| Complete GIS Teaching Resource for Academia from CARIS
Discovering GIS.the CARIS way is an educational solution that includes all to the necessary materials and methodology to introduce the technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The package consists of a self-paced workbook and associated datasets centered on a specific GIS analysis project to be conducted using CARIS GIS. This educational solution introduces the basics of geographic spatial theory and its application within a GIS.
Academic Institutions gain a complete curriculum for the introduction of GIS technology to students by Discovering GIS.the CARIS way. With the comprehensive workbook and datasets, Universities, Colleges and High Schools have all the materials and technology necessary to add GIS training courses to their curriculum or to their labs.
Discovering GIS.the CARIS way is organized into ten Lessons. All basic GIS project components are covered in these lessons including project planning, designing of the database, collecting data, managing data, performing analysis, and presenting the results. Each Lesson focuses on one specific stage of the of the GIS project lifecycle and the functions and processes needed to complete that stage.
Users come away with a solid understanding of basic GIS concepts, overview of CARIS GIS functionality and the skills needed to embark on a GIS project of their own.
For more information, contact: Sheri Flanagan; CARIS, 264 Rookwood Avenue, Fredericton, NB, E3B 2M2, Canada, Tel: 1-506-458-8533, Fax: 1-506-459-3849
GDF support added to Safe Software's data translation products
Safe Software announced that its FME® and SpatialDirect® products now offer support for GDF (Geographic Data Files). GDF is the new spatial data format standard being adopted by Europe for road network information, routing and GPS.
"The value of Safe's products to our company continues to be enhanced by the addition of support for significant data formats like GDF," said Jay Clark, Product Manager, Utilities at Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT) "We are not aware of any other company that offers the GDF support that Safe has," he added.
Using Safe's data translation software products, GDF data can be translated into over 70 different data formats for use in GIS and CAD applications from leading vendors including: Autodesk, Bentley, ESRI, MapInfo, Intergraph, Sicad and Smallworld. GDF support is available from Safe as an extra cost plug-in to be used with premium FME data translation products and SpatialDirect web based data delivery systems. Both Windows and UNIX platforms are supported. Reading support is available now. Writing support is in the final stages of development. For more information, visit www.safe.com .
SGI PLANS TO BUILD 1,024-PROCESSOR SYSTEM FOR NASA AMES
SGI announced a collaborative effort between SGI and NASA Ames Research Center to develop a 1,024-processor SGI Origin 3000 series system, delivering unprecedented computing capabilities based on the revolutionary SGI NUMAflex modular technology.
NASA Ames has ordered two 512-processor SGITM OriginT 3800 systems--the largest shared-memory configurations currently available in the new SGI Origin 3000 series--and will combine them to serve as a test bed for a 1,024-processor supercomputer. The system will be used by NASA scientists for research in the areas of aeronautics, earth sciences and life sciences.
A 512-processor SGITM 2800 system called Lomax-the largest single-system image in existence today-has helped NASA Ames scientists achieve monumental goals in technology research areas such as computational fluid dynamics, global climate modeling and computational astrobiology. But NASA Ames researchers are predicting even greater performance from the 1,024-processor SGI Origin 3000 series system.
"According to our projections, the SGI NUMAflex architecture is going to deliver about six times the performance at 1,024 processors as the 512-processor system," said Bill Feiereisen, chief, Numerical Aerospace Simulation (NAS) Systems Division at NASA Ames in Moffett Field, Calif. For more information, visit: www.sgi.com.
RouteMAP IMS 2 from ESRI is Now Shipping
ESRI announced that version 2 of RouteMAP Internet Map Server, the affordably priced, Internet mapping, routing, and location services solution, is now shipping. This second release brings many new functions, offers additional data options, enhances performance, and increases user flexibility.
RouteMAP IMS 2 offers more data than previous versions. Users will be able to select one or all optional street data sets for the United States, Europe, and Canada. The U.S. street data, from ESRI Business Partner Geographic Data Technology, Inc. (GDT), has been enhanced for better routing, displays in multiple projections, and now includes Alaska and Hawaii streets and routes. European map data from AND Ltd. performs city-to-city and latitude/longitude-to-longitude/latitude routing. Canadian street data will be provided by DMTI. Users can also choose the North American street data set for routing between the United States and Canada. The optional U. S. business listings data pack from Dun & Bradstreet is available with the U.S. version only. The business listings may prove beneficial for visitors bureaus as well as Internet service providers (ISPs) and application service providers (ASPs) who can offer maps and location services to their clients via RouteMAP IMS 2.
For more information on RouteMAP IMS 2, please visit ESRI online at www.esri.com/routemapims or contact ESRI at 1-800-447-9778. Outside the United States, please contact your local distributor or visit www.esri.com/international.
Autodesk and Kanotech Forge Strategic Partnership to Deliver Local Government Solutions
Autodesk, Inc., and Kanotech Information Systems Ltd. announced that Kanotech is the first company to enter the Autodesk Strategic Partner Program serving the local government industry. Through the strategic relationship, Kanotech's CivicCenter suite can begin to integrate with Autodesk Municipal Solutions to deliver complete solutions for local governments. Kanotech's CivicCenter solutions combine the power of AutoCAD Map for map creation and maintenance and Autodesk MapGuide for publishing the information to nontechnical users and the public.
CivicCenter is a cost-efficient, user-friendly solution that offers similar functionality to a town of 10,000 people or a city of 150,000. It provides an achievable and affordable GIS solution for communities that cannot afford their own GIS specialists, and it better uses the time of GIS specialists in communities that can afford them. Smaller local governments can take immediate advantage of the CivicCenter products to deliver to staff members critical information they need to improve productivity. Larger local governments can employ CivicCenter to validate their data and quickly get a GIS solution functioning.
The CivicCenter solution is a stepping stone to implementing the workflow-based Autodesk Municipal Solutions that use the Autodesk VISION* and Oracle platforms. Moreover, it is designed to grow with a community as its needs change.
"This is a great opportunity for Kanotech and Autodesk to address the needs of the local government market in North America," says Don Chapman, president, Kanotech Information Systems. "This is good news for small to medium-sized municipalities that will now have a best-of-breed solution supplied by a company they have been comfortable dealing with for years. No longer will these communities find themselves with less of a solution than is offered to large cities."
Wayne Geary, Jr., vice president of InterSpatial Inc. and former GIS Coordinator of the Town of Okotoks, implemented the first Civic Center application in Okotoks. According to Geary, "CivicCenter provides the end user with an extremely useful platform for an improved decision making tool. Whereas it once took hours of research to gather all of the necessary data, now, within minutes a query can be made and a solution provided at your fingertips."
For more information, contact Autodesk at 800-964-6432, or visit www.autodesk.com. Discreet product information is available at 800-869-3504 or on the Web at www.discreet.com.
LEICA GPS SYSTEM 500 SUPPORTS MOBILE PHONES FOR REAL TIME APPLICATIONS
Leica Geosystems Inc. announced that System 500 can utilize cellular-phone technology as an alternative data link for Real Time Kinematic (RTK) surveys in North America.
This breakthrough in the application of cellular phone technology to GPS surveying in North America offers the end user many key advantages such as no licensing, unlimited range, uninterrupted communication link, increased production and additional choice in data communications systems.
While new to North America, Europe has been taking advantage of mobile phone technology as a communication link with Leica's GPS System 500 since the system's introduction in January 1999. Based on this experience, Leica developed the technology to enable its GPS System 500 to work seamlessly with key cellular phone networks in North America. This is a critical step, as traditional data links for RTK surveying are facing difficult challenges.
Up to now, the most common communication link used in North America for real time surveying is by means of UHF/VHF radio modems. UHF/VHF radios have proven to be a reliable communication link, especially for RTK surveying. Yet, as RTK surveying becomes more popular in its use, the end user is beginning to experience increased congestion on the available itinerant frequencies. At times multiple users are trying to share the same frequencies. Ultimately this leads to a loss of production and high levels of frustration.
For more information, contact: Leica Geosystems Inc., 4855 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 235 Norcross, GA 30092 Carson Kennedy, Leica Geosystems, 770 447 6361, ext. 345, email: [email protected]
Dubai Ports Authority/Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority Standardizes on GeoMedia
Intergraph Corporation announced that the Dubai Ports Authority/Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA) has awarded Intergraph Middle East LLC a contract to deploy GeoMedia(R) as the GIS solution of choice for all of JAFZA. GeoMedia and GeoMedia Professional, along with Oracle8i(TM) database software, will be implemented to build a GIS that automates current manual tasks related to the free zone, such as real estate management. The GIS will also automate land use and property management tasks for improved, real-time decision making. Intergraph was chosen over the competition because of its strong local presence and because GeoMedia technology is already in use in many of the government departments and municipalities in the region. Area organizations that use GeoMedia include Al-Ain Town Planning department, the municipalities of Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Dubai Water & Electricity Department.
JAFZA is one of the leading transshipment centers in the world, serving more than 125 shipping lines and ranked 10th among the container ports of the world. JAFZA is the base for more than 1,600 companies from more than 85 countries.
"With the help of a customized GIS, the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority will be able to manage more effectively their current geospatial data in day-to-day business operations," said Muhammed Al-Aswad, territory manager for U.A.E, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen, Intergraph Middle East LLC. "We are happy to have the opportunity to work with JAFZA on a project of this proportion."
For more information, contact Intergraph 1-800-791-3357 (within the United States) or Intergraph's Mapping/GIS Web address, www.intergraph.com/gis.
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