2005 December 22 Contents Editor's Introduction Industry Survey / Part Two GIS for Business: Neoris and IDV Solutions

This issue sponsored by ESRI

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Editor's Introduction

This week I bring you a second batch of answers to my informal industry survey and I report on two companies that help other companies and public agencies make better use of their geographic data. Plus, my usual roundup of news from press releases.

Next week GIS Monitor will be on vacation... as will most of you. Happy Holidays!

— Matteo

1. What is your niche in the geospatial industry?


2. What was the single biggest technological development in your niche this year?


3. What was the single biggest business development in your niche this year?


4. What technological or business development would make your company more profitable next year? [Alternative wording, for public agencies: "What technological or business development would make your agency's work more cost-effective next year?"]

1. Large-scale, detailed engineering-grade photogrammetry


2. Relatively status quo


3. More available funding of projects in the public works sector


4. Getting certain government agencies to pay their invoices faster

1. I am in the (global and national) Spatial Data Infrastructure niche


2. Geospatial profile for enterprise architecture


3. Creation of a map server foundation and Autodesk participation in the open source environment


4. Geospatial profile for enterprise architecture

1. We build the largest and most extensively used geospatial software platform. While its core focus is on generic GIS functionality, it is applied in virtually all applications. This characteristic facilitates integration of many types of geographic knowledge. The product implementation of this software is in the form of desktop, server, and mobile solutions, as well as an intelligent geodatabase environment. These products are open, interoperable, and embeddable. While our focus has been on generic technology, we have literally thousands of partners who have customized this platform into unique industry applications.
        Our platform represents a complete system. Our users often buy it because it performs the full set of tasks they need: authoring data, data management, modeling, spatial analysis, mapping and visualization, and serving and accessing data in the field. While we call our system a geographic information system that supports individual geospatial workflows, in the Web services environment it is rapidly being deployed to geospatially enable most other enterprise business workflows.


2. ArcGIS Server 9.1. This is a complete GIS implemented in a server environment. It supports many levels of GIS implementation including departmental servers, enterprise systems, and even multi-organizational systems. We are beginning to think of the latter as a GeoWeb, which is a distributed network of GIS services that describe many aspects of geography and workflows.
        Beyond its basic capabilities, we envision that ArcGIS Server will be a key building block to support the vision of a "system of systems" that will be used for a range of applications and purposes, supporting regional, national, and even global applications. This framework already supports map and data publishing, metadata cataloging, and the discovery of geospatial services. Over time, it will expand to support the dynamic collection of a whole host of distributed GIS services, including data management, modeling, GIS analysis, and advanced visualization. It will provide a platform for us to look at bigger problems that depend on cross-organization and cross-discipline collaboration.


3. ESRI launched the ESRI Developer Network (EDN), which provides a new business model for developers to get the software and resources they need to build spatially-aware applications. An EDN subscription enables developers to license ESRI software exclusively for development and testing. They are supported by the EDN website, which is a forum for ESRI development teams to share information such as code samples, technical articles, and e-mail alerts. It also provides user forums for developers to communicate with one another. In 2006, ESRI will hold its first Developer Summit, a 2-day conference open to anyone.


4. It's difficult to say. ESRI will be releasing ArcGIS 9.2, which is a major introduction of new functionality and server-based architecture. Included will be better cartography, data management, modeling, temporal GIS, and new tools for accessing GIS functionality across the Web. Also, ESRI will introduce the Image Server, which will provide on-the-fly image processing by simultaneously processing and distributing images in a Web services environment. ArcGIS Explorer will be a new Web client that is free, and promises to support a new way for GIS users to share and access GIS services of all types.

1. Geomatic Technologies is a leader in the provision of spatially-based business solutions, information products, and services. Our range of customers includes utilities, government, telecommunications, and other commercial enterprises. Services include: aerial photography orthorectification, spatial application development, spatial database hosting and Web service provision, road and rail asset inspection systems, and utility field asset inspection systems.


2. The release of the Spatial Smart Tag technology provides access within Microsoft Word or Excel to a hosted smart address searching engine that scans definitive government address databases to locate verified addresses. Once located, the system can return additional address information and high quality map and photography images to any application with access to the Internet.


3. There are two: one at the start of the year and one at the end. First, Google Earth for providing a rich photographic data set within an interface and access model that encouraged people outside the industry to try it out. Finally, people in our industry had their friends and colleagues say,