beam images to Earth, mapping the route of a pipeline and identifying key threats to pipeline safety and security.
       Definiens Imaging will coordinate the feature recognition portion of this work package by using its object-oriented eCognition technology to automatically find potential targets that could compromise pipeline security. eCognition has been selected due to its ability to fuse vector and raster information, to identify objects, and to put these objects into a spatial context.
       This 30-month program begins in January 2002. Several of the partners will provide state-of-the-art monitoring equipment that will be flown over pipeline test sites to assess the performance of new techniques and the processing of multi-sensor data sets. Results will then be compared to imagery collected from current satellite instrumentation to assess the technology limits of the various approaches. The pipeline operator companies have promised to provide full access to their rights-of-way to assist in completion of this project.
      Definiens Imaging GmbH develops decentralized communication platforms as well as software for knowledge management and image analysis.
      For further information, please contact Birgit Aigner at Definiens, Munich, Germany. Tel: (49) 89-231-1800. E-mail: [email protected].

Norwegian Electric Distribution Companies Select ESRI NIS
Viken Energinett -- the largest supplier of electric power and district heating in Norway -- plus its subsidiary company Østnett have chosen their new network information system (NIS) from Geodata AS, the ESRI distributor for Norway. This system includes advanced planning tools and simple insight solutions built on ESRI's ArcGIS platform. Also part of this system is ArcFM and Designer from Miner & Miner, NG SPATIAL schematics from Netgraph, and Geodata's specialized applications for the Norwegian utility market.
      The system comprises a complete NIS for the utilities' electric network as well as their district-heating network. The contract is significant since the solution will be executed in connection with energy delivery to nearly 800,000 customers in Oslo and throughout several other major cities in Norway. The contract includes software, training, data conversion, and integration with other data. The system is also capable of integrating with other information technology systems such as administration and customer databases.
      Throughout Norway, the distribution of electric power is part of an electricity supply that is still fully regulated. Norwegian Watercourse, an energy directorate, requires a high standard of cost efficiency and quality in organizing and running the distribution networks. This efficiency level is partly measured by the data on outage statistics that the utilities are required to submit.
      ESRI is a developer of GIS software, providing a wide selection of consulting, implementation, and technical support services.
      For further information, please contact Jesse Theodore at ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Tel.: 909-793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].

Western Resources Successfully Installs ArcFM and Designer
Western Resources Inc. (Topeka, Kans.) has implemented its enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solution with Miner & Miner's ArcFM and Designer, and with ESRI's ArcGIS products. Approximately 25 people currently use ArcGIS and ArcFM to manage Western Resources electric utility asset information. By mid-2002, all 17 of the company's division offices are expected to be online, with a total of 200 users.
      Western Resources is a consumer services company that owns Kansas Power & Light (KPL) and Kansas Gas & Electric (KGE) utilities. These fully integrated electric utilities operate in a service area of approximately 27,000 square miles. KPL serves some 326,000 customers, and KGE serves nearly 294,000 customers. The utilities operate more than 6300 miles of transmission lines and somewhere around 21,500 miles of electric distribution lines throughout Kansas.
      Primary benefits of the technology include the ability to provide better storm restoration services. The capability to visualize outage areas improves coordination within the dispatching office to oversee restoration. Another benefit is the manpower savings in property taxes on assets.
      ESRI is a developer of GIS software, providing a wide selection of consulting, implementation, and technical support services.
      For further information, please contact Jim Baumann at ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Tel.: 909-793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].

Leica Geosystems Offers RTK Integrity Monitoring
Newly available from Leica Geosystems is their CheckMate automatic integrity monitoring with the System 500 series GPS surveying receivers. CheckMate provides automatic, continuous real-time kinematic (RTK) integrity monitoring rated at 99.9 percent reliability for GPS surveying at centimeter-level accuracy.
      With CheckMate, the System 500 continuously calculates two separate sets of RTK ambiguities. By comparing these two elements, the system ensures that the correct ambiguity solutions are always being applied. An audible alarm is sounded whenever a disagreement is detected between the two ambiguity sets. The system also displays a visual message and automatically reverts to precise differential code positioning while it restarts the ambiguity search routine from the beginning.
      Leica Geosystems develops and manufactures systems for surveying, mapping and position determination. The company is divided into six separate divisions: surveying and engineering, GIS and mapping, industrial measurement, special products, consumer products, and new business.
      For further information, please contact Carson Kennedy at Leica Geosystems Inc., 4855 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 235, Norcross, GA 30092. Tel: (770) 447-6361. E-mail: [email protected].

TELUS and Cquay Jointly Offer Location Intelligence Services
TELUS Enterprise Solutions has signed an agreement to become a preferred marketing and implementation partner for Cquay's Common Ground(r) Web services. TELUS and Cquay will integrate the Common Ground service platform with Siebel's CRM system and other enterprise applications provided by TELUS, jointly marketing this capability to TELUS customers. Common Ground Web services allow validation of customer address data and visualization of this data in geographic (i.e. map) contexts.
      Cquay Inc. provides location intelligence services to the enterprise application market.
      For further information, please contact Judy Mahaffy at Cquay, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tel: (403) 261-6567. E-mail: [email protected].

Horizons Inc. Awarded Multiple National Park Project Contract
Horizons Inc. has received a contract from various government agencies to provide aerial photography and digital orthophotography of numerous national parks and national wildlife refuges throughout the western United States. The project involves the production of orthophotography that will meet USGS Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangle (DOQQ) specifications in conjunction with lower-altitude aerial photography for vegetation studies.
      Horizons Inc. uses airborne GPS and inertial acquisition technologies, combined with ground survey services, to provide the photo control. Aerial photo acquisition for final orthophoto production targeted to 1:12,000 DOQQ specifications is created in concert with existing USGS elevation data from the National Elevation Dataset (NED).
      The areas that Horizons will fly include Glacier National Park (Mont.), Grand Teton National Park (Wyo.), Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Capitol Reef, (Utah), and Dinosaur National Park (Colo.). Aerial photography already completed includes Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (Ariz.) and Rocky Mountain National Park (Colo.).
      Horizons Inc. uses the latest in navigation systems, plus computer-aided mapping and digital mapping, in the fields of aerial photography and photogrammetry.
      For further information, please contact Larry Deibert at Horizons Inc., Rapid City, S.D. Tel: (605) 343-0280. E-mail: [email protected].

Sanborn Selected for Texas GIS Project
The Capital Area Planning Council (CAPCO) of Austin, Texas, has chosen Sanborn Map Co. to update the council's geographic information system (GIS) data. Formed in 1970 to serve local governments throughout a ten-county region in Texas, CAPCO has tapped Sanborn to update its topographic data and digital orthophoto imagery database. CAPCO will use the data to improve regional planning and 911 emergency response times. Sanborn expects to complete the work by September 2002.
      Sanborn Map Co. offers a full suite of photogrammetric mapping and GIS services to federal, state and local government agencies, and to the private sector.
      For further information, please contact Amy Drescher at Sanborn, Colorado Springs, Colo. Tel: (800) 930-3298. E-mail: [email protected].

DTSwf(tm) Workstation Delivers Field-of-View Gain for Improved Map Editing
The new DTSwf(tm) (Digital Transfer Scope, Wide-Field) photo/GIS workstation is now available from Thales Optem Inc. Re-engineered to offer broader fields-of-view (FOV) the new DTSwf also improves upon the productivity levels established by Thales Optem's original DTS. The DTSwf is designed to transfer high-resolution aerial photography information directly from photo hardcopy into GIS vector files for map updating and editing purposes.
       The DTSwf combines the resolution advantages of photographic aerial hardcopy with the ease and versatility of advanced GIS technology, presenting a high-productivity photo/GIS workstation with a user-friendly interface and a shorter learning curve.
      The DTSwf visually superimposes hardcopy aerial photos onto digital base maps. The DTS software extension for ArcView(r) 3.X provides for direct visual comparison of photos and GIS vector-file base maps. The user can then make notations of any changes and differences between the photo and base map directly into the GIS vector files for quick and accurate updating.
      The new DTSwf combines six-inch-diameter transparency illuminators and optional 1.3x wide-field objectives for a 125 percent gain in viewable area over the original DTS. When applied to 1:12,000-scale aerial photography, the expanded DTSwf FOV affords the operator up to an additional 360 acres (146 hectares) of ground area, covering more than one square mile total ground area at low magnification.
      Thales Optem Inc. specializes in the design, development and manufacture of micro-optical and illumination systems for use in such fields as remote sensing, research, and machine-vision applications.
      For further information, please contact Terri Ference at Thales Optem, Rochester, N.Y. Tel: (716) 223-2370, E-mail: [email protected].

DigitalGlobe's QuickBird Imagery Shows Unprecedented Clarity
DigitalGlobe(tm) recently released the first imagery from QuickBird, the company's high-resolution, commercial imaging satellite. The pictures of Antarctica, Bangkok, and Washington D.C., show details never before seen from a commercial imaging satellite and represent QuickBird's capabilities in the areas of resolution, clarity, spectral qualities, and global coverage.
      QuickBird, manufactured by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., was successfully launched on October 18, 2001, from Vandenberg AFB (Calif.) aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. The satellite circles the Earth in a 450km (280-mile), 98-degree sun-synchronous orbit, which delivers consistent revisit times year-round. In addition to providing high-resolution imagery, QuickBird also collects an imagery swath measured at 16.5 kilometers (10.3 miles). Applications for this imagery include telecommunications, agriculture, detailed mapping, resource management, and urban planning, with new markets and applications yet to be determined.
      As of this date, the satellite has progressed halfway through its verification and calibration period. In the first quarter of 2002, DigitalGlobe plans to begin initial operations with master distributors in Europe and Asia. DigitalGlobe will open access to its entire worldwide reseller network beginning in the second quarter, and is expected to begin full commercial operations in July 2002.
      DigitalGlobe is an imagery and information company that provides high-resolution imagery products derived from the company's 61cm-resolution QuickBird satellite.
      For further information, please contact Chuck Herring at DigitalGlobe, Longmont, Colo. Tel: (303) 682-3820. E-mail: [email protected].

Spatial Insights Releases Map-O-Matic: Batch Map Application for MapInfo
Spatial Insights Inc. recently released Map-O-Matic, an application developed for batch map production within the MapInfo Professional(tm) environment.
      Map-O-Matic begins with an existing MapInfo(tm) workspace, allowing the user to have complete control over map content and style. It automatically cycles through any or all specified objects in a table, and zooms to each of the selected objects. Unique map titles are automatically generated using text from a specified column, and scale bars and "north" arrows can be added to each map. The maps can be printed, or one can save them to a number of graphics formats that include PDF, WMF, JPG or BMP. Individual MapInfo workspaces can be saved for each of the maps produced and fine-tuned at a later time, if desired.
      Spatial Insights Inc. is a geographic information services company specializing in project consulting and mapping services, as well as customized software solutions and data products for commercial use.
      For further information, please contact Erin Rubio at Spatial Insights, Vienna, Va. Tel: (703) 827-7031. E-mail: [email protected].

GDT Data Powers FedEx Delivery Operations
Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT) has signed a three-year contract with FedEx Corp. to incorporate their data into the routing and dispatch operations for FedEx Express and FedEx Home Delivery services. This agreement, an extension of the longstanding relationship between these two companies, also includes geocoding service work that will ensure a high level of address-locating capability for the delivery giant.
      FedEx uses a number of GDT Dynamap(r) products to find delivery addresses and plot route itineraries for its fleet of more than 54,000 vehicles. One such element, Dynamap/Transportation, provides street and address coverage, one-way and restricted-turn information, and exit point data on limited-access highways.
      Geographic Data Technology Inc. develops map databases that provide the foundation for a wide variety of location-based services, including cartographic data to major GIS vendors and Web mapping programs.
      For further information, please contact Tonya McMurray at GDT, 11 Lafayette Street, Lebanon, NH 03766. Tel: (800) 331-7881. E-mail: [email protected].

JASON-1 Developed Jointly by NASA and CNES
CNES, the French Space Authority, continued its relationship with NASA with the launch of the JASON-1 satellite on December 7, 2001, from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Continuing the mission begun nine years ago by its predecessor, TOPEX/POSEIDON, JASON-1 will provide to a growing number of international users such data as sea-level heights and overall oceanic conditions.
      The JASON Franco-American space mission was conceived as a series of satellites that will continue to function for decades, taking centimeter-level measurements of sea level around the globe. JASON-1 is the first component in the development of a permanent, space-based observatory of the Earth's oceans. These measurements will be useful to such fields as physical oceanography, climate forecasting, and marine meteorology.
      As with TOPEX/POSEIDON, JASON-1 is the result of international cooperation among space agencies, equipment manufacturers, and data users. NASA takes responsibility for controlling the satellite and its instruments, while CNES processes the altimetric data being broadcast.
      For further information, please contact Sandra Laly at CNES, 2 Place Maurice Quentin,
(F-75039) Paris Cedex 10, France. Tel: (33) 1-4476-7500. E-mail: [email protected].

Sikes Wins Matagorda Island Aerial Photo Contract
The Texas General Land Office has contracted with Andrew Lonnie Sikes Inc. to provide infrared digital aerial photography of approximately 350 square miles of Matagorda Island. The resultant photography is a key element of a joint project with the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas (Austin) to study a portion of the coastline lying between Calhoun and Matagorda Counties.
      The images produced by Sikes will be compared to photos taken in the 1950s, helping analysts understand what has happened to critical wetlands in the area and also indicating the level of beach erosion over the years. Furthermore, these color photos will allow researchers to determine the health of island vegetation and accurately evaluate ground conditions without the necessity of an onsite examination.
      Infrared images employ the nuance of color, rather than depicting true color as with standard photographic film. These unique patterns, where greens are recorded as reds, provide higher levels of accuracy for evaluating terrain. Diseased plants and trees stand out clearly alongside healthy ones, and salt water is more easily distinguished from fresh.
      Andrew Lonnie Sikes Inc. provides surveying and mapping services to a wide variety of commercial and municipal clients.
      For further information, please contact Andy Sikes, 10710 Sam Houston Pkwy West, Suite 150, Houston, TX 77031. Tel: (713) 981-7132. E-mail: [email protected].

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