Ordnance Survey takes to the field With ESRI and Tadpole

GB's National Mapping agency invests in extensive new field surveying system

Aylesbury, 5th July 2002 - ESRI (UK), the leading provider of geographic information systems (GIS) in the UK, today announces that, in partnership with field mapping software company and prime contractor Tadpole-Cartesia, it has been selected by Ordnance Survey to build its next generation field editing and data management system. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect has now been signed prior to the preparation of the formal contract.

Known as the Field Object Editor, this state of the art solution will be used by Ordnance Survey's 400 plus survey staff to maintain and update the national large scale data set, OS MasterMap. This is a 400 gigabyte data set which contains over 400 million features.

Tadpole-Cartesia's Field GIS software in conjunction with Tadpole Endeavors Magi software delivers the client component of the system, enabling field based Ordnance Survey staff to carry out their tasks on Pen computers. Field GIS is based upon ESRI's ArcGIS and Survey Analyst products with the interface supporting both gesture and voice input. For data management, ESRI's ArcEditor functionally rich editing clients and ArcSDE spatial database engine will be used, with all data stored in an Oracle 9i Spatial database.

"Ordnance Survey's next generation data capture system is possibly the most advanced and sophisticated large scale mapping project ever undertaken by any national mapping organisation anywhere in the world" comments Ed Parsons, Ordnance Survey's chief technology officer. "Using ESRI, Tadpole-Cartesia and Endeavors technologies will enable Ordnance Survey to deliver our planned programme of continuous improvement to OS MasterMap, ensuring that we keep ahead of the growing demand for more intelligent data with greater accuracy and accessibility."

For more information about this project contact Roy Laming, Marketing Director, ESRI (UK) on +44 1296 745500, [email protected].

About ESRI

For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,200 business partners. ESRI's goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them.

About Tadpole-Cartesia

Tadpole-Cartesia, a software business unit of Tadpole Technology plc (www.tadpole.com), is the leader in the deployment of enterprise-class mobile information systems in the world's utilities, telecommunications and public service industries, and is the premier field solutions provider for ESRI-based technology. In addition to ESRI-based solutions, the company offers a unique range of mobile business solutions known under the Conic brand that support both Windows and Java platforms and open new vistas for better management and productivity of field workers, improve customer service, reduce operational costs, and enable user industries to fully capitalise their investments in corporate GIS and CAD data. Further information on Tadpole's businesses contact Mark Ketteman, Tadpole-Cartesia (EU) - Tel +44 131 668 0200, Email [email protected] or Hugh Paterson for Tadpole (EU) - Tel +44 207 987 4888, Email [email protected]

About Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey is Great Britain's national mapping agency. It is responsible for creating and updating the master map of the entire country, from which it produces and markets a wide range of digital map data and paper maps for business, leisure, educational and administrative use. The public-sector agency operates as a Trading Fund with an annual turnover of around £100 million. However, an independent survey has indicated that Ordnance Survey data already underpins around £100 billion of economic activity across both the public and private sectors. The agency is currently implementing an ambitious e-strategy to enhance still further its services to customers and help grow the business.

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Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external sources and used as is.