| Court Rules No ECW Technology Infringement
The U.S. District Court's Western District (Seattle, Wash.) granted Earth Resource Mapping's motion for partial summary judgment, ruling that their ECW compression technology does not infringe the '835 patent licensed by Lizardtech. The court, after reviewing the claims of the '835 patent, determined that the ECW process neither literally nor equivalently infringes the '835 process. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance to Earth Resource Mapping in October 2000, approving the ECW Compression technology for its U.S. patent.
Earth Resource Mapping is an image-handling and integrated mapping software company with products that prepare, compress and serve large-scale imagery over a variety of web-based applications. For further information, please contact Lee Such at Earth Resource Mapping, San Diego, Calif. Tel: (858) 558-4709.
Research Systems' IDL® Helps Predict Avalanches
IDL® (Interactive Data Language), a product of Research Systems Inc., is being used to help predict avalanches in a cooperative project between the U.S. Forest Service's National Avalanche Center, Montana State University, and the Swiss Federal Institute.
This project sets up weather stations to collect data for remotely predicting the formation of snow-pack layers. By using IDL to analyze this data, project teams can understand how backcountry snow-pack is changing without actually visiting the site, thus saving valuable time and resources. If a snow-pack model indicates that layering in a specific location would be dangerous from an avalanche perspective, the site could then be investigated.
With the resultant IDL-created models, avalanche researchers are able to predict changes in density over time, predict the type of grain in the layer, predict a snow-pack's change in temperature, and compare the modeled snow depth versus actual field data. All of these factors are crucial to forecasters for predicting where an avalanche might occur.
Most of this research is taking place in Switzerland at the Swiss Federal Institute, where Montana State University's civil engineering department has done the model development. In the U.S., this project will gather data from four different remote stations in winter 2000 -- one in Montana, and three in Utah. These remote stations will collect such information as temperature, humidity, snow-surface temperature, and outgoing solar radiation.
Research Systems Inc. produces data analysis and visualization software products for industry use that includes applications in aerospace, earth sciences, physics, software development, medical imaging, and test engineering. For further information, please contact Michelle Asher at Research Systems Inc., 4990 Pearl East Circle, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 413-3905. E-mail: [email protected].
GITA Announces Dates for GIS for Oil & Gas Conference
The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) recently announced the dates and location for its tenth annual GIS for Oil & Gas Conference. This event will take place September 17-19, 2001, at the JW Marriott in Houston, Texas. The conference is devoted exclusively to GIS applications and technologies for both the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil and gas industry.
The three-day conference will include introductory and advanced workshops, a series of paper presentations in two concurrent tracks, and a product and services exhibition. The purpose of the conference is to introduce GIS technology applications to the oil and gas industry. For further information, please contact Debi LaGron at GITA, Aurora, Colo. Tel: (303) 337-0513. E-mail: [email protected].
GeoIT Implements First Conectiv PowerOn/SCADA Interface
Using new technology developed by GE Smallworld (formerly known as Smallworld Systems Inc.), Geographic Information Technology Inc. (GeoIT) has successfully developed and implemented the first PowerOn/SCADA interface for Conectiv Power Delivery of Wilmington, Del. This interface between the SCADA system and PowerOn uses IBM's MQSeries middleware for implementation.
Conectiv Power Delivery serves 1.1 million customers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. One of the benefits to this interface is the automated process between SCADA and PowerOn, whereby information received by the SCADA device is conveyed directly into PowerOn, eliminating the need to manually transfer information from one system to the other. PowerOn then sends comprehensive information to the dispatcher, data that includes the source of the problem, the affected device, and the affected customers in graphical (digital map) format. The increased speed at which this outage information is gathered allows for the rapid dispatch of repair crews to an affected area. In addition, this information is also directed from PowerOn to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system which, when called by customers, provides automated updates as to the status of the outage.
GeoIT, part of the KEMA group of companies, develops and implements AM/FM/GIS applications to the gas, electric and telecommunications industries. For further information, please contact Susan French Smith at GeoIT, 101 Inverness Drive East, Suite 130, Englewood, CO 80112. Tel: (303) 708-9355. E-mail: [email protected].
Aeroterra S.A. and EarthData Expand Strategic Alliance
Aeroterra S.A. (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and EarthData Holdings have announced the establishment of EarthData International of Florida, which will provide geographic information systems (GIS) services to clients throughout the United States, Argentina, and the rest of the Americas. Eduardo Viola, formerly vice president of Aeroterra, will serve as president of this new company.
EarthData International of Florida, headquartered in Miami, expects to fulfill the growing needs of both Aeroterra and EarthData clients for customized GIS information and capabilities. Together the companies hope to extend Aeroterra's GIS services into the U.S. market, increase overall market share in South America, and broaden the GIS tools the EarthData organization uses to meet clients needs. A
Aeroterra S.A. is a privately held organization that is the exclusive distributor of ARC/INFO and ERDAS Systems for Argentina and Uruguay. The company employs 100 people and has an installed base of more than 2500 licenses in some 700 sites, accounting for 80 percent of the GIS software market in Argentina.
EarthData is a data collection, mapping, and GIS services company that uses an airborne laser sensing system (LIDAR) to produce 3-D terrain models, and also deploys other remote sensing technologies to detect thermal, moisture, or multispectral information about the Earth's surface. For further information, please contact Mary E. Hiatt at EarthData Holdings, Washington, D.C. Tel: (301) 948-8550. E-mail: [email protected].
Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program Selects ERDAS IMAGINE to Build Desert Data Clearinghouse
The Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program has purchased ERDAS IMAGINE geographic imaging software to build a spatial data clearinghouse accessible by private, state and federal natural resource managers who are engaged in ecosystem preservation projects throughout the greater Mojave and California Desert regions.
With headquarters in Barstow, Calif., and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program is responsible for acquiring and providing access to geospatial data for more than 50 million acres of desert lands located in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Included in this region are Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks, the Mojave National Preserve, and several U.S. military installations.
Past users of clearinghouse products have included the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of Defense, Fish & Wildlife Service, and a number of local communities. Two of the highest profile projects now utilizing the processed data involve supporting a region-wide inventory of the endangered desert tortoise, and assessment of regional impacts related to expansion of the Fort Irwin Military Reservation.
In addition to building the clearinghouse database, the Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program is utilizing ERDAS IMAGINE to provide advanced imagery analysis services to some of the organizations in the region. For example, the program has been participating in spatial modeling with the BLM, the Desert Research Institute, and Utah State University to determine how some of the BLM's planned management programs in the West Mojave Desert might be impacted by urban growth trends.
ERDAS is a mapping software company whose products are commonly used for geo-exploration, natural resources management, urban/regional planning, environmental monitoring, and other applications. For further information please contact ERDAS Inc., 2801 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30329. Tel: (404) 248-9000. Web site: www.erdas.com.
LizardTech and NIMA Sign Joint R&D Agreement
LizardTech Inc. has announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). Through the terms of this agreement, LizardTech will provide core technology plus senior-level engineering and research staff necessary to support NIMA development and integration efforts. In exchange, NIMA will provide the environment for specific testing capabilities and product requirements.
Within the CRADA agreement, NIMA will initiate research programs focusing on LizardTech's MrSID and LizardTech Content Server technologies. MrSID is used to reduce large, high-resolution images to a fraction of their original file size while maintaining the quality of the original image. Content Server is the extensible, scalable Internet application designed to serve up high-resolution photographs and create exact reproductions of scanned documents.
LizardTech Inc. creates imaging technologies that deliver high-quality content over the Internet. The company optimizes bandwidth and provides immediate access to high-resolution, multipurpose digital images and multimedia content. For further information, please contact Jim Dielschneider at LizardTech Inc., Seattle, Wash. Tel: (206) 902-2832. E-mail: [email protected].
PC ARC/INFO 4.0 Now Shipping
Newly available from ESRI is its Version 4.0 of PC ARC/INFO. This software suite gives users full GIS functionality for desktop management, analysis, display, and mapping of geographic information.
PC ARC/INFO 4.0 introduces 32-bit Windows executables, making it very fast on Windows 95, 98, 2000, and NT operating systems. Along with this re-architecture development, ESRI has added a number of new features that include image support in ARCPLOT and ARCEDIT, double-precision coverage, new spatial operators (including theme-on-theme selections, etc.), user-defined commands, persistent and multilevel relates on data files, and much more.
ESRI is a developer of GIS software, and also provides consulting, implementation and technical support services. For further information, please contact Jesse Theodore at ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373. Tel: (909) 793-2853. E-mail: [email protected].
Trimble Launches GPS and GSM Wireless Device for Fleet Communication
CrossCheck® GSM mobile communicator for fleet management is the newest product from Trimble Navigation Ltd., providing a simple and cost-effective solution that improves fleet efficiency and security by adding location technology to wireless communication.
The CrossCheck GSM builds on the technological breakthrough of the company's first CrossCheck product -- introduced in 1998 -- that combined GPS, cellular communications and computing technologies onto a single circuit board. This new product integrates a GPS receiver and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) with IQEvent Engine(tm) (IQEE) firmware, all in a single module.
Trimble's CrossCheck GSM operates over the standard, wireless GSM network. It sends GPS data and messages from each mobile unit to a base station, allowing a company to keep track of each of its vehicles. Also included is a mobile data terminal that forms the interface with the vehicle's driver, enabling the exchange of messages and generation of manual event reports, and even includes an optional telephone handset for voice communication.
Trimble designs and develops products that are enabled by global positioning system (GPS) technology, providing end-user and OEM solutions in surveying, mapping/GIS, agriculture, construction, mining, and other disciplines. For further information, please contact Lea Ann McNabb at Trimble Navigation Ltd., P.O. Box 3642, Sunnyvale, CA 94088. Tel: (408) 481-8000. E-mail: [email protected].
Matra Systemes & Information Introduces HYPERGEO
Supported by the European Commission, HYPERGEO is a combined HYPERtext and GEOgraphy project of Matra Systemes & Information that will provide mobile users with easy access to geographic information on the Continent. Drawing data primarily from tourism information services, HYPERGEO is expected to deliver geo-located information related to hotels, restaurants, historical sites, etc., as well as indicators on how to get there, all based upon the location of the user.
In addition to providing general tourist data on a subscription basis, HYPERGEO can be custom-designed as to one's specific interests in dining, music or sporting events. These preferences, noted at the time of subscription, will prevent unnecessary or inappropriate data from being transmitted to the user while traveling. To successfully complete the design of this project, Matra has forged partnerships with a number of European entities that include New Frontiers (Spain), City University (U.K.), CAS Software AG (Germany), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), and the Faculty of Management and Information Technology (Czech Republic).
Matra Systemes designs image ground systems and their applications, utilizing satellite and aerial image reception and processing. For further information, please contact Cecile Chadourne at Matra Systemes & Information, 6 rue Dewoitine, Velizy Cedex (F-78142), France. Tel: +33 (1) 3463-7441.
AMREL "White" ROCKY for Rugged Mobile Computing
AMREL Systems Inc. introduces its latest addition to the ROCKY family, a series of customized mobile computing devices designed for rugged use in a wide variety of environments. The "White" ROCKY is aimed specifically toward the public safety sector that includes public works and police and sheriff departments.
The "White" ROCKY has been encapsulated with a white coating that reduces heat absorption from direct sunlight by nearly 30 percent. It includes AMREL's unique open-architecture design that allows for easy system upgrades, device integration, and field servicing. This mobile computing platform supports wireless modem capabilities, a GPS receiver system, internal LAN card, and other useful devices.
AMREL is a manufacturer of mobile computing systems. For further information, please contact Ariel Phillips at AMREL Systems Inc., 11801 Goldring Road, Arcadia, CA 91006. Tel: (800) 882-6735. E-mail: [email protected]
ColorFast™ Speeds Artistic Rendering for CAD Design
Eagle Point Software(tm) has announced the release of Colorfast(tm), a program designed to let professional CAD operators apply multiple colors, borders, and shading to their designs, rendering them for immediate use. For client presentations, ColorFast can easily modify the view and render any recommended changes just as quickly.
CAD drawings are often the basis of presentation materials for client or public approval of a project. These drawings are usually design-oriented and must therefore be "dressed up" to properly illustrate the project to non-technical reviewers. Hand coloring is both time-consuming and expensive. ColorFast facilitates the coloration process in an artistic manner without compromising speed or ease-of-use.
Eagle Point Software is a supplier of AEC application software with modules in six product families: architectural; civil engineering/surveying; hydrology/hydraulics; landscape architecture; building design and construction; and structural engineering. For further information, please contact Greg Yoko at Eagle Point Software, 4131 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, IA 52002. Tel: (319) 556-8392. E-mail: [email protected].
Lee County (Iowa) Awards GIS Contract to Sidwell
The Sidwell Company has received a contract to develop a county-wide GIS for Lee County, Iowa, including complete conversion of their existing cadastral mapping system, full GIS implementation along with software training, and GIS integration with the county's existing tax-cycle administration and appraisal system.
The terms of the contract also call for Sidwell to perform acreage computations for all agricultural parcels within Lee County. These computations will then be compared to soil productivity indices to determine tax-value assessments.
The Sidwell Co. is a provider of mapping services and geographic information systems (GIS). For further information, please contact Karen Fouts at The Sidwell Company, 675 Sidwell Court, St. Charles, IL 60174. Tel: (630) 549-1000. E-mail: [email protected].
Nexian Selects GDT Map Data for Mobile Navigation Services
Nexian Inc. has asked Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT) to integrate its GDT's Dynamap®/Transportation nationwide street-and-address database into a variety of Nexian's mobile wireless navigation applications, including use by personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless Internet devices. Dynamap/Transportation includes both urban and rural areas that gives Nexian users immediate map access and localized driving directions throughout the United States.
One example of this synergy is in HandyGPS™, a slimmed-down global positioning system (GPS) receiver designed for Nexian's Visor(tm) operating system. This device gives the user his or her exact position and bearing, time- and date-stamping every entry. It also includes a navigation mode to display this information on a handheld screen. GDT is a developer of map databases and cartographic data for business use, supplying its data to various GIS and desktop-mapping vendors. For further information, please contact Tonya McMurray at Geographic Data Technology Inc., 11 Lafayette Street, Lebanon, NH 03766. Tel: (800) 331-7881. E-mail: [email protected].
Convergent Group Aids Indiana County in Building Digital Government
Marion County (Ind.) has signed an agreement with Convergent Group Corp. to bring new state-of-the-art digital services to the county's property tax and land records departments. This project has been jointly funded by several key agencies -- assessors, county auditor, county treasurer and county recorder -- that will each derive significant benefit from this upgrade.
Convergent Group will deliver to the county key business components of its Digital Government(sm) suite, including an automated property tax administration system (PTAS) and integrated land-records system. Marion County's aging mainframe-based PTAS technology will be replaced with software supplied by Cole, Layer and Trumble, the firm that also supplies the county's computer-aided mass appraisal software.
With this new digital system in place, all of the county's property tax billing and collection records, plus supporting data, will be available online. This will give government employees faster access to data for reporting and inquiry purposes. Under the old system, citizens had to visit up to three separate offices to transact business or acquire basic tax information. This new digital system makes everything available in a single stop. The project is scheduled for completion by December 2001.
Convergent Group is a systems integration company that provides business solutions to utilities and city/county governments, most notably through the use of information technology (IT) applications. For further information, please contact Ginger Juhl at Convergent Group, 6200 S. Syracuse Way, Suite 200, Englewood, CO 80111. Tel: (303) 741-8400. E-mail: [email protected].
ZEH Software and Dassault Systémes Announce Partnership Agreement
A Component Application Architecture (CAA) V5 development partnership agreement has been signed between ZEH Software Inc. and Dassault Systémes. Through this agreement, ZEH will create, market and sell technical output management applications that are fully integrated and complementary to Dassault's CATIA V5 solutions.
CATIA V5 offers standard printing possibilities in UNIX and NT environments. ZEHprint(r) on CAA V5 has been designed for its ability to print to a number of local or networked plotters and printers, while still retaining local control of all printing options. ZEHserver® has been designed for larger environments, providing connectivity and centralized management for plotters, printers, and all server-based processing.
ZEH Software Inc. is a software development company specializing in enterprise-wide network plotting and printing management solutions. For further information please contact ZEH Software Inc., 1155 Dairy Ashford, Suite 105, Houston, TX 77079. Tel: (281) 589-7757. E-mail: [email protected].
Vexcel's South Carolina Satellite Ground Station Becomes Operational
The Apex Ground Station for EOS, Vexcel Corp.'s facility located in Moncks Corner, S.C., has achieved operational status. This low-cost station, sporting a complete data acquisition and processing system, was specifically designed for integration with the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on board NASA's Terra satellite. The demonstration system features a three-meter SMARTech antenna as well as Vexcel's trademarked data-capture system and MODIS data processing software.
Launched December 18, 1999, Terra is the first of NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS) satellites. Its direct-broadcast service provides a free and nearly continuous data stream whose MODIS applications include measuring land and ocean surface temperatures, detecting fires, monitoring ocean color for sediment and phytoplankton growth, and producing global vegetation maps for change-detection measurements. Aqua, the second satellite in the EOS series, is scheduled to launch in early 2001.
Vexcel Corp. is a systems engineering company involved in radar (SAR) technologies, remote sensing ground stations, and aerial and close-range photogrammetry. For further information, please contact Megan Murdock at Vexcel Corporation, 4909 Nautilus Court, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 444-0094. E-mail: [email protected].
Sanborn Map Acquires Barton Aerial Technologies
The Sanborn Map Company Inc. has acquired Barton Aerial Technologies Inc., an aerial photography and mapping firm. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Barton has been serving federal, state, county and city agencies throughout the South and Midwest for the past 30 years. The company will remain in Columbus and continue to be operated by its current staff.
The Sanborn Map Company offers photogrammetric mapping, data conversion, and comprehensive GIS services to engineering companies, government entities, utilities, and the telecommunications industry. For further information, please contact Amy Drescher at The Sanborn Map Company Inc., Pelham, N.Y. Tel: (800) 930-3298. E-mail: [email protected].
NIMA Announces Earth Imagery Web Site
The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) has recently introduced www.earth-info.org, a web site that grants easy access to Internet users for Earth imagery, maps, and other geographic information produced by the U.S. government as well as by many commercial providers.
Senator Robert Kerrey (D-NE) initiated this project in 1996, when he became interested in making government imagery-derived data available to the general public. This Earth-info web site was developed by the National Technology Alliance (NTA), for which NIMA serves as the executive agent. The NTA worked with the Virginia-based National Center for Applied Technology and the New Jersey-based National Information Display Laboratory to create and provide content for the web site. Among the details available to the public is 10-meter-resolution digital ortho-rectified imagery, and also thumbnail images of declassified Corona reconnaissance satellite imagery from the 1960s.
NIMA is a U.S. Department of Defense agency that provides imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information in support of national security objectives. For further information, please contact Jennifer Lafley at NIMA, 4600 Sangamore Road, Bethesda, MD 20816. Tel: (301) 227-3089. E-mail: [email protected].
Ball Aerospace Forms Strategic Alliance with Vexcel
In acquiring a minority interest in Vexcel Corp., Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. has forged a strategic alliance between the two companies, part of Ball's long-term strategy to strengthen its position in the field of radar remote sensing.
Vexcel is a supplier of remote sensing data processing systems, with special emphasis on synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The company has provided support to major national SAR missions and initiatives, including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Discoverer II, and LightSAR. Furthermore, Vexcel is under exclusive contract to provide the ground processing system for Japan's PALSAR satellite.
Ball's participation in radar remote sensing includes providing the SAR antennas for NASA's SRTM, a project that recently created precise topographic maps of the Earth. Other Ball Aerospace products and services include spacecraft and instrument design for scientific, defense, and various commercial customers.
Ball Aerospace provides imaging, communications and information services for both commercial and government customers. It is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. For further information, please contact Rachelle Wood at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., 1600 Commerce Street, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 939-6606. E-mail: [email protected].
Astrium to Launch InfoTerra Subsidiary
Early in 2001, Astrium Ltd. will usher in a new era of aircraft- and satellite-based Earth observation with the formation of its geo-information services division, InfoTerra. Two of the company's offices will be renamed to reflect this development. The Earth Observation Services unit based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, will be incorporated into InfoTerra GmbH. The National Remote Sensing Centre based in Farnborough, U.K., will become InfoTerra Ltd.
In its first phase, InfoTerra will offer customers geo-information services derived from existing airborne and satellite sensors. Beginning in 2005, these two divisions will also use imagery from the proposed TerraSAR radar satellites. These 600km-altitude polar-orbiting satellites will pass over the same ground areas every six to seven days, and are expected to offer image resolution in the one-meter range.
Astrium Ltd., with three European offices, is a joint venture between EADS and BAE Systems. The company covers science and Earth observation applications, military programs, and orbital infrastructure. For further information, please contact Remi Roland at Astrium Ltd., 37 Avenue Louis Breguet, Velizy Villacoublay (F-78146), France. Tel: +33 (1) 3488-4343. Web address: www.astrium-space.com.
Launch & Deployment of EO-1 Satellite Judged a Success
The Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft, designed and built by Swales Aerospace for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has been successfully launched and deployed. Early into its on-orbit checkout, it has either met or exceeded performance results on major functionality tests without demonstrating a single anomaly.
The satellite was launched aboard a Delta 7320 rocket, leaving the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base (Calif.) on November 21, 2000. It reached its 438-mile-high orbit approximately 60 minutes after launch, and was expected to achieve initial formation flying with Landsat-7 no later than mid-December. Its primary objective is to test a set of advanced-technology land-imaging instruments as part of NASA's New Millennium Program.
Swales Aerospace is a full-service provider of satellites and associated flight hardware, as well as a broad range of engineering services to the global satellite industry. For further information please contact Swales Aerospace, 5050 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705. Tel: (301) 595-5500. Web address: www.swales.com.
LAND INFO Joins Mehta Group
Mehta Group, a global holding company with interests in IT networking, software development, and the textiles industry, has purchased LAND INFO International, a provider of geospatial data products. LAND INFO produces and sells digital map products for the worldwide GIS and engineering marketplace. Their digital product archive includes topographical map coverage and digital elevation model (DEM) coverage of more than 100 countries. LAND INFO also sells enhanced FEMA flood maps, satellite imagery, parcel tax maps, and custom vector map layers.
For further information, please contact Steve Ebner at LAND INFO International, Denver, Colo. Tel: (303) 369-6800. E-mail: [email protected]. HOME |
