2007 October 11

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Editor's Introduction

This week, I report on Nokia's decision to acquire NAVTEQ and on Bentley's release of the results of a survey it commissioned regarding water resources modeling software. Plus, 20 press releases.

— Matteo Luccio

Nokia Buys NAVTEQ to Expand LBS

One indication of the continuing growth of the geospatial industry is the increasing frequency with which industry news becomes national news. Earlier this year, TomTom, a European manufacturer of navigation devices, made the business pages when it announced its intention to acquire TeleAtlas. This week it was the October 1 announcement by Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia and U.S. map data company NAVTEQ, giants in their respective industries, that Nokia will acquire NAVTEQ for about $8.1 billion.

The boards of directors of both companies have approved the sale, which is now subject to approval by regulators and by NAVTEQ's shareholders. In a conference call with reporters and industry analysts, leaders of the two companies stressed their expectation that it will enable an explosion in location-based services (LBS). This acquisition of a mapping company by a handset manufacturer is also a further indication of a new trend I mentioned last week in my story about First American's purchase of Proxix Solutions — that of large companies setting up geospatial divisions.

NAVTEQ, founded in 1985 and based in Chicago, licenses its digital map content, which covers 69 countries and territories, for use in automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. It is constantly updating its databases and expanding them to include new static and dynamic content, such as 3D imagery, real-time traffic information, and points of interest. The company generated 2006 revenues of $582 million and has approximately 3,000 employees located in 168 offices in 30 countries. It owns Traffic.com, a web and interactive service that provides traffic information and content to consumers.

Nokia, a Finnish company originally founded in 1865 as a paper mill, makes a wide range of mobile devices as well as equipment, solutions, and services for communications networks. The company, which claims that more than 900 million people use its mobile devices, is now expanding its offering to include such areas as entertainment, communities, and, most notably, LBS. Its GPS-enabled N95 multimedia computer sports the Nokia Maps LBS solution.

According to Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's President and CEO, LBS are "one of the cornerstones" of the company's Internet services strategy, which its acquisition of NAVTEQ is intended to advance. In turn, Judson Green, NAVTEQ's President and CEO, expressed his excitement at the prospect of combining his company's location experience with Nokia's huge customer base. Christopher Galvin, the chair of NAVTEQ's board, pointed out that Nokia's offer of $78 per share for NAVTEQ's stockholders represents a 34 percent premium compared to the stock's price only a month ago.

Following the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008, NAVTEQ will remain operationally independent but will become a Nokia Group company and Green will report directly to Kallasvuo. Nokia plans to finance the acquisition with a combination of cash and debt and has secured a commitment on the debt.

In the conference call, Kallasvuo gave four reasons for the acquisition:

1) Navigation and LBS are already a great growth area. For example, he pointed out, "penetration rates are still very low in the in-dash and portable PND markets." LBS-capable mobile devices have now topped 1,000,000 units per year.

2) NAVTEQ has "great fundamentals and exciting prospects."

3) "Context and LBS is one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy. We recently launched Ovi, Nokia's new Internet services brand, and we believe location and context will add value to many of the upcoming Nokia services and devices."

4) "Nokia NAVTEQ customers will benefit from what we can do together to enhance navigation user experience and build the world's leading map data platform for the navigation industry players."

Neither Kallasvuo nor Green mentioned TomTom's acquisition of TeleAtlas as having affected Nokia's thinking. Nevertheless, TomTom's move probably helped Nokia realize that another very large company with an inherent interest in mapping — such as Google or Microsoft — might beat it to the punch.

"On the Internet, on the dashboard of a car, or on the screen of a portable device," Green said, "NAVTEQ maps are touched by consumers around the world more than 100,000,000 times each day." While acknowledging that the growth in the company's business is being driven by the rapid commercialization of GPS technology, NAVTEQ, he said, provides the context that allows consumers to make use of the geographic coordinates that GPS provides.

Green stressed the key importance of "field inspection" to NAVTEQ's success: "We believe strongly that the only way to insure that our maps reflect reality is to deploy a force of more than 700 geographic analysts around the world who literally drive the roads each and every day, collecting more than 200 unique attributes for each road segment." He estimated that, during the first six months of 2007, more than 75 percent of the in-dash navigation systems sold in Western Europe and North America used NAVTEQ maps and roughly half the GPS-enabled portable devices sold have been equipped with NAVTEQ maps.

Kallasvuo explained that, after focusing on telephony for the past 20 years, Nokia is now focusing on bringing "context and location-awareness" to its offerings. "Our vision," he said, "is that the location information helps build the next phase of the Web with context-sensitive services. Nokia has already taken the early lead in the navigation-enabled mobile handset space. Earlier this year we have introduced the N95 multimedia computer and in the second quarter alone we shipped more than 1.5 million units of the device." By the end of next year, he predicted, Nokia will have tens of navigation-enabled devices in the market. User surveys, he added, show that Nokia's mapping application is one of the top five used on the N95.

According to Kallasvuo, Nokia decided to acquire NAVTEQ, rather than just partner with it, because having both the map data and the handset manufacturing under one company "will enable virtually unlimited services innovation." As an example he cited the untapped potential for pedestrian LBS among the 3 billion mobile device users globally. He was probably thinking about Asia, because in Europe and North America the market for pedestrian navigation is still a distant second to that for car navigation.

In an apparent reference to user-generated content, Kallasvuo also made this interesting statement: "NAVTEQ can offer improved data quality as tens of millions of Nokia GPS device users can act as inputs, constantly adding new points of interest and other info on the database." What he did not mention is that Nokia would first have to negotiate a deal with the wireless carriers. He also pointed out that Nokia's open APIs will enable third party developers to innovate on top of the NAVTEQ map platform, making it even more valuable to current and future NAVTEQ customers.

Bentley Releases Results of Water Software Survey

Last week, Bentley Systems, Incorporated released the results of a national survey of water resources modeling software users, conducted on its behalf by CENews.com's civilconnection newsletter, published by ZweigWhite. According to the survey, Bentley's Haestad Methods Water Solutions water modeling software has the largest market share in five of seven categories: water distribution, transient analysis, wastewater conveyance, stormwater networks, and general hydraulics. Intelisolve's product came in first in the detention pond category, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Hydrologic Engineering Center's product took the top position in the floodplain modeling category.

In the survey, Bentley's WaterCAD, WaterGEMS, HAMMER, SewerCAD, and SewerGEMS products in its Haestad line received more than three times the top responses of their closest competitors among responses from water utilities and municipalities in the water distribution, transient analysis, and wastewater conveyance categories. Bentley's StormCAD and CivilStorm topped the stormwater networks category, as did its CulvertMaster and FlowMaster in the general hydraulics category. Bentley's PondPack came in second in the detention pond analysis category and its HEC-Pack came in third in the floodplain modeling category.

The survey respondents also said that ease of use is their foremost requirement for water resources modeling software and that they found Bentley's Haestad products to be the easiest to use. The second most cited must-have characteristic was multiplatform interoperability across stand-alone, CAD, and GIS platforms. When asked about their use of these platforms for water resources modeling, 77 percent of respondents said that they normally use at least two of these platforms simultaneously.

The online survey was conducted through August 2007. Respondents were mostly licensed civil engineering professionals employed by consulting engineering firms, public works departments, utilities, construction companies, surveying firms, and architectural engineering firms. Bentley acquired Haestad Methods Water Solutions in July 2004, then moved its headquarters from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Watertown, Connecticut.

I discussed the survey with Charlie Ferrucci, Vice President of Water Asset Solutions, who has been at Bentley for 11 years in different capacities, and Dr. Thomas Walski, senior product manager for Bentley water products, who was previously Haestad's Vice President of Engineering. "My background is in actually applying the models as an engineer," says Walski. "Generally, in our meetings, I take the point of view of our users when dealing with our programmers."

Subscription revenue for the Haestad product line has grown 67 percent since the acquisition, Ferrucci told me. New users include United Utilities, in the U.K., and Brisbane Water, in Australia. "The Haestad applications," Ferrucci says, "clearly complement and strengthen the Bentley geospatial and civil solutions, and the former Haestad users have access to a wide range of comprehensive and interoperable software, as well as enjoying the benefits of Bentley's Select program and flexible licensing."

These survey results, Ferrucci says, are relevant to North America because that is where the majority of CENews' readers are. However, since the company began to focus outside of North America in the last year or so, he says, it has seen "very strong growth in China, India, and Eastern Europe."

Ferrucci points out that in the water distribution category EPANET is distributed for free by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and in the floodplain modeling category the top two choices are also government-provided solutions. However, "free isn't really free," argues Walski. "The amount of extra cost for purchasing the model is pretty small compared to the cost of model development and calibration." The difference, he contends, is that Bentley provides 24/7 technical support, whereas if you have a problem with free software "you're stuck."

Additionally, Walski says, Bentley's products make working with the model easier. He stresses the importance of ease of use: "Anybody can write software. What makes a difference is writing software that is really intuitive, that thinks like a user thinks." He also emphasizes the importance of interoperability: "You can run our software from just about all of the key modeling platforms. If you are in Microstation doing design work and you want to run a hydraulic analysis, you can start it right there."

Walski points out that fire flow analysis is a type of product that Haestad created in the early 1990s. "If you want to look at your distribution system," he explains, "you generally want to look at your normal days, but then you also want to put fire flow loads on the system and see how it handles it. If you have 10,000 hydrants, in the old days you would have had to make 10,000 runs of the model. With FireFlow Analysis, we do one run where we analyze all of the 10,000 at one time, which simplifies the workflow for the engineers and helps them spot what is really important."

As another example of ease-of-use tools he cites elevation assignment, to identify the elevation of points in a distribution or collection system or a sewer site. "You can go to a topographic contour map and for every point in the system manually interpolate between the contour lines and enter that elevation data," Walski says. "In the old days, when you dealt with models that had 50 or 100 pipes you could do this manually. Nowadays, we are going to much more detailed models, with tens of thousands of points and trying to do this manually would be extremely difficult, so we've automated that step in our terrain extraction model."

Another new feature that Walski highlights is variable speed pumping: "With other software," he says, "you have to tell the program at what speed the pump is running. With our program, we simulate the kind of logic that is in pump controllers and we determine at what speed the pump should be running and set it, so that the user does not have to go through these extra calculations."

Engineers use modeling software for design and simulation, Walski explains. Therefore, they are most interested in worst-case conditions, because they control design. "What happens," he says, "when you have a big storm, in a storm water model? What happens during the peak flows, in a waste water model? What happens during a fire in a fire distribution model? You are running many scenarios. In the old days, you had to create a new model file for every run you made; every new scenario was a new file. We created a scenario manager that keeps track of the various scenarios within a single data file. If you run all these 'what if' scenarios and come back later and say, 'What is the difference between scenario A and scenario B?' the scenario manager tells you what you've changed between those two. Our tool, basically, self-documents the way you go through scenarios."

Finally, Walski stresses that users can run Bentley's Haestad software from many different modeling platforms. "Most of our users prefer to run a model in stand-alone mode," he says. "But there are cases where you'd rather be running your model from within a CAD package, such as Microstation. Similarly, if you are building the model from GIS data, you can run the model within GIS, without having to stop and get out and get back into some other software. With our software, you use the same model file in these different packages. Most people work in multiple environments. Also, an engineer who is working in a CAD environment might turn the model over to someone in the planning department who is working in ArcGIS and there is no need to do any translation. That model may also then be transferred over to someone who is in water systems operations and they can run this model in a stand-alone mode, without having to change the file or the format or buy different software."

News Briefs

Please note: I have neither edited nor verified the content of these press releases.

  1. CONTRACTS & COLLABORATIONS

    1. Bosch Security Projects Selects Tensing Field Vision to Automate Service Processes

      Bosch Security Projects, provider of high-tech security and communications systems selects Tensing's field service solution Tensing Field Vision to further optimize and automate its service process for the installation, maintenance and repair of electronic security systems. Tensing Field Vision is a field service management solution specifically designed to optimize the management of field staff for higher quality service delivery and improved field technician productivity.

      The implementation will automate dispatch and communications between Bosch's more than 50 field technicians and the dispatch office. With Tensing Field Vision, Bosch will reduce manual tasks such as data entry and records reconciliation, leading to more accurate records and faster invoicing. Work orders will be digitized reducing the amount of paper and real-time reporting of work order progress will improve logistics flow.

      "We needed an off-the-shelf solution that could meet our specific needs with a robust standard functionality," said Roeland Staal, Manager Operations at Bosch Security Projects in the Netherlands. "After a thorough selection process it was clear that Tensing's application suits our service process best and gives us concrete and quick insight of work order status."

      Tensing Field Vision is an end-on-end solution that connects the mobile workforce with back-office systems via state-of-the-art wireless communications and mobile PDA's, laptops and pen computers. Tensing Field Vision supports any mobile process, any back-office system and any device to optimize dynamic business processes. Organizations that employ remote/mobile workers can improve the management and exchange of business critical information with their mobile work force, in any mobile process.

      Components of Tensing Field Vision that will be implemented at Bosch are:

      • Tensing Gateway to link the back office to work order dispatch;
      • Tensing Mobile Workflow to connect the field technician's mobile computer to back office systems through wireless communications;
      • Tensing Dispatch to plan service calls.

      Additionally, Tensing Field Vision will be integrated with multiple back office systems for a complete mobile solution.

      About Bosch: Bosch Netherlands is part of the Bosch Group, one of the largest private industrial organizations in the world with 261,000 employees and a turnover of more than 43.7 billion Euros in 2006. The Bosch Group is active worldwide in the development, production, sales and service of car materials, automation technology, packaging machines, electrical tools, heating technology, domestic appliances and security technology. The Bosch Group comprises of a production, sales and customer service network with over 280 subsidiary companies and 12,000 Bosch Service companies in more than 140 countries. In the Netherlands Bosch has over 3,500 employees. Worldwide the Security Systems division accounts for 6750 active employees in over 40 countries.

      About Tensing: Tensing provides a full suite of mobility products that bring the back office to the field worker. Tensing solutions are being used by thousands of field workers in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa for a wide range of applications such as digital work orders, tracking & tracing, fleet management, geocoding, dispatch & scheduling, mobile mapping, navigation and messaging. Field Service, Utility, Transportation, Municipal and Public Safety industries recognize the value we add with our wide range of products and consulting services. More information is available at www.tensing.com.

    2. Kansas Department of Transportation Selects GeoDecisions for Strategic Plan

      Oct. 4, 2007, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — GeoDecisions, an information technology company specializing in geospatial solutions, was selected by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to develop a data warehouse strategic plan.

      GeoDecisions' strategic plan will provide a guide for planning and budgeting the ongoing development of KDOT's official repository of roadway and business data, such as traffic volumes, highway characteristics, accident information, and construction project financial data.

      Additionally, the plan will outline how data warehousing can be better integrated into existing management systems to support data integration, safety analysis, road network analysis, business intelligence, performance management, and intelligent transportation system support, as well as providing a platform for making information more accessible. KDOT's data warehouse will become the definitive decision support information source for the majority of its operational data.

      GeoDecisions has previously prepared enterprise strategic plans for several departments of transportation, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Montana.

      About GeoDecisions: GeoDecisions' experienced staff of professional consultants, analysts, and developers supports clients across the United States. Fundamental to the company's award-winning approach is the integration of spatial information to empower existing systems and processes. GeoDecisions' philosophy is based on an enterprisewide approach to the integration of diverse information technologies, data formats, and systems.

    3. Hamilton County, Indiana, Selects eMap International for Independent Quality Review Contract

      Reddick, Florida, October 9, 2007 — eMap International was awarded a contract by Hamilton County, Indiana, to provide independent quality review for the County's recently acquired 2007 digital orthophotography, topography and planimetrics data. eMap International has been contracted to provide a through quality review for 434 square miles of .5 foot resolution, digital natural color orthoimagery, topographic DTM, and updated planimetrics layers including; edge of pavement, buildings, and hydrographic features. Final project delivery is anticipated to be early 2008.

      Larry Stout with Hamilton County stated "In the past, we have done the QC in-house and it has taken a year or more to complete because we had to fit it in with our normal workload. Under this contract the QC will be completed 30 days after delivery of the data." "We are looking forward to building a strong working relationship with Hamilton County" stated David Nale of eMap International, "independent quality review is an important part of any geospatial project, and it provides a strong base for future data applications.

      About eMap International: eMap International has over 80 years experience working in the geospatial industry with strong expertise in key areas such as LiDAR, photogrammetry, remote sensing and GIS. eMap's staff includes knowledgeable, independent, and unbiased Certified Photogrammetrists, Certified Mapping Scientists and Professional Land Surveyors that oversee all independent quality reviews. eMap International leverages its understanding of LiDAR and digital image specifications and technical requirements to provide rigorous, independent quality assurance programs to verify that all data products meet ASPRS, NSSDA, FEMA, NMAS, NDEP and other specified requirements.

    4. GE To Provide Brazil's Largest Distribution Company With Software For Managing Pipeline Data

      Atlanta, Georgia — October 10, 2007 — GE has signed a contract to provide Brazil's largest distribution company, Comgás of São Paulo, Brazil, with advanced pipeline data management software through its Energy and Oil and Gas businesses.

      This order represents the first sale of GE Energy's recently introduced Smallworld Global Transmission Office 4.1 software platform in Latin America and the first commercial delivery of GE Oil and Gas' external corrosion direct assessment (ECDA) application. The scope of the contract also includes GE Oil and Gas' PipeView Integrity software. GE's VAR, Logica CGM, will implement the project.

      GE's technology will be used by Comgás to manage its pipeline assets, as well as its pipeline integrity, including assessing risk, generating integrity management plans and managing ECDA projects. GE Oil and Gas' PipeView Integrity system will use the information collected by Smallworld Global Transmission Office.

      "The functionality provided in our Smallworld Global Transmission Office software and the ability to synchronize with the customer's PODS database, coupled with the capabilities of PipeView Integrity and GE's expertise in ECDA, will allow Comgás to effectively and efficiently manage its pipeline assets," said Bob Gilligan, general manager of GE Energy's transmission and distribution business.

      Comgás is the largest distributor of piped natural gas in Brazil. Its network comprises more than 4,000 kilometers of pipelines that deliver natural gas to more than 500,000 residential, retail and industrial customers in 57 cities. Its service area comprises 177 municipalities in metropolitan São Paulo, metropolitan Campinas, the coastal area around Santos (Baixada Santista) and the Paraíba Valley, accounting for about a quarter of Brazil's gross domestic product.

      About GE Energy: GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.

      About GE's Oil & Gas Business: GE's Oil & Gas business (www.ge.com/oilandgas) is a world leader in advanced technology equipment and services for all segments of the global oil and gas industry. Based in Florence, Italy, the company offers complete solutions for production, LNG, transportation, storage, refineries and petrochemicals, as well as pipeline integrity solutions including pipeline inspection and pipeline asset management. Through its recent acquisition of VetcoGray, GE Oil & Gas has added products, systems and services for onshore and offshore drilling, completion and production to its portfolio.

    5. FEMA Selects Dewberry For Map Modernization Contracts

      Fairfax, Virginia, October 9, 2007 — Performance-based contracts could total more than $110 Million Dewberry, a nationally recognized professional services firm, announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has selected the firm as the prime contractor for several new performance-based contracts. The five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts are for floodplain map modernization services in FEMA Regions I, II and III. The maximum contract amounts are $30 million for Region I, $40 million for Region II, and $40 million for Region III. FEMA Region I is headquartered in Boston, Region II in New York, and Region III in Philadelphia. Additionally, Dewberry was also selected as a subcontractor on two similar contracts in FEMA Region II.

      For each contract, Dewberry will be providing flood insurance studies, Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs), disaster recovery maps, and other technical support related to these activities. Work expected under these contracts will also include geographic information systems (GIS) services, hydrologic and hydraulic engineering, field survey, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) acquisition and processing.

      For more than 30 years, Dewberry has been providing mapping services to FEMA. The firm has continued to innovate and invest in new technology that drives the digital floodplain mapping process. By developing and using a FEMA-compliant GIS engineering and mapping production system that is tailored to Dewberry's production system, or GeoFIRM, Dewberry has been able to deliver a production volume of 6,800 panels per year.

      Dewberry also supports FEMA and its partners nationwide in flood map modernization through contracts with teaming partners in the western and southern regions of the United States. In addition, the firm holds a variety of contracts with the agency in support of FEMA's disaster response efforts. Dewberry was engaged in supporting FEMA after Hurricane's Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2006, and is currently providing support in other parts of the country as a result of major flooding events.

      About Dewberry: Dewberry is a 1,870-person professional services firm, specializing in emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery; engineering and architectural design; program management; planning; geographic information services; and environmental services. Established in 1956, the firm has 35 offices nationwide, with headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, near Washington, DC.

  2. PRODUCTS & SERVICES

    1. Pitney Bowes MapInfo Debuts Next-Generation Demographics for More Timely and Reliable Decision Making

      Pitney Bowes MapInfo Infuses Household Geodemographics with MicroBuild Data from The Gadberry Group, Providing Quarterly Updates for Up-To-Date Market Analytics

      Chicago, Illinois — DMA07 Conference & Exhibition — October 9, 2007 — Pitney Bowes MapInfo, the leading global provider of location intelligence, today announced the release of its next-generation demographics, providing organizations in retail, restaurant, financial services, insurance and media with reliable, consistent and timely data to support site selection, marketing, distribution, product development and other key business decisions. By integrating MicroBuild, a household geodemographic product from The Gadberry Group, Pitney Bowes MapInfo now provides clients with more dependable and up-to-date household-level information to support more insightful business decisions.

      "Whether you're a big box retailer or retail bank, successful business decision making requires comprehensive, frequently updated and household-specific demographic data," said Dr. James Webster, adjunct professor of finance at the University of Arkansas, Walton College of Business. "My past experience with a large big box retailer provided me the opportunity to use Gadberry's MicroBuild data on a Pitney Bowes MapInfo-based system. I am now encouraging tomorrow's business leaders in our graduate and undergraduate business programs to seek out this level of data and analysis to assist in their future business decision making."

      Pitney Bowes MapInfo's new advanced demographic system represents the next stage in the evolution of demographic data, bringing improved reliability and timeliness to market analysis and decision making. By leveraging Gadberry's MicroBuild data as a primary source for residential household and population trends, the company's next-generation demographics help organizations analyze their existing business and answer valuable questions, such as which customers are most profitable, where are more of these "best customers" located and how to reach, influence and locate near them.

      "Having more accurate and up-to-date demographic information enables companies to be more location intelligent and make quicker, more confident business decisions in this highly competitive, rapidly changing environment," said Mike Hickey, president, Pitney Bowes Software. "With quarterly updates, Pitney Bowes MapInfo's new demographics provide reliable and timely data for market analytics, helping organizations easily move from analysis to action, whether it's identifying sites or markets for expansion, or more efficiently targeting the best prospects in marketing and advertising campaigns."

      About The Gadberry Group: The Gadberry Group provides location-based services and information data products, for clients who demand the most current, accurate, and precise household and population data for their site location analysis. MicroBuild, Gadberry's patent-pending product, is unique because only MicroBuild uses consumer data at the rooftop level to deliver quarterly household and population counts beginning at the census block level.

      About Pitney Bowes MapInfo: Pitney Bowes MapInfo, part of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI), is the leading global provider of location intelligence solutions, integrating software, data and services to provide greater value from location-based information and drive more insightful decisions for businesses and government organizations around the world. The company's solutions are available in multiple languages through a network of strategic partners and distribution channels in 60 countries. Visit www.mapinfo.com and www.pb.com for more information.

    2. ESRI (UK) Launches TrafficFlow to Ease Pressures of Parking Enforcement

      4th October 2007, Aylesbury — ESRI (UK), the leading provider of geographically enabled software solutions to local authorities, has announced the launch of TrafficFlow, the first traffic order management system that enables local authorities to manage the entire traffic order process and realise the full benefits brought about by Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE).

      Combining world-class GIS software and mobile technology with traffic and transportation expertise from leading transportation consultancy, Faber Maunsell, TrafficFlow is an end-to-end software solution that supports the management of traffic orders throughout their lifecycle from the outset of an initial scheme request through to the enforcement of a traffic penalty and ongoing change management. TrafficFlow helps local authorities enforce traffic restrictions with confidence through improved accuracy of traffic order information and it will ultimately improve service delivery to its citizens through safer and better managed highways.

      The software enables local authority departments, including engineering, legal, and enforcement to work on a single view of a traffic order, thereby avoiding the administrative errors that can arise from weak version control, whilst introducing robust, high quality processes.

      By increasing efficiencies of the traffic order process and accuracy in traffic order information, local authorities will have more confidence in upholding parking enforcement penalties and reduce the cost of administration including appeals.

      James Thompson, local government strategist of ESRI (UK) comments, "DPE is an opportunity for local authorities, to more effectively manage the whole traffic order lifecycle, to ensure that traffic orders are consistently accurate and as a result, to improve citizen service and help to optimise the R.o.I. on Decriminalised Parking Enforcement. We anticipate that improving efficiencies of creating and managing traffic orders will result in local authorities reducing labour time spent on the traffic orders by 50 to 70 percent."

      TrafficFlow is based on a single spatial database that uses ESRI (UK)'s GIS technology and built using open standards to enable integration with other corporate applications and systems, including enterprise-wide Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

      DPE. Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) is the name given in the United Kingdom to the civil enforcement of car parking regulations. With DPE in place, the local authority retains the income generated from parking penalties to finance parking enforcement and certain other activities such as local transport measures.

      Road Traffic Act. The Road Traffic Act 1991 permitted local authorities to apply for the legal powers to take over the enforcement of, on-street, as well as off-street, car parking regulations from the police, in return they would be allowed to keep the proceeds. Thus in areas where DPE has been granted, parking offences cease to be criminal offences.

      About ESRI (UK): ESRI (UK) is part of the global ESRI network. With the single, largest pool of GIS expertise in the UK, the company is the technical authority on GIS. ESRI (UK) provides solutions, technology and services including off the shelf applications built on the ArcGIS software suite and an extensive range of consulting and training services.

      Its offerings meet a range of business needs in different markets including Business, Local & Central Government, Public Safety, Utilities and Telecommunications, as well as catering for system integrators and application developers through the ESRI Developer Network.

      ESRI (UK)'s customers include both public sector clients such as Manchester City Council, Leeds City Council, Metropolitan Police, DCLG, The Environment Agency and businesses including Thames Water, Royal & SunAlliance and The AA.

      By building a deep understanding of its customers' needs, ESRI (UK) is able to help businesses become more profitable and public service more efficient through the better use of GIS. This process of enhancing sustainable business growth by developing solutions with the power to anticipate and meet industry specific requirements is known as Visionary Thinking.

    3. Leica Introduces New Total Station

      Norcross, Georgia, 11 October 2007 — Leica Geosystems introduces the most advanced Survey Grade total Station with leading edge enhancements in accuracy, productivity, and scalability.

      Accuracy. The new Leica TPS1200+ Total Station introduces the most precise automatic positioning ever seen in this class of instruments along with several other accuracy improvements. Users no longer have to trade pointing accuracy to gain the convenience of robotic instruments. In combination with the new positioning camera, the PinPoint reflectorless EDM range and accuracy has increased two fold. The improved features of the telescope and the new high contrast color display make this instrument the best in its class.

      Through continued reaserch and development, Leica's PinPoint reflectorless technology has once again been improved. PinPoint reflectorless EDM's can now measure to distances to over 3000 feet. You can have the assurance of accurate measurements at maximum range from the industries most precise reflectorless EDM. The combination of range, accuracy and laser spot size make this the best reflectorless EDM on the market today.

      To improve instrument performance to reflectors, a new CMOS camera system has been developed. This camera now makes pointing accuracies of 1 sec (ISO 17-123-3) possible. To improve the overall instrument distance accuracy, a new red-diode EDM has been designed to bring the base EDM accuracy to 1mm. This type of quality has always been reserved for special application instruments, but now is available in all Leica 1200+ instruments.

      Increased Speed and Productivity. A new color display allows users to see and interact with their instruments in vivid detail. Drawing colors can now imported directly to the instrument with data. The brilliant color map screen allows users to select items and use them for real working functions. Map screens are now a tool in the field to be used, not just for pretty pictures. Built in DXF file support makes sure that all drawing programs are supported both in the field and in the office.

      Improved Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) sensors in the TPS 1200+ follow the prism with unmatched speed and precision. If lock is interrupted, then the PowerSearch sensor quickly relocks onto the prism either automatically or with the push of a single button. TPS 1200+ can position itself in seconds to accuracy levels never before achieved by robotic surveying instruments. You no longer have to trade speed for quality in your work.

      Flexibility and scalability. Leica Geosystems' scalable system philosophy allows the Leica TPS1200+ to be fully GNSS compatible. With Leica's SmartStation, SmartRover and SmartPole options, the user can customize their surveying equipment to their specific tasks, crew's needs and budget. Leica System 1200 combines TPS and GNSS in the most efficient and complete way. System 1200 is a complete solution that is ready to be expanded when you are.

      Leica Geosystems — when it has to be right. With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

      Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.

    4. New Software Releases RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10 Help Companies Gain Market Overview

      GfK GeoMarketing's mapping-software suite sets new standards in geomarketing with an impressive range of powerful tools for better market analysis and territory planning.

      RegioGraph and DISTRICT are two of the leading geomarketing software applications for the analysis of company data through the use of digital maps. Companies around the world and across all branches of industry utilize these programs to optimize market development by taking into account numerous location-specific variables. With its powerful and diverse array of analytic tools, RegioGraph is customized for use in marketing and controlling activities. DISTRICT provides a similar range of functions, with a particular emphasis on sales territory planning.

      Mapping software visually illuminates market potential. RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10 contain comprehensive digital maps as well as market data. Purchasers of the software receive all digital maps of a European country of their choice. These maps include demarcations of administrative and postal code areas, in most cases up to the highest level of detail. Also included are maps of all European countries and regions, supplemented with GfK Purchasing Power data, a proven benchmark of market potential.

      GfK GeoMarketing is currently the only company that provides such a comprehensive and high-quality range of maps and market data included with the purchase of its geomarketing software. In addition, GfK GeoMarketing offers digital maps for 240 countries worldwide, and, in the case of many European countries, detailed market data that can be fully integrated with the software, giving companies a potent platform for international market and sales territory planning.

      "GfK GeoMarketing takes pride in providing comprehensive geomarketing solutions of the highest quality," says Wolfram Scholz, managing director of GfK GeoMarketing. "The newly updated RegioGraph and DISTRICT are cutting edge applications that can give companies the boost they need to achieve their full potential at both the regional and international levels."

      "Users can precisely analyze regional markets and make sound decisions for their market strategy," Scholz explains. "With the new RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10, we have assembled a complete geomarketing package that is absolutely unparalleled in quality and scope."

      RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10 are based on Microsoft's .NET technology and are compatible with the MS Office Suite. They are also Vista certified.

      Wizard guides users through over 100 kinds of market analyses. Version 10's high-powered technical features are complemented by exceptionally intuitive and flexible desktop functions. For example, maps appear automatically in a logical sequence on the worksheet, with area layers such as federal states appearing at the bottom, and city points on top. Color settings can be saved to color palettes and recalled at any time, allowing companies to coordinate colors with their corporate design.

      One of the most significant innovations is the wizard tool, which guides users in the importing of data as well as the performing of analyses or sales territory planning. The new RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10 offer more than 100 analytical and visualization options, allowing users to depict multiple variables simultaneously. The analysis wizard walks users through complex tasks by asking just a few targeted questions, such as "What does your data look like?" and "What should your presentation illustrate?". In this way, data and results are analyzed and illustrated according to the user's specific needs and preferences.

      "The new analysis wizard is an enormous help, particularly considering that many sales managers, marketing managers and controllers are not trained cartographers," Scholz observes. "With these newly updated applications, users can quickly create brilliant results without having expertise in this area."

      The maps can be used as effective tools for supporting decisions via in-house presentations and business reports, says Scholz, citing one potential application."Users of the German software versions released earlier this year were extremely enthusiastic about the new graphic options offered by RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10."

      "Semi-transparent area coloring, overlap-free labeling, topographical maps with 3D effects — these are some of the highlights of the new software's sophisticated cartographic capabilities," Scholz elaborates. "For our customers, visually appealing maps are often just as important as the analyses and results themselves, because these maps can be so compelling in decision-making processes. The adage, 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' is especially true in this context."

      New dimensions in sales territory planning. DISTRICT 10's territory-planning options constitute an evolutionary leap compared to those of the previous versions. Borders and natural barriers such as rivers and mountain ranges are automatically taken into consideration when planning territories and operations. In addition, generating and optimizing territories and districts are now characterized by even greater flexibility and transparency. Users can weight multiple optimization criteria against one another. For example, a comparison of territories based on the number of customers can be made to count twice as much as a comparison based on territory size. At the same time, users can observe the software's calculations in real time and make manual adjustments with the help of detailed statistical information on any territory.

      Also completely new in DISTRICT 10 is the option of creating territory reports that summarize each territory's statistics using both tables and charts, giving users a precise indication of the extent to which particular territories deviate from the mean and optimal levels.

      RegioGraph 10 and DISTRICT 10 are available as of mid-October.

  3. CONFERENCES & TRAINING

    1. ESRI Homeland Security Conference Will Explore How GIS Turns Knowledge into Actionable Information

      Redlands, California — Government, utility, and private sector professionals are invited to attend the 2007 ESRI Homeland Security GIS Summit, November 5 to 7 in Denver, Colorado. As the only geospatial conference dedicated to homeland security, this event provides essential personnel with an opportunity to learn how geographic information system (GIS) technology provides the geographic advantage with customized solutions for their industry.

      Throughout the conference, attendees will see how GIS improves public protection and business continuity. At workshops and breakout sessions, homeland security and GIS professionals will learn about successful GIS projects and applications and discover how GIS can assist them in meeting specific objectives within their organizations.

      "This summit spans the homeland security spectrum, providing attendees with the opportunity to have their needs met and their concerns addressed," says Russ Johnson, public safety solutions manager, ESRI. "This event provides access to colleagues, technical experts, solution providers, and guest speakers creating a comprehensive forum for learning and sharing."

      Keynote speaker Dan Cotter, senior technology officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will be addressing the role of geospatial technology in the homeland security mission. Cotter will discuss how geospatial information technologies are becoming increasingly vital to conducting law enforcement, responding to natural disasters, and analyzing intelligence information.

      Other highlights for attendees include

      • Guest speaker Joe Rozek, executive director for Homeland Intelligence, Microsoft, who was at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001
      • Presentations focusing on data fusion, critical infrastructure protection, and situational awareness
      • Demonstrations of data visualization and analysis solutions

      "There are numerous challenges and responsibilities under the broad umbrella of homeland security," says Johnson. "This conference will prove that GIS gives users a stronger, more informed and better prepared approach to handling them."

      For further information, please visit www.esri.com/hssummit or contact Patrick Howard at [email protected] or 909-793-2853, extension 2006.

      About ESRI: Since 1969, ESRI has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, ESRI software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide, including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. ESRI applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. ESRI is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www.esri.com.

    2. GITA's 2007 Oil and Gas Show Sees Record-breaking 14 Percent Increase in Attendance

      Aurora, Colorado, Oct. 8, 2007 — The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) announced the registration totals from the 16th Annual GIS for Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition, which was held at the Marriott Westchase Hotel in Houston, Texas, Sept. 24-26.

      With an increase in virtually all attendee categories, the conference attracted a total of 780 people, breaking the event's attendance record of 668, set in 2006. The exhibit hall was host to a record 72 companies, up from a record 62 in 2006.

      Highlights of this year's event included the Opening Session Leadership Panel, during which top geospatial visionaries gave their insights on the new directions of GIS for oil and gas. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to attend the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Update.

      There were 26 technical sessions, which covered topics including everything from the basics of GIS in the oil and gas arena to gathering systems and one-call. The conference also featured four seminars.

      Both users and vendors had positive feedback about this year's event. First-time attendee David Haberman, Equitable Resources, came to the

      event to find solutions and ideas for a number of projects he's currently working on.

      "This conference is almost like one-stop shopping for my projects, so it's been a very helpful conference," Haberman said.

      GIS practitioners from markets other than oil and gas also found the event valuable. "One of the advantages that we found being a water utility is that there are a lot of parallels between the gas pipeline companies and the water pipeline companies," said Jeff Coffey, Tarrant Regional Water District. "The main difference is that the gas pipeline companies are driven by regulatory pressures and economic pressures so that seems to push the technology further."

      GIS vendors also had great things to say about the quality and quantity of prospects visiting their booths. "This is our third year here at the oil and gas show. It just keeps getting better for us. There are more quality contacts every year, and I really like coming to this show and having a booth," said Genie Hays, LizardTech.

      "The GITA Oil & Gas Conference is the most important oil and gas conference we attend every year," said Patrick Harris, Surveying and Mapping, Inc. "The connections we make and the people we talk to — whether we are already doing business with them or they are people we've met for the first time — are invaluable to our operation."

      GITA's GIS for Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition is a one-of-a-kind event that draws oil and gas professionals from around the world. GITA staff is currently deciding on dates and hotel location for the 2008 conference, which will again be held in Houston, Texas. Visit gita.org/oilgas to sign up for conference updates.

      About GITA: The mission of the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is to provide excellence in education, information exchange, and applied research on the use and benefits of geospatial information and technology in infrastructure applications worldwide. Visit GITA on the Web at www.gita.org.

    3. PA-MAPPS Sponsors Pennsylvania Geospatial Symposium

      Reston, Virginia, October 8, 2007 — The Pennsylvania Chapter of MAPPS, PA-MAPPS, (www.mapps.org/pachapter.asp) sponsored the Pennsylvania Geospatial Symposium on October 4, 2007 in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA.

      The one-day conference was hosted by Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien (R-169th District-Philadelphia), sponsored by the Pennsylvania legislature's Legislative Office for Research Liaison (LORL), and convened by Pennsylvania State University's Center for Geospatial Information Services, in Harrisburg.

      The symposium was organized to discuss issues and gather information for the legislature's consideration of H.B. 1304, a bill to establish the Pennsylvania Geospatial Coordinating Council.

      PA-MAPPS President Ashis Pal (geographIT, Lancaster, PA), who was a witness at an August 29 hearing before a legislative committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on H.B. 1304, was among those making welcoming remarks at the October 4 symposium. He said, "PA-MAPPS believes geospatial technologies can help improve the delivery of government services to its citizens and wishes to work with the General Assembly and the Executive Branch to expand the application of geo technologies in the Commonwealth, and to create policies and procedures to assure its efficient application, utilization and deployment."

      The symposium featured speakers from government at the state and local levels, universities, non-profit organizations and the private sector, who discussed the role of geospatial data and services in Pennsylvania's economy and in the delivery of government services.

      "We are pleased that PA-MAPPS is making an immediate impact on behalf of private geospatial firms in Pennsylvania," said Marvin E. Miller, PLS, PPS, CP (AERO-METRIC, Maple Grove, MN), the President of MAPPS.

      "This symposium was an excellent opportunity for the Pennsylvania Legislature to learn about the geospatial community and discuss legislation that can help the Commonwealth fully utilize the talents of private geospatial firms and employ the technology to make government more efficient and enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Pennsylvania," said MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello.

      About PA-MAPPS and MAPPS: MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the spatial data and geographic information system field in the United States. Formed in 1982, MAPPS has expanded in size and scope to become the voice of private U.S geospatial firms. PA-MAPPS is the first state chapter in the MAPPS organization, formed in May, 2007 to represent private sector geospatial firms based in or with offices in Pennsylvania, or firms doing business in or with an interest in Pennsylvania. Firms are jointly members of MAPPS and PA-MAPPS. For information and membership application, visit www.mapps.org or www.mapps.org/PAChapter.

    4. First 1Spatial Scotland Seminar a Resounding Success

      8th October, Cambridge, UK. Following the recent acquisition of IME UK Ltd (now 1Spatial Scotland) by the 1Spatial Group, the first seminar entitled 'Improving Business Performance through Spatial Data Quality Management' was held in Stirling, Scotland.

      The event covered 1Spatial's position in the market place around spatial data quality management and quality control. It also detailed 1Spatial's knowledge and expertise with CAD to GIS convergence, for example in enabling AutoCAD users to simply and easily connect to Oracle databases for access to Corporate data such as OS MasterMap.

      Attendance at the invitation-only event was mainly by public sector and utility organisations who came to find out more about 1Spatial Scotland and specifically:

      • the need to simplify the spatial data supply chain and methods for doing so
      • the importance of fit for purpose spatial data and how to obtain it
      • how these areas can facilitate cooperation and sharing through the creation of Spatial Data Infrastructures, under initiatives such as INSPIRE.

      Alan Douglas, Country Manager for 1Spatial Scotland, presented the reasons for both organisations coming together and the opportunities it offered for customers and partners alike. Alan Howie, Senior Architect and Oracle DBA, 1Spatial Scotland, then presented 1Spatial's solutions for spatial data quality management from entry level to enterprise level. Steven Ramage, Business Development Director for the 1Spatial Group, then highlighted return on investment examples from other customers working with 1Spatial technology across the world. He explained how they are measuring and reporting on spatial data quality as part of their supply chain initiatives and how this approach is helping them to ensure their compliance to service level agreements and regulatory requirements.

      Commenting on the event, Hugh Barron, Business Development Manager of the British Geological Survey based in Edinburgh, Scotland and representing the Association for Geographic Information at the event, said:

      "I was pleased to be invited to this event on spatial data governance as an AGI representative. As more shared services initiatives develop across Scotland and we address spatial data infrastructures, the requirement to assess fitness for purpose for spatial data across the supply chain becomes essential. There is no point providing widespread access and improving data sharing capabilities if those data are not capable of underpinning critical business processes. The event promoted this message very well." Presentations from the event can be downloaded from the 1Spatial website: http://www.1spatial.com/news_events/events/signup.php

      About 1Spatial: 1Spatial has 35 years of experience in providing operational solutions to organisations with large spatial databases. With leading expertise in transforming data from CAD and GIS, quantitative data quality control, and spatial database technologies we also enable reuse and repurposing of such data and access through both internal and external portals. The modern era demands the unconstrained sharing of spatial data between systems, business areas, organisations, and the public. We are the specialists in enabling such cooperative infrastructures. www.1spatial.com

    5. 1Spatial and OSNI Briefing on Spatial Data Quality Management

      05th October 2007, Cambridge, UK. 1Spatial, in conjunction with Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) are holding a half-day briefing that highlights the importance of managing spatial data quality whilst fully exploiting the use of the Northern Ireland Mapping Agreement (NIMA).

      The half-day briefing is ideal for those in the Public Sector who want to find out how to manage their spatial data quality. How to use and share spatial data to take advantage of NIMA data to facilitate better planning and decision-making will also be incorporated.

      With presentations from OSNI and 1Spatial, as well as a live demonstration, this briefing is not to be missed for those who wish to make the most of spatial data within the Public Sector. The event takes place in Belfast on the 19th October and is free to attend. However, places are limited, so please contact [email protected] ASAP to register.

      Crawford McIlveen, Commercial Development Manager for OSNI commented: "OSNI is delighted to continue to build on our strong relationship with 1Spatial, one of our Licensed Partners, by facilitating and participating in this briefing event. It is through continued collaboration with our Licensed Partners, that our customers will see the business benefits derived from using OSNI data that is fit for purpose in a Geographical Information environment"

      Seamus Gilroy, Managing Director for 1Spatial Ireland added: "In these days, where there is an apparently endless supply of spatial data from various sources, it is more important than ever to ensure that the data you use is of an appropriate standard and fit for purpose. 1Spatial is delighted to be associated with OSNI in working to ensure that NIMA data is of the highest standard for its customers' requirements"

      About 1Spatial: 1Spatial has 35 years of experience in providing operational solutions to organisations with large spatial databases. With leading expertise in transforming data from CAD and GIS, quantitative data quality control, and spatial database technologies we also enable reuse and repurposing of such data and access through both internal and external portals. The modern era demands the unconstrained sharing of spatial data between systems, business areas, organisations, and the public. We are the specialists in enabling such cooperative infrastructures. www.1spatial.com

      About OSNI: Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI), an Executive agency within the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, is the official Government organisation responsible for supplying maps, mapping information and mapping and Geographical Information services for Northern Ireland. It provides maps in paper and digital form, as well as aerial imagery, geographically referenced address, boundary, road and other mapping related data in support of business, government administration and leisure activities. www.osni.gov.uk

    6. Synergis Software's Todd Cummings to Teach Data Management at Autodesk University for Seventh Year

      Quakertown, Pennsylvania, October 9, 2007 — Synergis Software, the independent software development division of Synergis Technologies, Inc., today announced that Todd Cummings, vice president of research and development and the company's product evangelist, will return to Autodesk University for his seventh straight year to lead two industry sessions about data management. The two sessions for the 2007 conference, being held at the Venetian Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas from November 27-30th, are entitled: Data Management Nuts and Bolts--A Power User's Guide to Data and Information Management Requirements (Course #CD205-1, Wednesday, November 28 at 10:30am) and A "Crash Course" in Implementing Data Management: Everything You Need to Know to Achieve Success and Avoid the Pitfalls (Course # CD115-1, November 27 at 3:30pm). Those interested should register at http://www.autodeskevents.com/au2007 to guarantee themselves a space in these classes.

      Cummings' sessions are designed for CAD, engineering, and IT managers and other technical evaluators in the manufacturing, AEC, automotive and transportation, utilities and telecommunications, and government industries who want to better understand the benefits and impact of implementing a data management system inside their organizations. By attending these sessions, participants will learn the best practices for implementing a data management system and understand the technology requirements for a successful data management roll out.

      Cummings, who has directed R&D at Synergis Software for over 14 years, is passionate about the value that data and information technologies bring to an organization. He is an expert in all areas of data management: Implementing systems; hands-on troubleshooting and problem solving; managing custom programming projects; designing and writing product specifications; researching the latest technologies; and communicating with all levels of customers, peers, analysts, and the media.

      About Synergis Software: Synergis Software creates, implements, and supports document management software that helps organizations manage, share and control their design and office documents throughout the enterprise. Adept is simple to learn and easy to use and maintain, enabling companies to achieve significant improvements in process automation, design collaboration and business organization. For more information or to register for a live presentation of Adept, please contact Synergis Software at 215.529.9900/800.836.5440 or visit www.synergis-adept.com.

  4. PEOPLE

    1. CARIS Appoints Senior Business Developer in Latin America

      Fredericton, New Brunwick, Canada, October 9, 2007 — CARIS, the leading provider of marine and hydrographic software, has appointed James (Jim) Page as Senior Business Developer to focus on fostering business opportunities for the company's complete ping to chart product line across Latin America.

      Prior to joining CARIS, Jim began his career in civil engineering working as Senior Scientist, Party Chief and Engineer for the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) aboard research ships and on shore-based international projects in remote coastal and river areas of the world. He served in Panama as the Caribbean Latin American Regional Coordinator for the NAVOCEANO Hydrographic Cooperation Program. He later took a position with United States Army facilities in Panama in contract management and engineering planning for buildings, grounds and infrastructure maintenance and operation.

      Retiring from the U.S. federal government with 33 years of service, Jim has turned his experience towards management of international cooperative programs in Latin America in ocean-environmental science, hydrographic surveys and international technical training.

      In his role as Senior Business Developer, Jim will engage with potential CARIS customers and key business partners at a senior level across Latin America to gain a thorough understanding of their businesses and use this knowledge to advise the business development efforts in these markets.

      Paul Cooper, Vice President of CARIS USA said, "We are thrilled to have Jim join the family. He comes to us with years of experience in the management of programs for marine and hydrography and will help us reach our goals of increased exposure for geomatics software to our Latin American markets. CARIS is lucky to have such a dedicated and professional Senior Business Developer such as Jim."

      About CARIS: Established in 1979, CARIS is a leading developer of geomatics software. In addition to its Canadian headquarters, CARIS has offices in The Netherlands, United States, Australia and United Kingdom. There are also more than 40 resellers bringing sales and support of CARIS brand software to more than 75 countries. CARIS products and services are continually selected number one by esteemed military agencies, survey contractors, ports and harbours, municipalities, land administrators and academia among others. For more information about CARIS visit www.caris.com.

    2. Dewberry Names Office Manager

      Fairfax, Virginia, October 3, 2007 — Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has named Christopher A. Miranda office manager in the firm's Phoenix, AZ, office. In his new role, Miranda will be responsible for overall management and operations. He will also be involved in marketing to new and existing clients and growing the Phoenix office's federal programs services.

      Miranda has extensive past experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He has a broad range of engineering experience, with an intensive focus on water resources. In addition, Miranda served in the U.S. Navy for 16 years, which included four years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer.

      With a background in design, construction, and permitting, Miranda hopes to market new opportunities for all of Dewberry's service sectors through the Phoenix location.

      A Phoenix resident for over 15 years, Miranda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Arizona State University.

      About Dewberry: Dewberry is a 1,870-person professional services firm, specializing in emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery; engineering and architectural design; program management; planning; geographic information services; and environmental services. Established in 1956, the firm has 34 offices nationwide, with headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, near Washington, DC.

    3. East View Cartographic Expands to Europe

      Director Appointed to Lead Expansion

      Minneapolis, Minnesota — East View Cartographic, Inc. today announced the appointment of Mr. Paul Verhaere as Office Director for its European facility. Verhaere is charged with leading the opening of East View's newest international office in Europe, East View Information Services, B.V., located in Arnhem, The Netherlands. His initial focus will be a solutions-oriented one, with an emphasis on expanding EVC's global rapid mapping and data sourcing capabilities for key EU markets.

      According to Kent Lee, President and CEO of East View Cartographic, "We're pleased and excited to add Paul to our already impressive roster of dedicated industry professionals. Paul joins us with a strong and successful track record in acquisitions and project management for the Dutch military in particular and for NATO in general. He knows intimately what customers in this important market segment require and expect. We look forward to his contributions at East View as we continue to grow and improve in the ways we deliver value to our customers."

      Verhaere, a graduate of the Royal Netherlands Military Academy and officer in the Royal Netherlands Army for 16 years, was Chief Procurement Officer in the Royal Netherlands Army Geographic Agency (RNLAGA) in the Dutch Ministry of Defence. His cartographic experience includes extensive work managing the development of new products for special operations forces, mission commands, joint forces expeditions, and peace-keeping deployments.

      About East View Cartographic, Inc.: East View Cartographic (EVC) is a leading provider of authoritative worldwide maps, geospatial data, as well as GIS services and solutions. Since the company's origins in the early 1990s, EVC has acquired a vast archive of global maps and geospatial data, including topographic maps, DEMs, imagery, vector data, geological maps, nautical charts, and related atlases and books. The company's extensive map and geospatial data supplier network allows quick access to products not in inventory. In addition, EVC provides high-quality, cost-effective mapping and GIS services and solutions to support the production of new geospatial products, custom modification of existing data, and electronic organization of data. To browse and purchase products online visit EVC Store at www.cartographic.com.

    4. Christopher Tucker Joins Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging

      Norcross, GA — Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging is pleased to announce that Christopher Tucker will join the management team as Senior Vice President, National Programs, with purview over U.S. Defense, Intelligence, Homeland Security and associated Federal Programs.

      Tucker is former President and CEO of IONIC Enterprise, which was recently acquired by Leica Geosystems. IONIC is a global provider of products and solutions for interoperable web-mapping, location-based services, imagery management and distributed geo-processing. Tucker will continue to manage IONIC Enterprise during its integration into Leica Geosystems over the next several months. In his move to Leica Geosystems, Tucker will continue his Board seats with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF).

      "We are pleased that Chris has joined the management team at Leica Geosystems," said Bob Morris, President and CEO, Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging. "With experience at all levels of the geospatial interoperability world, and deep understanding of the U.S. national security community, Chris brings invaluable experience to Leica Geosystems."

      "I find the marriage of Leica Geosystems remote sensing and photogrammetry expertise with IONIC's leadership in OGC compliant spatial data infrastructures to be a very compelling offering," said Tucker. "I am thrilled to join the management team as we combine our technology to offer new and exciting solutions, meeting the full spectrum of our customers' needs."

      Prior to joining IONIC, Tucker was the first Chief Strategic Officer of In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital fund, focusing his efforts on developing In-Q-Tel's overall strategy for tackling the Agency's IT problems. Tucker managed a portfolio of technical projects, issues of organizational design and relations with the intelligence community, industry and media. Tucker holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University.

      About Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging: To be successful in our changing marketplace, you need reliable, enterprise-enabled geospatial information. Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging transforms your raw data to useable information, integrating a broad range of geospatial technology throughout your enterprise, via web-based, mobile and desktop clients. Delivering the most comprehensive solutions in image exploitation, processing, visualization and data management, Leica Geosystems provides robust image compression techniques and the most efficient delivery of imagery over the Internet or within an organization. With Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) interoperability, Leica Geosystems develops solutions with the most advanced service-oriented platform available.

      Those who use Leica Geosystems products trust them for their precision, seamless integration, interoperability and superior customer support. Geospatial solutions from Leica Geosystems - when it has to be right.

      Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden. For more information about Leica Geosystems or its products and services, please call +1 770 776 3400, toll free +1 866 534 2286, or visit www.gi.leica-geosystems.com.

    5. GIS Analyst Earns GISP Certification

      Naples, Florida, Oct. 2, 2007 — Marcia Fern, a Geographic Information System (GIS) Analyst from Australia based in WilsonMiller's Naples office, has earned the Certified GIS Professional (GISP) designation from the GIS Certification Institute. To obtain her certification, Fern demonstrated advanced education in GIS-related coursework and training, experience in GIS applications, contributions to industry associations, and high professional standards of ethics.

      Fern is the fourth WilsonMiller professional receive GISP certification, joining Regional Manager Jim Hunt and GIS Project Managers Michael D. Coles and Bryan Piersol. The quartet is in select company, being among only 181 Certified GIS Professionals in Florida and only 1,709 worldwide through August of this year.

      GIS technology is used at WilsonMiller to design, model, develop, integrate, manage, analyze, and present spatial data and applications using specialized computer hardware and software to solve complex spatial problems and support better decision-making. GIS is used to help public and private sector clients provide facilities management, asset management, and emergency response for local communities.

      Fern, who joined WilsonMiller in August of last year, graduated from Charles Sturt University in Australia with a degree in Spatial Information Systems (Urban Environment) in 2003. She also studied Visual Basic Programming at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2005.

      At WilsonMiller, Fern has worked on numerous GIS projects for clients in Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Collier, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. In addition, she contributed to the development of a specialized land acquisition tool that allows clients to confidentially search for vacant land via the ESRI® ArcReader° mapping application in select county markets in Southwest Florida.

      About WilsonMiller: WilsonMiller is a multidisciplinary planning, design, engineering, and surveying firm with a history of more than 50 years in professional consulting. With strategically located offices throughout Florida, the firm offers a single source of high-level, diverse services for land management, infrastructure, transportation, and environmental projects to public and private clients in Florida and beyond. WilsonMiller ranks among the top 150 design firms in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record's 2007 list. The corporate headquarters are located in the Wilson Professional Building, 3200 Bailey Lane, Suite 200, Naples, FL 34105.

      For more information, call (800) 649-4336, or visit WilsonMiller's Web site, www.wilsonmiller.com.

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