Welcome to GISWeekly! The second part of our look at Emerging Technologies for 2006 focuses on location technology. Carriers such as Verizon, Sprint/Nextel and others are generating new revenue, attracting new subscribers, and increasing customer loyalty by adding the value of location to their wireless services. Hear what Peter Batty, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Intergraph and Sunit Lohtia, CTO of Location Services at Autodesk have to say about upcoming technologies in the new year.
GISWeekly examines select top news each week, picks out worthwhile reading from around the web, and special interest items you might not find elsewhere. This issue will feature Industry News, Acquisitions/Agreements/Alliances, Announcements, Awards, Financials, Appointments, Wins, New Products, Around the Web and Upcoming Events.
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Susan Smith, Managing Editor
Industry News
Emerging Technologies for 2006 - Part 2
by Susan Smith
The second part of our look at Emerging Technologies for 2006 focuses on location technology. Peter Batty, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Intergraph, remarked that Google has made a significant impact on the market for 2005, brightening the horizon for the vertical application market. Looking forward, indoor location tracking as well as cell phone location tracking will play larger roles this year. Sunit Lohtia, CTO of Location Services at Autodesk, described location-based services (LBS) as the underlying technology driving some of the most cutting edge and emerging wireless services. Carriers such as Verizon, Sprint/Nextel and others are generating new revenue, attracting new subscribers, and increasing customer loyalty by adding the value of location to their wireless services.
At all levels - professional to consumer - LBS technology will change the way people interact and solve problems in the coming year.
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1) What were the most significant announcements in GIS and/or your area of expertise for the year 2005?
Well of course Intergraph appointed a new CTO, but I'd better let others judge the significance of that! In broad terms of the industry, the impact of Google was clearly the big news of the year - even those who down play its importance can't deny this has generated an incredible amount of discussion and interest. It certainly poses significant questions for existing vendors. I think new systems from Google, Microsoft and others are disruptive technologies that threaten existing vendors who are just horizontal GIS providers. Vendors with a vertical application focus, such as Intergraph, have the opportunity to leverage these developments by incorporating them into their vertical solutions, in cases where they can add value.
When we look back in a few years, I think we may view Intergraph's selection, as part of the Lockheed Martin team, to provide the electronic security system for the New York MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) as a pivotal event. This has given us huge momentum in the emerging transportation security market. I believe we can leverage the technology we develop and expertise we gain through this and other similar projects to be the leader in the growing market for real-time operational geospatial applications.
2) What do you see as the emerging technologies for 2006?
I think real-time operational applications of geospatial technology will be a major growth area in 2006. These will make significant use of wireless networking, location tracking devices and integration with video, RFID and other types of sensors. Mobile applications will play a large role as well. Interoperability of systems will continue to be a big focus, especially in areas such as emergency management. Commercial in-car navigation systems, which use real-time traffic information, are beginning to appear, and I expect to see growth in that area. I think 2006 will be a big year for indoor location tracking, especially using ultra wideband (UWB). I also expect growth in applications leveraging cell phone tracking.
3) Which of these do you feel will be realized and to what degree in 2006?
Everything I mentioned will be implemented in 2006, but will become much more widespread in subsequent years. From talking to my former colleagues at Ubisense, I think it could be something of a break-out year for UWB location tracking. Cell phone tracking is another technology with potential to see significantly more growth this year.
4) What are the cutting edge developments to look for from your organization?
A major focus for Intergraph is the continued development of our transportation security products, which are being deployed in several projects including New York MTA. These incorporate a number of the technologies I mentioned including sensor and video integration. We will be applying these developments in a number of different markets.
Web Services and a Service Oriented Architecture continue to be a major focus area for us, and we have a number of product enhancements planned in these areas. Last year Intergraph merged several divisions into our new Security, Government and Infrastructure division, and we see many ways in which we can combine products that were formerly in different divisions in innovative ways. We are looking at several other interesting ideas in our newly formed research group, which I'm not quite ready to talk about yet!
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1) What were the most significant announcements in GIS and/or your area of expertise for the year 2005?
There were several significant announcements from Autodesk Location Services in 2005. To start off the year, Autodesk announced the integration of its LocationLogic solution platform with Telecom Italia Mobile's (TIM) chat application. TIM, a global leader in mobile telephony, is the first carrier in Italy to offer a consumer service enhanced with location technology. TIM's service is a simple SMS-based matchmaking application for use via mobile phones, which any TIM customer can access.
The company also had an industry-impacting announcement when it launched the latest version of its comprehensive solution platform for location-enhanced services, Autodesk LocationLogic 6. Built from the ground up to meet the needs of wireless network operators, LocationLogic 6 is an example of how Autodesk's superior technology continues to evolve to anticipate and meet the real-world demands of carriers, enterprises, and consumers in the developing location market. A main advantage of the platform is that carriers don't have to build out the infrastructure themselves and as a result can work with developers to bring location based applications to market faster and for less money. In addition, in September of 2005, Autodesk LocationLogic was named the 2005 Location Based Services (LBS) Platform of the Year by Frost & Sullivan.
To show its continued commitment for the developer market, Autodesk announced the launch of the Autodesk Location Services Developer Program. A strong benefit to the developer community in getting applications to market faster is that Autodesk is currently working with 3 of the 5 top tier carriers.
2) What do you see as the emerging technologies for 2006?
The deployment of AGPS technology will continue as Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers offer commercial location services. Wireless carriers will deploy enabling platform/middleware for ensuring that the consumer privacy and authorization requirements are met. Wireless operators will plan to rollout new location based services to further leverage their location technology infrastructure. Apart from AGPS, other location determining technologies such as location using WiFi (802.11), RFID will continue to evolve to provide alternate means of determining location. As the wireless network moves towards IMS based all IP architecture, the presence/availability of information will be integrated with the location information to further enhance the end user experience.
Location-based services are the underlying technology driving some of the most cutting edge and emerging wireless services for 2006, such as: social networking, gaming, traffic, weather, points-of-interest, child locator, find-a-friend and roadside assistance.
LBS technology will change the way consumers live and interact in 2006. For example, if a person dialed 411 from their mobile phone, but couldn't describe to the operator their current location in order to find a "gas station close" - the service could pinpoint their location and provide directions to it.
3) Which of these do you feel will be realized and to what degree in 2006?
These technologies will mainly be used in deploying end user as well as enterprise location services. The end user applications will be family/friends oriented and the enterprise applications will further build upon existing mobile resource management type applications. As the wireless operators open up the access to subscriber location information, there will be significant interest from wireless data application vendors to location enable their applications.
4) What are the cutting edge developments to look for from your organization?
Autodesk will work to play a major role to support wireless operators to launch new services for both consumers and enterprises. Autodesk's flagship product LocationLogic integrates all the essential functional blocks to provide a complete solution for deploying commercial location services. LBS is not a killer application; it is the "killer enabler" of existing and new wireless services.
Our platform will continue to evolve to provide a unified API to access privacy & authentication, geoservices, handset client as well as a Mobile Resource Management (MRM) application framework that wireless carriers can use to deploy location services both for enterprises as well as the consumer market. With location-enabled MRM, businesses can locate, communicate, and manage their mobile workforces in real time, reducing service response times and improving customer satisfaction.
Acquisitions/Agreements/Alliances
Garmin (Europe) Ltd., a unit of Garmin Ltd. announced an agreement with BMW that makes Garmin the exclusive portable navigation supplier to the 308 BMW and BMW MINI automotive dealerships in the United Kingdom (UK). Starting in January 2006, these dealerships will offer customers the StreetPilot(R) c310, StreetPilot c320, StreetPilot c330, and nuvi 350, in addition to product-related accessories and the GTM 11 traffic receiver.
GlobeXplorer announced that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. EPA to make its earth imagery and map data available to all of EPA's staff nationwide. High resolution aerial, satellite, and map data will be available through GlobeXplorer's ImageConnect(TM) extensions for GIS software and imbedded in several EPA Web applications.
Although GlobeXplorer imagery will be available across the agency, several departments look to especially benefit. EPA GIS departments will be using ImageConnect mapping extensions to bring high-resolution photos directly into their projects.
Arc Second, Inc., announced that is has been acquired by Belgium-based Metris. Arc Second, which traces its beginnings to research begun at Virginia Tech, pioneered development of Indoor GPS technology. The company's products and technologies are currently utilized in the aerospace, automotive, robotics as well as a variety of other industrial markets. High profile customers include Toyota and Boeing.
BlackBerry e-mail devices will soon support the Google Talk instant-messaging and Google Local mapping programs, the handheld maker said Thursday, extending the Internet titan's push to put its services on mobile devices.
Financial details for the deal between BlackBerry maker, and Waterloo, Ont.-based Research in Motion Ltd. and search-engine leader Google Inc. were not disclosed.
PDAger Mobility Inc. and NAC Geographic Products Inc. announced that the two companies have reached an agreement that NAC Geographic Products Inc. license the Natural Area Coding System to PDAger Mobility Inc. for its wireless location service application - Map4U.
Announcements
Autodesk has made the decision to change the name of MapServer Enterprise. Previously code named "Tux", the new names are of the various versions of it are as follows:
- MapGuide Open Source: Open source version
- Autodesk MapGuide® Enterprise 2007: Commercial version (available later this year)
- Autodesk MapGuide® Studio 2007: Commercial authoring tool (available later this year)
Members of the MapServer Foundation open source geospatial community are scheduled to meet February 4th in Chicago. Online discussions are underway to find a new name for the MapServer Foundation, which is now seeking other open source geospatial projects to join the effort.
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Carol Bartz, who has served as CEO since April 1992, will become the company's first Executive Chairman of the Board.
As COO, Bass has had overall responsibility for sales, marketing and product development in Autodesk's core businesses: manufacturing, infrastructure, media and entertainment, building and wireless data services. Bass has been with Autodesk for 10 years.
As Executive Chairman, Bartz will focus her energies on improving the business climate for Autodesk around the world, particularly in emerging markets such as China, India and Eastern Europe, as well as work to build even stronger relationships with Autodesk's key customers, partners and investors.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) recently released the National System for Geospatial-Intelligence (NSG) Statement of Strategic Intent, a vision for the future of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). The document reflects changes in the Intelligence Community and responds to challenges from oversight commissions to embrace innovative analytic approaches and improved information sharing and collaboration.
The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) welcomed twelve additional new members, bringing the total number of sustaining members to more than 85. New sustaining members include BBN Technologies, BEA Systems, Inc., CACI, DataDirect Networks, Essex Corporation, JL WHITE and Associates, Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging, Pangia Technologies, The Potomac Advocates, Red Hen Systems, Inc., SI International, and Zanett, Inc.
ESRI announced that ArcSDE now supports Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with the release of the ArcSDE 9.1 Service Pack 1 to enable users to take advantage of Microsoft's newest technology.
ArcSDE is a server software product that accesses multiuser geographic databases stored in relational database management systems (RDBMSs). ArcSDE enables users to:
- Integrate geographic information query, mapping, spatial analysis, and editing within a multiuser enterprise DBMS
- Move from a distributed approach to an integrated environment
- Manage spatial data as a continuous database accessible to the entire organization
- Easily publish maps on the Web
Awards
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is now accepting nominations for the 2006 National Preservation Awards to individuals who have been involved in an outstanding preservation project completed in the past three years, or those who know of a corporation, nonprofit organization, public agency, or individual who has helped save a part of America's local or national heritage are encouraged to submit a nomination.
The coveted annual awards recognize singular success in preserving, rehabilitating, restoring or interpreting America's architectural and cultural heritage. Winners will be honored at the National Preservation Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 31 - November 5, 2006.
Andy Richter, Traffic Technician for the City of Colorado Springs, CO (pop. 370,448) is the recipient of the APWA-Colorado Chapter Individual Achievement Award for his work on the implementation of CarteGraph Software.
Financials
MapInfo Corporation, global provider of location intelligence solutions, will hold its first quarter fiscal 2006 conference call on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 10:00am EST / 7:00am PST. The conference call will be Webcast live at www.mapinfo.com/investors or www.investorcalendar.com. The first quarter earnings announcement will be issued at 7:00am EST on February 2, 2006.
An audio replay of the call will be available starting at 12:00N EST on February 2, 2006 through February 9, 2006. To access the recording, domestic callers may dial into 877-519-4471 and international callers into 973-341-3080 (passcode: 6909881).
Events
The 2006 ESRI Federal User Conference, taking place January 31-February 2, 2006, at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center, will explore the use of GIS for geoprocessing and analysis, integrated workflows, and intelligent collaboration across government agencies. This year's conference will also include state government agencies and a special focus on intergovernmental partnerships.
The International LIDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) 2006 will take place in Denver, Colorado on February 13 and 14, 2006 at the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown. The International LIDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) 2006 has become the " Summit " for LIDAR professionals as well as those wanting to expand their knowledge base of the technology and its applications. Full Conference Registration $390 (early registration, $290 ends December 30, 2005): Individual registration includes access to all conference sessions, vendor exhibits, breakfast, lunch and Icebreaker Reception. Online conference registration is available at https://secure.thriva.com/Reg/Form.aspx?IDTD=1079&IDRPH=1517.
Appointments
Merrick & Company, a leader in LIDAR, digital ortho imaging, photogrammetry and GIS mapping announces the appointment of William (Bill) Emison as MARS. Product Manager.
Wins
Harris Corporation, geospatial information and database processing solutions firm, announced that the U.S. Census Bureau has exercised its year- four option for the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Accuracy Improvement Project (MTAIP). The value of this option is $40 million, bringing the total program value-to- date to $135 million. Total potential value of the eight-year MTAIP contract, which was awarded to Harris in 2002, is estimated at $210 million.
New Products
ESRI announced that Business Analyst Online for Education is now available to business schools and libraries. Business Analyst Online for Education provides on-demand reports and maps from an easy-to-use Web site. Students and faculty can use Business Analyst Online for Education to gain instant access to current demographic and consumer data reports and maps and interactive features for use in their classroom projects and research. Students will be able to link the importance of geography to such typical business applications as trade area analysis, site evaluation and selection, and customer profiling. For more information about Business Analyst Online for Education, call 800-447-9778 or visit Business Analyst Online for Education.
WhiteStar Corp. announced the addition of Louisiana, Wyoming and Utah to its CartoBase subscription line of digital cartographic products designed for oil and gas mapping. WhiteStar unveiled CartoBase in 2005 with the introduction of Texas and Colorado statewide products.
NavCom Technology, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Deere & Company announced the introduction of TruBlu, a Bluetooth compatible wireless device, enabling cable-free communication between NavCom's GPS receivers and Bluetooth enabled controllers.
The new TruBlu accessory provides users with added flexibility and the option to use NavCom's GPS equipment with either a serial cable or the TruBlu wireless module to communicate with computer controllers.
General Motors is offering two free map upgrades for purchasers of vehicles with navigation systems. The offer is a first in the industry. With annual navigation map upgrades currently running $175 or more per map-loaded-DVD from most car makers, the GM offer is worth approximately $400 to buyers of GM vehicles who upgrade to integrated in-dash navigation systems.
Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging announced Leica Photogrammetry Suite (LPS) Version 9.0. Aimed at high-volume production photogrammetry organizations, LPS 9.0 provides a more efficient means of editing seams for sizable projects that may involve a large number of images. This release also introduces Leica MosaicPro and makes available several innovative features, benefits and fixes. Updated versions of PRO600 9.0 and ORIMA DP for LPS 9.0 are also included with this release.
New features and enhancements in LPS 9.0 include:
- Improved auto-correlation during manual point measurement in the Stereo Point Measurement tool
- Seed DTM support in the Automatic Terrain Extraction module
- The ability to edit terrain extraction properties for all image pairs in the Automatic Terrain Extraction module
- CARTOSAT RPC model support
- Graphical view for tie point patterns in LPS Core
- APM success rate report
- The ability to create empty terrain datasets in LPS Core
World Communication Center (WCC), a provider of global satellite voice and data communications, announced the addition of Inmarsat to WCC's existing satellite Internet and Iridium product lines. The availability of Inmarsat satellite telephone, networking and broadband Internet equipment and services enhances WCC's ability to serve enterprise-sized businesses' satellite communication needs. The addition of Inmarsat supports WCC's solutions-based strategy by broadening the number of high-quality choices for its customers.
Tuck Mapping Solutions' (Virginia, USA) new eagleeyemapping system incorporates the Applanix DSS 322 (Digital Sensor System) as its mainstay aerial imaging component. The eagleeye system is a fully integrated helicopter-based system that provides highly accurate terrain measurement simultaneously with high-resolution digital photography.
Safe Software Inc., leading provider of Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) tools for spatial data, is pleased to announce the release of FME 2006.
This release includes significant updates to Safe Software's core technology, the Feature Manipulation Engine (FME), and delivers valuable workflow improvements to Safe Software's worldwide network of customers in the geographic information systems and business intelligence industries.
Around the Web
NZ firm acquires rights to map tool - New Zealand Herald, January 1, 2006
Mapping Technology Aids Tsunami Victims Seattle Times, January 4, 2006, by Hal Bernton
Upcoming Events
| GIS Ostrava 2006 | |
| Date: | January 23 - 25, 2006 |
| Place: | VSB-Technical University Ostrava
Czech Republic |
| Let us invite you to participate in International Symposium GIS??? Ostrava 2006. This meeting has been organised every year since 1994 and it has been developed to one of the most important GI/GIT conferences in the Czech Republic. Every year about two hundred participants mainly from the Czech Republic and Slovakia attend the conference. Reputable foreign speakers have been invited to present main topics to Czech and Slovak GI community. The aim of this series of conferences is bringing together researchers, developers, users, and practitioners from the field of GI/GIT.
We have decided to open GIS??? Ostrava 2006 meeting to keynote speakers from informatics area. We hope that they can bring new ideas to GI-community how to effectively use IT for GI. |
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DGI Europe 2006 |
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| Date: | January 23 - 26, 2006 |
| Place: | QE II Conference Centre
Westminster, London, United Kingdom |
| DGI (Defence Geospatial Intelligence) is the annual European event for the Military Geospatial Intelligence community, bringing together government, industry, and military leaders together with leading suppliers and industry experts. | |
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Mapping California Communities: An Introduction to GIS and Community Analysis Workshop - One Day Workshop |
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| Date: | January 25 - 27, 2006 |
| Place: | City of Orange, USA |
| This fast paced, hands-on workshop teaches the fundamentals of how to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) in a way that is particularly relevant to social service providers, planners and researchers. Participants learn to make thematic maps of their community, geocode addresses and perform spatial queries and analysis. Participants also learn to extract and map Census variables such as race, poverty, language, education, health and many other demographic variables. Exercises are designed for beginners. Intermediate Excel skills required. Each students is assigned a computer on which to work for the day.
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