2006 June 15

This issue sponsored by

Professional Surveyor Magazine

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Editor's Introduction

This week I focus on the use of GIS in archaeology—the only humanities discipline that has embraced this technology—and on the Intergraph user conference. Both stories center on the fastest growing component in the mix of geospatial technologies: remote sensing. Plus, my usual (again) roundup of news items from press releases.

I would like to cover end user applications of GIS much more—including successful projects, challenges, and failures. However, I cannot do so without your help. Please drop me a line and recommend specific projects.

— Matteo

GIS for Archaeology

While it is well known that GIS is used extensively in government, business, science, and the social sciences, few people think of it in connection with the humanities. Yet there is one discipline that some consider part of the humanities that has embraced GIS unabashedly: archaeology. To explore some of the current uses of GIS in archaeology, I visited the Geographic Information Science Center of the University of California at Berkeley and met with its Associate Director, Dr. Caverlee S. Cary. The Center—filled with large format printouts of aerial photographs and maps from projects covering a wide range of disciplines—has a campus-wide mandate to serve Berkeley faculty, students, and staff by coordinating the acquisition, instruction, deployment, and development of geographic information technologies. The Center's director, Professor John Radke, teaches in the university's department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.

Read more …

Intergraph User Conference

More than 2,000 people from 64 countries attended Intergraph's International User Conference, in Orlando, Florida, which ended today. The program was organized by tracks representing the following industries:

  • Process and power
  • Public safety
  • Shipbuilding and offshore
  • Defense and intelligence
  • Utilities and communications
  • Federal government/ installations
  • Transportation security
  • State, local, regional, and national government
  • Commercial photogrammetry


Ben Eazzetta delivers his keynote address

I discussed the conference with Gadi Benmark, General Manager of Intergraph's Transportation & Commercial Photogrammetry Business Unit, who joined the company a year ago.

Read more …

News Briefs

Please note: I have culled the following news items from press releases and have not independently verified them.

  1. CONTRACTS & COLLABORATIONS

    1. ESRI and Systematic Software Engineering, Denmark's largest privately-owned software company, are forming a relationship through ESRI's Danish authorized distributor Informi GIS to take the traditional C4I market to the next level. Read more …

    2. Intergraph Corporation has implemented the first phase of an advanced computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for the Cleveland, Ohio, Fire and Emergency Medical Services departments. Read more …

  2. PRODUCTS

    1. A new version of BAE Systems' SOCET GXP software has added tools for image analysis, geospatial analysis, 3D simulation, and targeting—applications that will be particularly helpful for homeland defense or military intelligence missions. Read more …

  3. CONFERENCES

    1. The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) will hold its 44th annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, September 26-29. Read more …

    2. Representatives from 30 companies will give presentations at the Laser-Scan User & Partner Conference 2006, June 27-29, They range from Land Registry Ireland to Tele Atlas, from Landmark Information Group to Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, from Great Britain's Ordnance Survey to Australia's MidCoast Water. Read more …

    3. The Centre for GeoInformatics (Z_GIS) at Salzburg University will hold two "summer schools" in Salzburg, Austria. Read more …

    4. Autodesk, Inc., Lockheed Martin, Adobe Systems Incorporated, and GeoWorld Magazine have sponsored the GeoWeb 2006 conference, which will be held July 24-28, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read more …

  4. COMPANY FOCUS: BENTLEY SYSTEMS

    At its inaugural BE Conference in Europe held this week in Prague, Czech Republic, Bentley Systems, Incorporated, made several announcements:

    1. It released its May 2006 Annual Report, "Empowering Distributed Enterprises for the World's Infrastructure.". Read more …

    2. It released the newest version of ProjectWise—a system of collaboration servers that enables distributed enterprises and related organizations to deliver infrastructure projects. Read more …

    3. It announced that it has acquired the map publishing and finishing products, including CADscript and MAPscript, from Corporate Montage Pty. Ltd. of Perth, Australia. Read more …

    4. It announced the acquisition of GEF-RIS AG, based in Leimen, Germany. Read more …

  5. OTHER

    1. In light of groundbreaking work being done by GISCorps and the realization that GIS volunteer efforts are becoming more widespread, the board of directors of the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) has voted unanimously to create a separate contribution point category for volunteer efforts. Read more …

    2. Telcontar, a supplier of software platforms and services for the location-based services (LBS) market, is changing its corporate name to deCarta. Read more …

    3. All staff at NVision Solutions, Inc., a provider of geospatial solutions for disaster response, has completed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Command System (ICS) certification, which allows them to work within FEMA's personnel structure. Read more …

    4. Skyhook Wireless, provider of a Wi-Fi-based positioning system, has launched the Skyhook Developers' Network. Read more …

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Contact

Please send comments and suggestions to:

Matteo Luccio, Editor
GIS Monitor

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