Geoinformatics 2008 Vol01

www.geoinformatics.
com
G Hexagon G Safe Software G GPS Review Trimble GeoXH
G 3D GeoInfo Workshop G Hellenic Positioning System Network
Magaz i ne f or Sur veyi ng, Mappi ng & GI S Pr of es s i onal s
Jan./Feb. 2008
Volume 11
1
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New Year, New Start!
Let me start by wishing all of you a happy New Year! Having come to this page of the
magazine you will have probably noticed a few changes to your favourite magazine.
All thanks to our layout guy, Sander van der Kolk. While all of us were at home
celebrating the holidays he must have been making overtime to create this great new look.
Ive always been taught that change is good if applied modestly and to be honest I think
that is exactly what we have done with the new layout. It is not only more pleasing to the
eye, it is also clearer, take for example the contents page and calendar. Of course beauty
is in the eyes of the beholder, but I think Sander has done a great job! Sander, thanks.
Together with the layout, we, as editorial board, also investigated the contents of the
magazine. And decided to not change a thing (well almost nothing). So far we are quite
happy with the articles themselves. One thing that will change over the next issue or so is
that we will try to bring more balance to the diversity of articles. That is, we will try
balance the number of articles on Data Acquisition, Surveying, Mapping and Cartography
within a certain issue of the magazine. You will however not find these categories as
headings in the magazine. The reason is that we, as editorial board, could not quite figure
out where one category started and the other ended. So instead of risking burning at the
stake by our expert readers, we decided to just use these categories as internal guideline.
You as a reader should see a more balanced magazine as a result though.
Enough on the layout and back to the current issue. In this issue we have already
included a broad mixture of subjects, ranging from how to set up a RTK Network via the
use of Location based services for refugee camps to how 3D geometries are the future of
the digital world. What I personally find particularly interesting is the review of the Times
Comprehensive Atlas of the World by Menno Jan Kraak. In this article he wonders what the
use of a paper atlas is against the backdrop of highly successful geo-services such as
Google Earth and the like.
Personally Im a bit ambivalent on this subject. On the one hand I run a paperless office
as much as my accountant allows me. On the other hand I have a huge collection of books
on hydrography, geodesy and related subjects as well as atlases of the oceans, all of which
are on paper. So personally I like the digital globes for quick reference but also enjoy
leafing through an atlas with other members of my family. And Menno Jans verdict?
Read it yourselves!
Enjoy reading,
Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk
Editor-in-chief
January/February 2008
3
GeoInformatics provides coverage, analysis and
commentary with respect to the international surveying,
mapping and GIS industry.
Publisher
Ruud Groothuis
rgroothuis@geoinformatics.com
Editor-in-chief
hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com
Editorial Manager
Eric van Rees
evanrees@geoinformatics.com
Editors
Frank Arts
fartes@geoinformatics.com
Florian Fischer
ffischer@geoinformatics.com
Job van Haaften
jvanhaaften@geoinformatics.com
Remco Takken
rtakken@geoinformatics.com
Joc Triglav
jtriglav@geoinformatics.com
Columnists
Giedre Beconyte
Stig Enemark
Thierry Gregorius
Armin Gruen
Chris Holcroft
Menno-Jan Kraak
Contributions
Michail Gianniou
Ruud Groothuis
Robert Hack
Eric van Rees
Luc St Pierre
Siefko Slob
Elizabeth Wilkinson
Account Manager
Wilfred Westerhof
wwesterhof@geoinformatics.com
Subscriptions
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ISSN 13870858
Copyright 2008. GeoInformatics: no material may
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Chrissy Potsiou
Joc Triglav
John Trinder
Han Wammes
Geoff Zeiss
Safe Software, the maker of FME
An interview with Safe Softwares co-founders Dale Lutz and Don Murray.
Safe Software is the maker of FME, a powerful spatial ETL (extract, trans-
form and load) platform that enables organizations to seamlessly extract,
translate, transform, integrate and distribute spatial data in over 2000
GIS, CAD, raster and database formats
Real-Time Location Systems
Why are location services a playground for such diverse range of scien-
tific disciplines and practitioners? Florian Fisher has a talk with Lars-
Hendrik Schneider, Technical Consultant at Geodan Salzburg GMBH. This
organisation focuses on the implementation of real-time location sys-
tems (RTLS) based on the software Geodan Movida.
C o n t e n t
4
Articles
Location-based Information to
Manage Refugee Camps 6
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Hepos: Designing and Implementing an RTK Network 10
Modernizing Greeces Geodetic Infrastructure
GNSS Update 20
Deadlines
Digital Copy of GeoInformatics 33
Friend or Foe: GML is Here to Stay 34
Ubiquitous GML
3D Models in One Keystroke 41
Transforming LiDAR Point Clouds
Feasibility Study on Ukrainian Railway Tunnel 44
Valuable Consulting Experience for ITC Advisory Services
The Value of Location for 48
Business Process Optimisation
Sokkia Celebrates a 25 Year Jubilee in Holland 51
Wider Portfolio and Market a Result of Merger
Review
The New Times Atlas of the World 16
in the Internet Age
Paper versus Digital
Use and Necessity of INSPIRE 23
Book on SDIs in Europe
Trimble GeoXH and GeoBeacon 28
Different Differentials
Encyclopedia of GIS 37
Reference Book for Researchers and Students
Columns
About Maps and...Portability 25
By Menno-Jan Kraak
Page 52
Page 48
Latest News? Visit www.geoinformatics.com
5
Conferences & Meetings
Laser Scanning and Digital Aerial Photography: 38
Today and Tomorrow
7th International Conference on Laser Scanning
Advances in 3D Geoinformation Systems 42
Second International Workshop on 3D Geo-info
Interview
Ola Rollns Views on Market Developments 26
Interview with Hexagons President and CEO
The Spatial ETL Experts Offer Insight on Removing 52
Data barriers
Safe Software
Product News 59
Industry News 63
Calendar 66
Advertisers Index 66
On the Cover:
CEO and President of Hexagon, Olla Rollen.
Trimble GeoXH and
GeoBeacon: Different Differentials
Editor-in-chief Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk combines a product review with the
Page 26
Paper versus Digital:
The new Times Comprehensive Atlas of
the World in the Internet Age
Menno-Jan Kraak reviews the most recent publication of the authoritative
Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World and compares it with another
authority in mapping the National Geographic Atlas of the World. Does a
traditional paper product like the Times Atlas has a right of existence in
our world with Googles and Mircosofts?
Page 16
Page 28
international Skilltrade-STC course Hydrographic Surveying B.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Location-based Information to Manage
Living in camps is often the only solution to displaced persons and UNHCR
manages close to 300 camps worldwide for refugees alone. The challenges in
managing such populations in very marginal conditions and with limited
resources are huge. The UNHCR identified the need for a location-based
information solution to develop and apply tools for spatial analysis for the
efficient management of the camps. Given the limitations of central and
on-site resources and the institutional and environmental diversities, a
simple GIS solution based on uniform models could not adequately
provide the solution.
by Luc St Pierre
The Challenge
Refugee groupings are complex and diverse.
Essentially, concern groups are broken down
into seven categories: refugees; asylum seek-
ers; returned refugees, internally displaced
protected, returned internally displaced pro-
tected, stateless persons and others. Different
populations have different needs and require
different interventions from UNHCR and its
partners during the entire life cycle of their
time away from home. Living in camps is
often the only solution to displaced persons
and UNHCR manages close to 300 camps
worldwide for refugees alone (displaced per-
sons having crossed an international border
to seek protection). Many camps have popu-
lation of up to 25,000 inhabitants and a few
are close to 100,000 individuals.
The challenges in managing such populations
in very marginal conditions and with limited
resources are huge. Knowing more about their
distribution within the camps and about where
and to whom specific services must be ren-
dered is a key parameter for an effective action
by the various humanitarian relief agencies.
Camps are often set up in emergency contexts;
built over just a few weeks, and planning the
provision of services (water, sanitation, health,
education, security, protection, etc.) has to be
based on the location of specific needs to sus-
tain a quasi-permanent status.
Until the late 1990s geographic planning was
carried out by hand, which proved increasing-
ly inadequate as the global refugee problem
grew significantly, and effective resources on
the ground became untenable. The UNHCR
identified the need for a location-based infor-
mation solution to develop and apply tools
for spatial analysis for the efficient manage-
ment of the camps. Given the limitations of
central and on-site resources and the institu-
tional and environmental diversities, a simple
GIS solution based on uniform models could
not adequately provide the solution. Key
operational factors to be considered were:
6
Ar t i cl e
UNHCR
The Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was
established on December 14, 1950 by the
United Nations General Assembly to lead and
coordinate international action for the world-
wide protection of refugees and the resolu-
tion of refugee problems. UNHCRs primary
purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-
being of refugees. UNHCR strives to ensure
that everyone can exercise the right to seek
asylum and find safe refuge in another state,
and to return home voluntarily. By assisting
refugees to return to their own country or to
settle in another country, UNHCR also seeks
lasting solutions to their plight.
UNHCRs Executive Committee and the UN
General Assembly have also authorised the
organisations involvement with other
groups. These include people who are state-
less or whose nationality is disputed and, in
certain circumstances, internally displaced
persons. In more than five decades, the
agency has helped an estimated 50 million
people restart their lives. As of January 2006,
a staff of around 6,689 people in 116 coun-
tries continues to help 21 million persons.
Camp Kashusha outside Bukavu
(Congo).
Lack of human resources: two GIS persons
at headquarters and six GIS technicians
(non permanent) in the field, mostly in
Africa.
The assimilative capability of field staff
(non-GIS) is stretched to the limit, thus
bringing-in new tools and new responsi-
bilities is only marginally feasible.
The existence, availability, adequacy, time-
liness and relevancy of the required data
is minimal
Sending a GIS specialist for a camp mapping
exercise is costly and can not always be a pri-
ority for the camp managers.
Access to high resolution satellite imagery
is costly and availability in arid regions or
in tropical forests is low.
GPS reception is not guaranteed in those
regions and conditions.
Funds for updating and supporting the use
of information are scarce.
Knowledge-based decision making is yet
to be streamlined.
An address system might or might not
exist or even be part of the population
census database at the camp level and not
all camps maintain a population registra-
tion digital database.
However, by the very nature of the partner
structure, turnover is high. Using MapInfo
Professional, has helped the transition
between technicians and continuity in the
quality of their output. Adaptation to MapInfo
is quick and with the use of standard tem-
plates, base layers and common procedures,
UNHCR is able to show a high level of profes-
sionalism in its camp mapping output, often
The Solution
UNHCR selected Pitney Bowes MapInfo in
1998 as the software and service to support
its drive to carry out a comprehensive pro-
gramme of mapping established camps to cre-
ate efficient management of populations,
resources and facilities. Various partnerships
with humanitarian agencies have allowed
UNHCR to establish a small GIS Team.
Ar t i cl e
7
Refugee Camps
UNHCR Camp in Ghana.
UNHCR Camp in Kenya.
World Street Map
Locate places and addresses,
get driving directions, and
nd places of interest.
World Imagery
See a natural view of
the earth at multiple
resolutions.
Shaded Relief
Use with your maps
that dont include
orthoimagery.
Political Boundaries
Add your own current events
or population data layer to
the political world globe.
Copyright 2007 ESRI. All rights reserved. The ESRI globe logo, ESRI, ArcGIS, www.esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions.
Other companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.
Connect to ArcGIS Online Services Today
If you use ArcGIS Desktop, connect to ArcGIS Online services today at http://arcgisonline.esri.com.
Or, request your ArcGIS Desktop evaluation at www.esri.com/desktopeval and explore ArcGIS Online.
Austria
www.synergis.co.at
Belgium and Luxembourg
www.esribelux.com
Bosnia and Herzegovina
www.gisdata.hr
Bulgaria
www.esribulgaria.com
Croatia
www.gisdata.hr
Czech Republic
www.arcdata.cz
Denmark
www.informi.dk
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
www.hnit-baltic.lt
Finland
www.esri-nland.com
France
www.esrifrance.fr
F.Y.R.O.M.
www.gisdata.hr
Germany
www.esri-germany.de
Greece and Cyprus
www.marathondata.gr
Hungary
www.esrihu.hu
Iceland
www.samsyn.is
Israel
www.systematics.co.il
Italy
www.esriitalia.it
Malta
www.geosys.com.mt
Moldova
www.trimetrica.com
The Netherlands
www.esrinl.com
Norway
www.geodata.no
Poland
www.esripolska.com.pl
Portugal
www.esri-portugal.pt
Romania
www.esriro.ro
Russia
www.dataplus.ru
Slovak Republic
www.arcgeo.sk
Slovenia
www.gisdata.hr
Spain
www.esri-es.com
Sweden
www.esri-sweden.com
Switzerland
www.esri-suisse.ch
Turkey
www.islem.com.tr
Ukraine
www.ecomm.kiev.ua
UK/Ireland
www.esriuk.com
Please contact your local distributor or call ESRI Europe at +31-10-217-7788 or ESRI headquarters at +19097932853, exl. 11235 europe@esri.cou www.esri.cou
Quick-Start Your GIS Projects with Free Online Maps
Historical World Map Physical World Map
World Protected
Areas Map
U.S. Topographic Map
Having the right data when you need
it can mean the difference between
success and failure. When you are
trying to meet a project deadline,
the last thing you want to do is
spend valuable time searching for
data sources and then compiling and
prepping the data.
With ArcGIS
SM
Online, you have free
access to a comprehensive collection
of 2D and 3D basemaps to which
you can easily add your own local
data or services.
Online content includes imagery for
the world, world street map, shaded
relief, topographic maps, and more.
Use it as the foundation for your
GIS work when you need to add
context for your geographic analysis
that extends beyond your normal
working area.
ArcGIS Online content is prerendered,
ready-to-use, and hosted by ESRI, so
you save time and money because
you dont have to invest in additional
hardware, staff, or training. It also
frees you from data management
and data update activities so you
can focus on your mission-critical
work instead.
giving the impression that a larger resource
lies behind the operation.
The relatively low cost of acquisition for a
basic configuration is also an important fac-
tor as partners, either globally or locally, can
consider developing their location-based
information capabilities to work more closely
with UNHCR in the field. The Pitney Bowes
MapInfo software and support is facilitating
plans to decentralise technical services to
bring the analytical capabilities closer to the
point of delivery (the camps), simple tools
with a proven efficiency are critical to a con-
tinuous support of adequate quality.
Ultimately, UNHCR selected Pitney Bowes
MapInfo as their location technology partner
due to its flexibility and ease of use for con-
tinuous operations; ease in the application of
customised templates, standards, symbols
that are centrally managed at HQ and dis-
seminated to field operators; centrally man-
aged common (global) basic layers; avoidance
of users creating their own layers (only local
workspaces form same basic layers) and the
relatively low cost of licenses.
Resourcing and Decentralising
Leaving aside the technical capabilities and
the working constraints associated with camp
mapping, the coverage of over 300 camps of
refugees (and over 200 of internally displaced
at UNHCR for the last 18 months: It is a real
privilege to work with Luc and his team. They
are addressing a gargantuan problem of glob-
al proportions; I know of no other organisa-
tion to which location is so critical to the well
being of human lives today. UNHCRs vision,
to decentralise camp mapping management
is a major challenge in so many ways, but at
least we are able to help with the infrastruc-
ture to make this goal viable and engage
relief agencies on the ground to input and
utilise this invaluable tool.
Expand the Coverage
In 2007, camps will be mapped by partners
in Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda. UNHCR
hopes to expand this coverage to other coun-
tries with additional partners. Streamlining
location-based information in decision mak-
ing at the local level for camp management
and for long term planning at the global level
has to become a reality for UNHCR, which can
only be achieved through strong partnerships.
Luc St Pierre is Senior GIS Officer, FICSS/DOSS,
UNHCR. E-mail: stpierre@unhcr.org
More information on www.unhcr.org
persons in Northern Uganda alone!) is a chal-
lenge in itself for any organisation or enter-
prise. UNHCR is now starting to engage part-
ners in applying the mapping guidelines
developed around MapInfo to map more
camps. It hopes that by showing a simple and
relatively cheap mapping tool it can attract
more implementing partners and hopefully
more interested funding parties.
MapInfo has equipped us with a highly valu-
able location-based information capability
which is beginning to help us decentralise the
mapping of camps out to humanitarian part-
ner agencies in the field, said Luc St-Pierre,
Senior Geographic Information Systems
Officer, UNHCR. Resourcing is our greatest
challenge and the ability to delegate the criti-
cal function of camp mapping to agencies will
allow us far greater efficiency in locating ser-
vices and amenities, such as sanitation.
Likewise, the location of services like educa-
tion, health, security and delivering protection
is core to the management of camps which
are often like small towns, housing up to
100,000 people. Underpinning this goal, St-
Pierre aims to develop a global web portal to
provide governments and agencies with a
shared visualisation of data, access to data
input and the creation of valuable reports.
Chris Clarke, Client Director at Pitney Bowes
MapInfo has worked closely with the GIS team
Ar t i cl e
9
UNHCR campin Phonos Peuh (Cambodia).
Modernizing Greeces Geodetic Infrastructure
HEPOS: Designing and Implementing
HEPOS, the HEllenic POsitioning System, is a nation-wide RTK network that will
modernize the geodetic infrastructure of Greece. The establishment of HEPOS is
part of the project Information and Technology Infrastructure for a Modern
Cadastre which is run by Ktimatologio S.A., a state-owned private sector firm
that is in charge of establishing the Hellenic Cadastre. HEPOS will
contribute to the establishment of the Hellenic Cadastre by offering an
inexpensive way of systematic collection of precise and
homogeneous spatial data.
By Michail Gianniou
Implementation: framework and
timeplan
Ktimatologio S.A. will manage and operate the
system offering positioning services to the con-
tractors of the Hellenic Cadastre and to any
other GPS users that need sub-meter or cen-
timeter positioning accuracy.
The decision to establish HEPOS was made at
the end of 2003. One-and-a-half years was
needed to design the system, carry out all the
necessary formalities and prepare the tender
documents. Following EU policy there was a
period of two weeks for public consultation.
The tender documents were modified to con-
sider the adopted proposals and the tender was
announced following EU procedures in October
2005. The period for submitting offers was 56
days. This seems to be a very short interval for
preparing an offer for such a complicated pro-
ject. However, Ktimatologio S.A. had been in
contact with the interested potential bidders
since the beginning of 2004, so actually there
was much more time for preparation. Due to
the formalities that needed to be followed and
the complexity of the offers, it was a year before
the contract between Ktimatologio S.A. and the
selected bidder, Trimble Europe B.V., was
signed.
The first reference station was installed four
months after the contract was signed. In about
another three months all 98 reference stations
as well as the control centre were installed. It
must be mentioned that the timeplan to be fol-
lowed was extremely demanding both for
Ktimatologio S.A. and the contractor. Never-
theless, the installations were concluded as
required and at the time of writing, HEPOS is
in the workout phase. The system is planned
to be operational by the end of 2007.
Important design and preparation
issues
The first step towards implementation of
HEPOS was estimation of the budget and the
time needed for establishment of the system.
Special attention was paid to making realistic
estimates, as unrealistic cost and time esti-
mates present serious risks for a project. These
realistic assessments were two of the most chal-
lenging tasks, because they assume detailed
knowledge of the systems architecture. Visits
to other operating networks offered valuable
information for the design of a system.
However, every network is built in a unique way
and approaches vary, especially regarding the
telecommunication solution which depends on
the infrastructure of each particular country. The
way of connecting the reference stations to the
control centre is very critical for good perfor-
mance of an RTK network. The data should be
transferred to the control centre within one sec-
ond of the epoch of measurement. In the past
this was hard to achieve without using dedicat-
ed lines. Today, ADSL-based lines can in many
cases be used for connecting the reference sta-
tions to the control centre.
A critical task for the design of HEPOS was the
estimate of the number of reference stations
needed. This was a very challenging issue for
many reasons. Firstly, the rough terrain of
Greece limits satellite visibility making many
places inadequate for installing a reference sta-
tion. Secondly, the need to cover most of the
Greek islands implied multiple restrictions
increasing the number of reference stations. As
can be seen in Figure 1, 57 reference stations
are enough for covering the whole mainland,
while 41 additional reference stations are need-
ed to cover the majority of the islands. The geo-
graphic distribution of the islands implied the
use of 11 single reference stations to cover the
islands of the east Aegean Sea. Another aspect
that had to be considered was the stability of
the reference stations. To ensure maximum sta-
bility, the reference station antenna must be
10
Ar t i cl e
Figure 1: The established
HEPOS network consisting of
98 reference stations.
installed on a special construction on a geolog-
ically stable area. The use of robust concrete
pillars on bedrock is a typical solution. However,
the most suitable places from the geological
point of view are often unpopulated and do not
have the required infrastructure: buildings,
power and telecommunication networks.
Building infrastructure in such places may need
years of preparation. The use of existing build-
ings, on the other hand, saves time and has
many other advantages like protection, easier
accessibility etc.
The task of estimating the number of reference
stations was further complicated by the tight
schedule, which did not allow selection of the
sites out in the field. To overcome the issue, a
special application which allows the computa-
tion of satellite visibility at a particular location
was developed by GIS specialists at
Ktimatologio S.A. Using this application, the
locations of the reference stations could be
determined in the office, saving travelling costs
and - more importantly- valuable time. The
application is capable of computing the visibili-
ty for a user-defined elevation angle. This func-
tionality is necessary because the ideal site,
which has clear sky above 5 degrees elevation,
cannot always be found, especially when other
criteria like accessibility and existing infrastruc-
ture should be also fulfilled. Where obstacles
at 5 degrees could hardly be avoided, the visi-
bility was checked for higher values, like 7 or
10 degrees. Obstacles at these elevations were
accepted in difficult areas under the condition
creation of the needed company structure for
the operation of HEPOS and, finally, the selec-
tion and registration of trademark and www
address.
Reference stations
All HEPOS reference stations are equipped with
Trimble NetRS receivers with Zephyr Geodetic
antennas. The antennas are used together with
Trimble spherical domes for stopping snow and
other debris from collecting on the antennas.
This is important in a network with 98 refer-
ence stations where some stations are situated
hundreds of kilometers away from the control
centre. For the antennas two types of mounts
are being used: roof mounts and wall mounts,
as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3. Masts of 10
centimeters in diameter are used to ensure sta-
bility against wind load. All metal parts installed
outdoors are made of stainless alloys.
Inside the building all the reference station
equipment is situated in a rack, as can be seen
in Figure 4. The racks have fans with ther-
mostats for ensuring normal operating temper-
ature for all devices. Inside a rack the GPS
receiver, the UPS, the NPS (Network Power
Switch) as well as the telecommunication
devices for the primary and the backup lines
to the control centre are hosted. The NPS
allows rebooting of the devices remotely from
the control centre. This enables the operators
of HEPOS to solve malfunctions within a short
time without actually visiting the reference sta-
tions.
that they affect only a limited part of the hori-
zon. Following this procedure, Ktimatologio S.A.
reached the proposed design of HEPOS that
the contractor had to accomplish. This pro-
posed design proved to be a very realistic one,
as in most cases a site could be found very
close to the proposed one.
An important milestone in the implementation
of HEPOS was the decision to proceed with one
tender asking for a complete system. The alter-
native was to proceed with three different
tenders: one for the receivers, one for the
networking software and one for the telecom-
munication network. The chosen turnkey
solution offers important advantages. Firstly,
it reduces the high risk of three tenders.
Secondly, it simplifies the compilation of the
technical specifications as the desired function-
alities of the system can be requested directly
without the need to specify the characteristics
of the different system components that have
to work together. Furthermore, one tender sim-
plifies dramatically the supervision and coordi-
nation of the whole project. Another proven
choice was to include in the contract an initial
period of operation of the system. This way the
running costs (telecommunication network and
rents for the reference station buildings) are
included in the economical offer and can be
evaluated.
Other important steps during the preparation
were the modification of building regulations
to allow the installation of the antennas, the
Ar t i cl e
11
an RTK Network
Figure 2: A typical roof-mounted
HEPOS antenna.
Figure 3: A typical wall-mounted
HEPOS antenna.
Control centre
The HEPOS control centre is located in an envi-
ronmentally-controlled room at the headquar-
ters of Ktimatologio S.A. in Athens. Following
advice from the IT Department, rack-mountable
equipment for the control centre had been
required by the technical specifications. Thus,
all equipment can be situated in a 42U rack. All
six application servers can be controlled by a
single KVM switch included in the rack. This
approach dramatically reduces the room need-
ed, especially when compared to the use of
multiple desktop servers building a computer
pool. For better weight distribution, it was
decided to use a second rack for hosting some
of the battery packs of the UPS, as the total
weight of the UPS and the six battery packs
exceeds 700 kilograms, which is too much to
be loaded in a single rack together with all the
other equipment. A reference station is installed
at the control centre, which offers a good refer-
ence for estimating the latency of the incoming
data from all the other reference stations.
Telecommunication network
The HEPOS telecommunication network con-
sists of several components. The reference sta-
tions are connected to the control centre using
MPLS VPN ADSL lines. In a few cases, where
no ADSL node was available, ISDN connections
are being used. The mean latency of the incom-
ing data over a week varies between 0.15 and
0.40 seconds which is considered quite satis-
factory. As backup lines, GSM/GPRS connections
are being used. The use of completely indepen-
dent means for the primary and the backup
lines eliminates the possibility of a parallel fail-
ure of both systems. For serving the RTK users,
who connect to HEPOS via GPRS using the
NTRIP protocol, an internet line is being used.
The same line offers access to the HEPOS web
site and the web server that prepares the RINEX
files for the post-processing
applications. In the case of lim-
ited GPRS coverage in some
locations, the user can also con-
nect to the control centre using
GSM. An access server enables
the connection of up to 60 par-
allel users, a number that can
be expanded to 480 by simply
adding more lines. As the use
of GPRS is more inexpensive
than the use of GSM and the
coverage of GPRS is improving,
it is expected that the request
for GSM connections will
decrease in the future.
Services offered
HEPOS supports all common
GPS positioning techniques. For
post-processing applications the user can
request RINEX data from any of the 98 refer-
ence stations as well as from a VRS (virtual ref-
erence station) at any required location within
the area of the 87 networked stations. The
duration of the RINEX data and the observation
interval are selectable. RINEX or Compact RINEX
format can be requested. For real-time applica-
tions DGPS and RTK are supported. Both DGPS
and RTK can be used in single-base mode or
in network mode. For network RTK, VRS, FPK
and MAC approaches are supported. For real-
time applications the data are transmitted in
versions 2.3, 3.0 and 3.1 of the RTCM format
as well as in the CMR+ format.
Geodetic aspects
From the geodetic point of view, HEPOS should
embody the national Coordinate Reference
System (CRS) of Greece. On the other hand
HEPOS should be able to incorporate a new
geodetic datum that will replace the existing one
in the near future. For those reasons a GPS cam-
paign has been made for estimating the ETRS89
coordinates of trigonometric points of the
national network and establishing adequate
transformation parameters. During this HEPOS
campaign, about 2500 trigonometric points were
measured. These points are evenly distributed
all over Greece and correspond to about 10% of
the total number of points in the national
trigonometric network. The measurements were
taken in less than 6 months using 12 dual-fre-
quency GPS receivers. According to the specifi-
cations, the sampling interval was 15 seconds,
the elevation mask 15 degrees and the mini-
mum observation time was set to 1 hour. Due
to the tight timetable of the project, there was
no possibility of setting the minimum observa-
tion time higher. The one-hour minimum dura-
tion had to be extended under poor DOP or dif-
ficult signal reception conditions, due for
example to obstacles or electromagnetic inter-
ferences. It is considered that, under normal
conditions, this observation time is enough to
achieve 1-2 centimeter accuracy in the horizon-
tal position and slightly lower accuracy in the
heights. These levels of accuracy are satisfacto-
ry when measuring a classical trigonometric net-
work, where the heights have been mainly deter-
mined using trigonometric leveling techniques.
For ensuring as low noise as possible in the
observations, the specifications required the use
of modern models of GPS receivers. The con-
tractor used 12 Trimble 5700-5800 receivers. The
use of receivers of the same architecture and
antennas of the same kind was for the benefit
of precision mainly due to avoidance of unmod-
eled differential antenna phase-centre effects.
The specifications required that every trigono-
metric point had to be measured from at least
two reference stations and the baseline length
was limited to approximately 40 kilometers. The
coordinates of the reference stations were com-
puted using EUREF-EPN reference station. These
computations were made by the Department of
Geodesy and Surveying at the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, Greece through ongo-
ing research collaboration. The processing of the
baselines from the reference stations to the
trigonometric points was done by the contrac-
tor. All baselines were processed using IGS pre-
cise orbits.
As a first step towards the estimation of trans-
formation parameters between ETRS89 and the
national CRS, a seven-parameter similarity trans-
formation was computed over the entire coun-
try. Apart from some outliers, the maximum sys-
tematic residuals of the transformation are about
2.5 meters. The results of the transformation
reveal the degree of internal consistency of the
trigonometric network. The spatial distribution
of the residuals shows local distortions that are
typical for a conventional trigonometric network.
Similar distortions have been revealed in many
trigonometric networks around the world. Of
particular importance is the behavior of the
residuals in the Greek islands where the trian-
gulation had to be done over the sea and over
distances up to 150 kilometers. Figure 5 shows
the residuals of the transformation in the Aegean
islands and the surrounding areas.
Beside the nationwide transformation, seven-
parameter similarity transformation sets have
been computed for smaller areas of the coun-
try. In addition, gridding algorithms are being
evaluated by the Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki. The final transformation model will
be defined by analyzing the results of all these
calculations. In any case, the implementation of
the final model must allow seamless work in
daily surveying practice.
12
Ar t i cl e
Figure 4: The rack used for reference station equipment.
Geodynamic aspects
In the previous section, the way in which the existence of the islands
affects the homogeneity of the trigonometric network was described.
Unfortunately, another factor has a stronger impact on the quality of
the trigonometric network, namely geodynamic phenomena. Greece is,
from the geodynamic point of view, the most active country in Europe.
Various projects have revealed tectonic displacements in the order of
1-2 centimeters/year. These movements mainly affect the homogeneity
of the network over longer distances. For the majority of the points
local consistency is maintained. Thus, problems can very occasionally
be caused, across an active fault, for example. For regular surveying in
restricted areas using trigonometric points, the effects of the geody-
namic phenomena can be ignored. However, the operator of a nation-
al GNSS network has to take into account the dynamic behavior of the
coordinates of the reference stations. Based on EUREF data, the differ-
ential movement between northern Greece and Crete, with respect to
ETRF2005, amounts to 2 centimeters/year. There are different strate-
gies to deal with this issue. The one to be followed in HEPOS will be
decided after some initial time of operation of the network that will
allow the estimation of the relative movements among the 98 refer-
ence stations of the system. In any case the situation should be treat-
ed in a way that guarantees coordinate stability for the user.
Dr. Michail Gianniou mgianniu@ktimatologio.gr is the Head of the Geodetic
Department of Ktimatologio S.A. (Hellenic Cadastre). He designed HEPOS and is in
charge of its implementation. For additional information visit www.ktimatologio.gr
and www.hepos.gr.
Acknowledgements: The operators of SAPOS-Hessen and SAPOS-Thringen kindly
offered valuable information at the HEPOS design stage. Prof. K. Katsambalos and
Prof. C. Kotsakis from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki are assisting
Ktimatologio S.A. on geodetic aspects. The HEPOS project is part of the Operational
Program Information Society and is co-funded by the EU.
Figure 5: Residuals of the nationwide seven-parameter similarity transformation.
GPS Handbook
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Paper versus Digital
The New Times Comprehensive Atla
The publication of the authoritative Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World is always a feast for the land of
cartographers, geographers and the like. An atlas is considered the ultimate cartographic product, and the Times Atlas
stands on its own in the reference atlas category. However, one might wonder if a traditional paper product like the
Times Atlas has a right to exist in our world of Googles and Microsofts. Before answering this question lets look at
the Atlas itself. It will also be compared with another authority in mapping and one of its competitors, the
National Geographic Atlas of the World.
by: Menno-Jan Kraak
Described in the foreword, the history of the Times Atlas goes back
to an edition that was a translation of the renowned Andrees
Allgemeiner Handatlas published in Germany in 1880. Until the First
World War the German reference atlases of Andree and Stieler where
unbeaten for detail. The Times Atlas has seen several editions, among
them a six-volume atlas published at the end of the 1950s. Todays
twelfth edition finds its roots in a single comprehensive volume pub-
lished in 1967. Over the years globalization has reached the Times
Atlas in a positive way. The early editions were very much Eurocentric,
with only a limited number of maps outside this continent. The later
editions try to balance content equally over the different continents.
What the atlas looks like
The atlas starts with an introductory section that includes satellite
images of all the continents, the earths environment and climate,
including data from the 2007 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC). All kinds of statistics on the worlds popula-
tion and its economies are found here as well. In addition to the tra-
ditional lists of the highest mountains, longest rivers, biggest lakes
and largest cities, the latest trends in mapping are explained. An
overview of the size, population and capitals of countries are also not
to be missed.
The real atlas, if you like, starts on page 70 and consists of 125
double-paged atlas plates. The maps on those plates have scales
16
Revi ew
Figure 1: Detail of atlas plate 121 Chile
South, Argentina and Uruguay, scale
1:5,500,000. The map of Tierra del Fuego
shows the detail, beauty, and crispness of
the atlas maps.
between 1:1,000,000 and 1:2,500,000 for
some parts of Europe and North America,
1:5,000,000 for most other parts of the world,
and regional and continental overview maps
at scales of 1:10,000,0000 and smaller. The
maps have a traditional design with layer tint-
ing representing heights from low to high via
pastel shades of green, yellow, brown to white
[see figure 1.] There is no hill shading applied.
All maps were generated from the Collins-
Bartholomew databases (which explains why
four different sizes of Times atlas can exist).
The 223-page index with over 200,000
entries takes up the biggest part of the atlas.
Over 20,000 changes have been incorporat-
ed into the new edition. Among them are the
latest boundary changes and over 3,500
name changes. These include new capitals
(Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar and Melekeok in
Palau), new national parks, updates of roads
and railroads such as the Lhasa-Golmud rail-
way in China, and changes due to shrinking
lakes like the Aral Sea [see figure 2 and 3].
Of course every user will judge an atlas in
part by trying to find their hometown. Mine
is not small, and Enschede, the Netherlands,
is easily found. Also map content in the
region around Enschede, as well as in the
Netherlands is well balanced. I could not find
Searching
Reference atlases are used to find locations, to
see spatial relations, to get an overview of a
region, to compare regions, or just for armchair
travelling. Lets do a search. Where can we find
the town Sorong? Atlases solve this via the
index [see figure 5]. The Times Atlas not only
gives the plate number and a rectangle loca-
tion, just like the National Geographic Atlas, but
also the location in longitude and latitude.
Searching Sorong via the Internet can of course
be done using a search engine, but using a ded-
icated gazetteer is a better option. There are
different types of gazetteer, some related to the
national mapping agency of a country or region
and others claiming to be global. Examples of
this last category are the gazetteers from the
Alexandria Digital Library, JRC and Maplandia.
The last uses the data behind Google Maps and
Google Earth. With these gazetteers you might
be able to find more locations then in either
atlas, especially in well-mapped areas such as
Western Europe or North America. However, the
search results are often blank maps with a sin-
gle symbol indicating the search result, while
the atlas maps give you context as well.
Verdict
Both paper reference atlases and online
gazetteers have a role to play. The big advan-
tage of an atlas such as the Times
Comprehensive Atlas of the World is that its
mistakes, and the choices of what to display
could all be justified.
Alternatives?
Finding a recent alternative for the Times
Comprehensive Atlas of the World is not easy.
The National Geographic Atlas of the World
(8th Edition; 2005) comes closest. Its structure
is similar to the Times Atlas; for example, it also
includes an introducto-
ry section followed by
the atlas plates. The
introductory section in
particular shows the
always brilliant and
innovative thematic
mapping of National
Geographic. Although it
is partly a matter of
taste, these maps [see
figure 4] include dyna -
mics not to be found in
the more traditional
Times map design. The
main atlas has a famil-
iar look with color
bands along the differ-
ent boundaries. The
maps include hill shad-
ing.
Revi ew
17
s of the World in the Internet Age
Figure 2 and 3: The Aral Sea as
found in the 5th edition
of 1975 and in the 12th edition of 2007
Figure 4: Detail of refugee map on plate 16 Migration, National Geographic Atlas
of the World
content has been screened in detail by professional editors, and the car-
tographic quality is good and uniform over all maps. It is also much eas-
ier to browse and compare the maps - contrary to what you expect from
a web browser. And another advantage, and not a small one, the maps
are big - there is overview. On the other hand, if you are interested in a
particular location the gazetteers with their options to link to all kinds of
relevant information might be a better choice. Want to know what Sorong
looks like? Try a Google picture search and youll know.
Menno-Jan Kraak kraak@itc.nl is head of ITCS Geo-Information Processing
Department. He is a member of the editorial board of several
international journals in the field of Cartography and GIS.
Revi ew
19
Figure 5: Searching for Sorong in the Times Atlas and in the National Geographic Atlas; both map details also allow a good comparison of how
the two atlases depict the geography
Deadlines
GNSS Update
In the last quarter of 2007 a grand total of eight navigation
satellites were launched: two GPS satellites and six Glonass
satellites. With the exception of GPS, which is still being plagued
by budget cutbacks and moving deadlines, all GNSS systems
seem to be on track towards their (re)scheduled deadlines.
By: Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk
GPS
In the United States the budget for fiscal year
2008 was made public; it shows a budget cut-
back of $100 million (63.2 million Euros) for
GPS III funding. However, the bipartisan con-
gressional conference remains fully support-
ive of GPS III. At this time it is not known
what effect the budget cutback will have on
the expected date for GPS III to become oper-
ational.
In the last quarter of 2007 two GPS satellites
(IIR-M) were launched from Cape Canaveral.
The first, launched on October 17, was set
healthy on October 31. The second was
launched on December 21. The
latter was supposed to have
the new L5 signal demonstra-
tion payload on board but it
seems that launch of this pay-
load has been postponed until
2008. The L5 signal will be
added as a new function to the
Block IIF satellites currently being built by
Boeing and is therefore not expected until
early 2009.
Beidou / Compass
Chinas official state news agency, Xinhua, has
reported that China will use Beidou for traffic
guidance and venue monitoring during the
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The cur-
rent Compass constellation consists of four
geostationary Beidou satellites (1A-1D) as well
as a single Beidou 1M medium earth orbit
satellite launched in April 2007. When fully
operational, Beidou / Compass will have four
20
Ar t i cl e
Launch of GPS satellite IIR-M
nr 17 on October 17 (source:
www.losangeles.af.mil)
Galileo orbits
(source: www.esa.int)
geostationary satellites as well as 30 medi-
um earth orbit satellites. According to Xinhua
more satellite launches are set for 2008.
Glonass
After a long period of silence, the Russians
have resumed the Glonass launching sched-
ule. Part of the delay was the crash of a
Proton rocket with a Japanese satellite on
board in September 2007. On October 26,
2007 three satellites were launched that were
declared operational in early December 2007.
Of the three, one is currently switched off tem-
porarily.
On December 25, 2007 another three satel-
lites were successfully launched; at this time
it is not known whether they are operational
or not. The total number of active satellites
is now 12, excluding the three recently
launched. With these last two launches
Glonass is a big step further on the way to
becoming fully operational, which is still slat-
ed to be sometime in 2008.
Galileo
On November 23, 2007 the EU
member states (European
Parliament) backed the 2.4 billion
Euro funding package proposed
by the European Commission. The
money is now definitely to come
from unspent farm subsidies (1.6
billion Euros) and money that was
earmarked for R&D (0.8 billion
Euros). As a result the individual
states do not have to find additional
money to keep system development
on track. This however does not mean
that no costs are involved; it has been
EU practice to return unspent budget
funds to the member states.
On November 30 the EU transport min-
isters met to discuss how to progress
with Galileo. They reached a unanimous
decision on how to procure the Galileo
contracts. The discussions were more polit-
ical than economic in nature however. For
example, Germany, which has a large
aerospace industry, maintained that coun-
tries that have such an industry should get a
larger share in the project. Another hurdle was
Spain, which has a stake in the building of
the ground station for the Galileo Safety of
Life Services.
The procurement agreement reached should
ensure competition among contractors and as
such reduce costs, according to EU transport
commissioner Jacques Barrot. Spain will get
the ground station but it will have to be fund-
ed by Spain and not by the European Union.
Corporation (Japan) to acquire all outstand-
ing shares of Sokkia Company Ltd. (Japan) on
December 10, making it a wholly-owned sub-
sidiary of Topcon Corporation. It is planned
that the business integration will be complet-
ed by April 1, 2011. After the business integra-
tion Topcon will be responsible for, among
other things, the development (and manufac-
ture) of GPS equipment and machine control
systems whilst Sokkia will be responsible for
the total station.
Hexagon acquires NovAtel
In October 2007 Hexagon (Sweden) took over
NovAtel (Canada) by acquiring all the out-
standing shares. NovAtel has been a core sup-
plier of these technologies to Hexagons sub-
sidiary Leica Geosystems since 2002. No
further mention was made about future devel-
opment at NovAtel, though.
US DGPS chain
The US Coast Guard, which operates a
freely usable DGPS network around the
waterways and coasts of the US, has
awarded a contract for as many as 400
reference stations to Trimble. The con-
tract is the result of a major upgrade
of the current network, which was
under a lot of fire with WAAS becom-
ing operational in the USA. The Coast
Guard DGPS Service is required to
deliver 10-meter accuracy, but typi-
cally delivers accuracies of 1 to 3
meters in all established coverage
areas. Systems similar to the US
Coast Guard system are placed
around the world by the
International Association of
Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) of
which the US Coast Guard is a
member. The systems are
placed and operated under the
international Safety of Life at
Sea conference (SOLAS).
hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com
is project manager at IDsW and a freelance
writer and trainer. This article reflects
his personal opinion.
IRNSS
India, which in 2006 unveiled plans for the
Indian Region Navigation Satellite System
(IRNSS), has recently updated the status of
this system. The Indian Space Research
Organization is almost ready to build a pro-
totype satellite, with the design for the actu-
al satellites being nearly complete. The com-
plete system will have seven satellites: three
geostationary as well as four in a geosyn-
chronous orbit at 29 to the equatorial plane.
India expects to launch the first satellite in
2010 with the system becoming fully opera-
tional in 2012.
IRNSS differs from systems such as GPS,
Glonass and Galileo in that it does not use
the L-radio band for transmission of the sig-
nals. Since this band is slightly overcrowded
with all the existing (and future) navigation
systems, India has opted for the S-band (two
frequencies separated by 350 MHz)
Takeover(s)
Apart from the takeover of TeleAtlas by
TomTom (currently under investigation by the
European Commission) and Navteq by Nokia,
two major takeovers have taken place in the
past few months that could very well impact
the GNSS industry.
Topcon takes over Sokkia
The Japanese Fair Trade Commission has
approved the tender offer from Topcon
Ar t i cl e
21
IRNSS constellation (source: www. wordpress.com)
1-800-NOVATEL (U.S. & Canada) or 403-295-4900
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All competitively priced to maximize the return
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To learn about how NovAtels SPAN technology
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More for less
Book on SDIs in Europe
Use and Necessity
of INSPIRE
Ian Massers book, Building European Data Infrastructures, can be read as a plea for more cooperation between European
governments to collect and share geo-information through one digital geo-portal. To achieve this goal the EU
created the INSPIRE project, in place since the end of 2006. Without being too technical, Masser shows why this project is
so important and how it can succeed: by a proactive attitude from stakeholders, much networking and
trying to achieve a common sense so that everyone will be happy with the end results.
By: Eric van Rees
The importance of geo-information cannot
be overestimated. Citizens and governments
benefit from unambiguous and up-to-date
geo-information. Collecting and storing this
data happens in different ways in different EU
countries. The same goes for making this data
available within these countries, to say noth-
ing of its availability on an international level.
The INSPIRE project was created by the
European Union to offer European citizens a
geo-portal with access to standardized geo-
information for every EU country. The project
is modeled after an example in America where
a national geo-portal already exists. To make
this geo-portal work, national data needs to
be collected, maintained, shared and harmo-
nized within SDIs (spatial data infrastructures)
that are not just databases within organiza-
tions, but that incorporate the bigger picture
of legislation, technology, networks and orga-
nizations that collect, share and use spatial
data.
Beside the need to harmonize national geo-
data, there is also a need to study certain
appearances in an international context, like
river basins that cover many countries.
Harmonization of this information saves a lot
of time, money and effort. To make this hap-
pen, much work needs to be done, states
Masser, himself an authority on SDIs. In 84
pages he draws up the balance sheet of what
has been done to date and what the future
of INSPIRE will bring.
Legislative Context
Massers book can be divided into two parts.
The first part is about such elementary con-
cepts as GIS and SDIs and their benefits and
necessities in practice. He stresses the social
components of SDIs: its humans who collect,
share, maintain and use this data, and tech-
nology is there to make this happen.
In the second part of the book Masser gives
three examples of SDIs in Europe, all part of
the INSPIRE project. INSPIRE is a sequel to a
previous European project, CORINE, that
explored the possibilities around the use and
exchange of geographic information. Much
attention is paid to the development of the
legislative context of INSPIRE that gives the
project its right to exist and its continuation
in the future. In 2009, when member states
will have made changes to their national laws
to meet the requirements of INSPIRE, the pro-
ject will be fully operational. These are no
more than the essential preconditions of the
total INSPIRE project; to create a real
European platform, organizations involved in
creating SDIs will have to join hands and cre-
ate public-private partnerships.
Masser has written a very insightful book on
the INSPIRE project. From the organizational
perspective, the use and necessity of the pro-
ject becomes very clear. The future will decide
whether his message of networking will reach
those for whom this book was written, name-
ly those who make use of the information in
SDIs.
Eric van Rees evanrees@geoinformatics.com is
editorial Manager of GeoInformatics.
More information on www.esri.com/esripress
Revi ew
23
Title: Building European
Spatial Data
Infrastructures
Author: Ian Messer
Publisher: ESRI Press
ISBN: 978-1-589428-165-7
No. of pages: 91
Price: EUR 21,95
25
Traveling is becoming more and more of a burden these days. Here I do not refer to increased security measures
prohibiting you from bringing a bottle of water onto an airplane. No, I refer literally to all those extra kilos you have to carry
to enjoy the modern way of traveling. Those of you who do not travel regularly might be a bit surprised at this as you know
you no longer have to carry books, reports etc. because you bring them digitally. And yes, you do. But if I look into my
bags, half of the weight is taken by adaptors and converters for all the useful toys I bring on my trips. At airports I notice
Im not the only one - people bring a laptop, spare batteries, a camera, a PDA/phone, and a GPS. You might ask: do they
need them all? Well, you never know. With me the laptop is obvious. I have to work, and it contains my documents and
presentations. The pda/phone makes sense as well, and the camera and GPS are both half work and half fun.
The work part is that I often like to include up-to-date slides in my pre-
sentations, for instance, a picture of yesterdays meeting or the path of
yesterdays excursion. Recently it was time to renew my phone, and I
decided to go for one of those all-in-one devices that is a phone, PDA,
camera and GPS in a single small device. This would potentially save me
some kilos. The device I bought indeed has all these functions, but the
problem is their usability. They all work, but if you do not use them on a
daily basis you need to carry a manual to operate them.
I would like to elaborate a little on the GPS in these
devices. My first question is: What would you need a
GPS for anyhow? Here I try to put myself in the posi-
tion of an ordinary traveler, not someone who has a
professional need or excuse to have the toys. I fit
the second category, and that might make it difficult
to try and give an unbiased answer to the question.
You might want to know where you are, and these
devices give you a coordinate or put a dot on a very
small map. The first is not very helpful: who knows - even among us pro-
fessionals - the location of work or home in longitude and latitude or any
other coordinate system? Very few, I would guess. And the dot on the
map? If you zoom out to get overview the context is often lost. Even now
paper maps are not that bad. Only when you are somehow aware of where
you are is this option at all helpful. Of course most of these devices have
software to help you navigate from a to b. In a car these systems have
proven themselves, and some systems do not even use a map, but just
give voice instructions. My problem with those systems is that people lose
their feel for geography. They no longer have a notion of where they are
going. Being a cartographer/geographer this worries me, but if you are
not a geographer these systems do the job.
Back to my all-in-one device. I like to use it to geo-reference the pictures
I have taken, and often these pictures are taken in a hurry when I see a
situation that requires a quick snapshot. The GPS component often needs
more than a minute - even with assisted GPS - to get a good signal from
the satellites. This means you have to wait for a while after the camera
part has done its work before you can store a waypoint. Alternatively you
can have the GPS switched on all the time, but then you have to carry
your adaptor and to find a location at lunch where you can charge the
device. However, certain GPS chip sets exist that have a much faster fix,
but somehow they are not incorporated into the all-
in-one phones. Another example of where I miss the
quick satellite fix is while Im out running in a strange
environment. I always register my running tracks for
fun to be able to plot them on a map later, but in
these unknown environments it also helps me to nav-
igate back to the hotel. Now I have to stand in front
of the hotel and wait a few minutes - often getting
cold - before I can set off.
Conclusion
The gadgets have potential and theyre getting smaller, but they still remain
gadgets. They drive our behavior instead of supporting it, and I did not
even address the quality of the collected coordinates. But do not misun-
derstand me: Im fond of my gadgets and will probably keep traveling
with those extra (gadget) kilos.
My first question is:
What would you need a
GPS for anyhow in a device
as a mobile phone?
Column
About Maps and...Portability
Menno-Jan Kraak kraak@itc.nl is head of ITCs
Geo-Information Processing Department.
He is a member of the editorial board of several
international journals in the field of Cartography and GIS.
26
I nt er vi ew
Interview with Hexagons President & CEO
Ola Rollns Views on Market Devel
Hexagon is a global technology group with strong market positions within measurement technologies and polymers.
Hexagons prime business is Hexagon Measurement Technologies, the world leader in multidimensional measurements
within the macro and micro segments of the measurement and positioning market. Operations encompass hand tools,
fixed and portable coordinate measuring machines, GPS systems, level meters, laser meters, total stations, sensors for
airborne measurement, aftermarket services and software systems for one, two or three-dimensional measurements. The
company was quite active recently with acquisitions in the geospatial market, making it just the right time for an interview
with Ola Rolln, President and CEO of Hexagon AB.
By: Joc Triglav
Ola Rolln, President CEO of Hexagon Group
Hexagon became known better in the
geospatial market after the acquisition of
Leica Geosystems in 2005, ensuring a
leading position in the macro segment of
the measurement and positioning market.
What are the main benefits from present
perspective, two years after the acquisi-
tion?
The acquisition of Leica Geosystems added the
macro segment to the Hexagon product port-
folio. Since the acquisition we have been focus-
ing on developing new products for the growth
areas we have identified in the measurement
technologies market. The development of these
products is based on a combination of
Hexagons and Leica Geosystems technologies.
The first products from these efforts will be
launched this year.
Please outline some transaction highlights
of Hexagons recent acquisition of leading
GNSS provider NovAtel Inc. and its finan-
cial impact to Hexagon. What is a ratio-
nale of the combination of the two compa-
nies?
We expect NovAtel to be a cornerstone in the
Hexagon OEM technology strategy and act as a
growth platform in the area of GPS, GNSS, com-
munication and other complementary technolo-
gies. As an industry leader in GNSS technology,
NovAtel will provide highly integrated, precise
positioning products for our customers, and devel-
op new and complementary technologies to
expand into new segments and markets.
What are Hexagons goals in the overall
GNSS market? Why is strengthening your
strategic position in the high
precision GNSS market so important?
Our goal is to deliver solutions that cover all
aspects and constellations within the current seg-
ments, as well as, future applications in the GNSS
market. That will not only include GNSS but also
RTK and other communication technologies.
With the development of multi GNSS con-
stellations, where do you see the main pos-
sibilities for Hexagon in opening up previ-
ously closed markets for GNSS applications?
With four global satellite net works and at least
two regional net works under way we will be able
How does Hexagon combine innovative-
ness in management with the innovative-
ness of its engineering teams? Which
general innovation approach is preferred
in your company the so called open
innovation or a strictly organised
innovation?
Hexagons central R&D unit closely follows
market developments and trends worldwide. We
look to find new technologies to be
applicable to our existing customer segments,
but also to find new customer segments for our
existing technologies.
To Hexagon entrepreneurship is key. An
important part of the work of Hexagons
management is to create a work environment in
a true entrepreneurial spirit that encourages cre-
ativity and freethinking.
What is your future brand strategy,
knowing that Hexagons brand portfolio
comprises of brands with a strong
tradition, well known in their sectors and
geographical regions?
We will continue to use a multi brand
strategy, i.e. to use different brands for differ-
ent customer groups or in different geographi-
cal markets.
Hexagon continuously analyzes more than
200 acquisition candidates
worldwide, primarily to complement oper-
ations in Hexagon Measurement
Technologies. With this fact in mind, what
is your acquisition strategy for 2008?
The acquisition strategy going forward is to
close four to ten acquisitions per year to
complement our measurement technologies
business. We are to strengthen our presence in
some geographical areas, but also to add new
technologies to the product portfolio of the
Hexagon Group.
Joc Triglav jtriglav@geoinformatics.com is a
contributing editor of GeoInformatics.
Have a look at www.hexagon.se
to determine positions in areas where it previ-
ously was impossible to receive the signals such
as urban areas, areas covered with foliage etc.
Furthermore the time that it will take to deter-
mine ones position will be significantly reduced.
Security is another aspect; with several indepen-
dent constellations you will be able to trust your
GNSS instrument in spite of a failure to access
one constellation or political unrest in certain
parts of the world.
Recently Hexagon acquired CogniTens Ltd., a
3D non contact optical measurement techno -
lo gies company in Israel. How will you com-
bine these new technologies with the Leica
Geosystems measurement technologies?
CogniTens gives Hexagon an exciting new tech-
nology in the high speed, non contact, shop floor
measurement and scanning segment of the
metrology market. This enables us to position
Hexagon in all segments of the rapidly growing
non contact sheet metal market combining
CogniTens 3D measurement products with the
laser tracker and TPS technologies from Leica
Geosystems as well as the articulated arms tech-
nologies from Hexagons subsidiaries Romer and
Cimcore.
Leica Geosystems also closed some acqui-
sitions recently, like ER Mapper and Ionic
Software. What synergies do you expect
from these acquisitions?
These acquisitions underlines Hexagons growth
strategy and commitment to the geospatial
imaging market. ER Mapper complements Hexagons
software range and will add additional intellectual
property to our group in compression technologies
and image web serving technologies of geospatial
imagery. Ionic Software will complement and add to
Hexagons increasing software offerings for enter-
prise and distributed computing. Ultimately these
new products will enable the GIS society to move
from desk top to server environments.
What are the Hexagonss most important
strategic research and development areas
within the macro in micro
measurement technologies?
Strategic development areas include software
development, new sensor technologies, distance
measurement and calibration and compensation
technology, GNSS, and communications.
I nt er vi ew
27
opments
Different Differentials
Trimble GeoXH and GeoBeacon
This review will focus on the GeoXH since
this is the most recent and technologically
most advanced version available from Trimble.
Where applicable, references to the difference
between the GeoXT and GeoXH are made.
Together with the GeoXH, one GeoBeacon
code phase beacon correction receiver was
available. Part of this review will focus on the
differences using the various differential tech-
niques available with the GeoXH (SBAS,
GeoBeacon and H-Star post processing).
Review set-up
The students were given two sets of assign-
ments. The first involved evaluating the oper-
ation of the systems in general. Particular
attention was given to the performance of the
receiver in urban canyons. The results were
gathered using the TerraSync software on the
receiver, logged on an assignment sheet and
evaluated by yours truly.
The second assignment involved the prepara-
tion, execution and processing of a small
mapping survey. The objective of the survey
was to map all objects near the waterfront of
the Shipping and Transport College in
Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For this assign-
ment the students had to create a data dic-
tionary using GPS Pathfinder Office software,
upload it to the receiver, acquire the data and
subsequently process it.
I then post processed all the gathered data
using GPS Pathfinder Office and analyzed the
results for the different differential corrections
techniques. The results in this review are a
combination of my personal observations as
well as observations made by the students
during their assignments.
GeoXH
The receiver is watertight and dustproof to
IP54 specifications. This was not checked,
although the receiver survived the occasional
drop without visible damage. To make the
receiver watertight, Trimble has opted to forgo
almost all external connectors. Only two con-
nectors are available. One is for an optional
geodetic antenna allowing more precise oper-
ation. The other is for the docking station.
The docking connector can additionally be
used with an optional clip-on serial port.
Charging the receiver is done using either the
docking station or the clip-on serial port con-
nector; no direct power connector is available.
The docking station itself has a USB connec-
tor, power connection and a wired network
connection.
28
Revi ew
Besides reviewing GPS systems for this magazine, I teach, among others, the
international Skilltrade-STC course Hydrographic Surveying B. Part of the
course is for the students to become acquainted with GPS in both a theoretical
and practical manner. For the latter, hands-on experience is needed. Since I had
not yet reviewed a Trimble mapping solution, I contacted Geometius in the
Netherlands and asked them if it would be possible to combine a review with
this course. It was, so I ended up with the students reviewing the GeoXH (as
well as the somewhat older GeoXT).
Number of channels 12 GPS L1 code, L2 carrier (including SBAS)
Communication WiFi, Bluetooth, SD-card (USB and LAN using docking station,
serial using clip-on adapter)
Processor 416 MHz
Battery life Approximately 7 9 hours, depending on use and settings
Weight 0.8 kg
The receiver has the option for wireless con-
nection to other devices using a Bluetooth
connection as well as using wireless LAN
(WiFi). The software allows for connection to
another Bluetooth-enabled Trimble GPS sys-
tem and can therefore be used as a controller.
An SD card slot is available, although not eas-
ily accessible. To keep the receiver watertight,
Trimble has opted to use a port cover that is
fastened with two screws. A screwdriver can
be found in the accompanying pen, but I per-
sonally feel that there are better solutions to
this problem.
GeoBeacon
With the GeoBeacon, free-to-air differential
corrections can be received from the world-
wide IALA network. This network, which is
available around the major shipping areas
and ports, transmits differential corrections
on the MF frequency band. There is particu-
larly good coverage in the United States
where the US Coast Guard operates a nation-
wide chain of reference stations. Everyone
with a suitable differential receiver such as
the GeoBeacon can use these corrections for
free. The advantage of this correction method
over using space-based systems such as
WAAS and EGNOS is explained later in this
review.
The GeoBeacon is very easy to operate since
it has just two buttons, one for power and
one for station selection. In our situation
using the GeoBeacon was a simple matter of
switching it on since the Bluetooth had
already been mated to the GeoXH.
User interface
The receiver has a colour touch screen and,
as seems usual with this type
of receiver, almost no buttons
except a few navigation and
control keys. As a result typing
has to be performed using the
on-screen keyboard.
All Trimble mapping receivers
use the same software,
TerraSync. The software is rel-
atively easy to understand
although the students had to
get used to the operation of
the menus. Instead of using a
menu bar with pull-down
menus for the main menu
items, the software has two
pull-down menus. The top one
is to select the main menu
item whilst the bottom one is
to select the specific operation
to be performed. Once one is
used to it, operation is no
problem.
The software allows a few different types of
background files to be used in both GPS
Pathfinder Office as well as the online
TerraSync software. One disadvantage,
though, is that dxf files, for example, have
to be transferred to the receiver using GPS
Pathfinder Office. Simply transferring them
using ActiveSync will not work; TerraSync
will not register the dxf file this way.
Acquisition
Data acquisition in the field is simple enough.
Select the correct feature and start logging
until the receiver indicates enough data has
been collected. Then enter attribute data as
required. It is possible to edit the data dictio-
nary in the field using the TerraSync software,
although most people will want to avoid this
considering the relatively small screen and on-
screen keyboard.
When surveying features with a point or line
geometry, the software offers the option to
survey with an offset. This feature can be
quite handy when surveying, for example, a
building or a tree. One can simply stay away
from those ever-shielding walls and canopies
and still be able to accurately survey the posi-
tion of the tree or building.
Processing
Data is, as is usual with Windows Mobile
devices, transferred using ActiveSync. When
Preparation
The preparation of a survey can be done on
the receiver itself, but considering the on-
screen keyboard, most users will elect to
prepare their survey in the GPS Pathfinder
Office suite. The software is a collection of
useful programs that can all be accessed
from a standard user interface.
An important part of the preparation is the
creation of a data dictionary. Creating a data
dictionary is a simple task once the infor-
mation need has been defined. Simply cre-
ate new features, select the type of feature
(point, line, area) and define attributes for
the feature. Various attribute types are avail-
able including menus and date / time. The
more advanced settings take some getting
used to, but are well documented in the
help function (and user manual). One advan-
tage of the software is that it is also possi-
ble to acquire data without positions. This
feature is quite useful for entering metada-
ta such as project name, surveyor etc., in
such a way that it is stored with the mea-
surements.
Mission planning software is not included in
GPS Pathfinder Office but is available in
TerraSync and as a separate free download
from the Trimble website. Having this soft-
ware in the field as well is great since one
can check satellite availability on the spot
without having to get back to the office.
Revi ew
29
Real-time correction method SD X,Y SD Z Nr points
Uncorrected 6.1 9.0 809
SBAS (EGNOS) 1.2 1.9 89
GeoBeacon 0.8 1.2 113
Accuracies found with different real-time correction methods
transferring measurement files, the connec-
tion manager of GPS Pathfinder Office has to
be used, however. During transfer the soft-
ware combines various files from the receiver
into a single data file on the office computer,
something that is not possible without GPS
Pathfinder Office. During the data transfer for
this review something strange occurred: one
GeoXH would connect to the laptop we used
without a problem whereas all the others
(both GeoXH and GeoXT) refused to connect.
It was not so much that ActiveSync did not
work, but GPS Pathfinder Office seemed
unable to connect to the TerraSync software
on the mobile devices. The exact reason is
unclear and is probably related to some spe-
cific setting. Geometius transferred the data
at a later date so that it could be included in
the results.
After transfer, the data can be viewed, edited
and exported from GPS Pathfinder Office. The
TerraSync software has only limited export
options (to shape file), but GPS Pathfinder
Office has a myriad of export formats avail-
able. All export formats can be tuned to user
needs with regard to which features,
attributes and metadata are exported to the
output file.
Differential positioning
The GeoXH (like the XT) has a built-in SBAS
receiver, allowing it to receive corrections from
the available WAAS and EGNOS satellites.
During the review the students noted a partic-
ular problem with SBAS. Since the SBAS satel-
lites are geo-stationary and as a result close to
the horizon in higher latitudes (51 N), they are
easily shielded. When shielded, the receiver can
only measure uncorrected GPS positions; there-
fore the precision of the position is degraded.
With the GeoBeacon connected, almost no such
problems were noticed. This is because the sig-
nal transmitted by the reference stations
involved has more power and is transmitted on
a frequency that is not line-of-sight but will
curve around objects. As a result it is very hard
to shield the GeoBeacon signal. The estimated
precision of the GeoBeacon corrections are a
factor 1.5 better in this small test then the
results from the SBAS, although one could say
that the difference in the field is relatively small.
For other areas results may differ, however.
H-Star
Even without a differential signal available
during the survey, the user can post process
the data for differential correction using GPS
Pathfinder Office software. The standard cor-
rection method (for the GeoXT) is to use a
single correction station. This feature is
expanded with the GeoXH using a technique
that Trimble calls H-Star. The advantage of H-
Star is that multiple stations can be used and
that it is possible to apply carrier phase cor-
rections over very long baselines, something
that normally requires specific software on the
receiver.
Using the data gathered by the students, I
made an analysis of the resulting data before
and after post processing. The total dataset
comprised 1,011 measurements of which most
were gathered without differential corrections
(using the GeoXT). Almost all measurements
with the GeoXH were gathered with either
SBAS or the GeoBeacon. All data was post
processed using GPS Pathfinder Office with
the most accurate correction method available
for that specific point.
One could conclude from this limited test that
the best place to apply code phase correc-
tions is in the field and not in post process-
ing. The post processing code results are, in
30
Revi ew
Real-time correction method SD X,Y SD Z Nr points
Regular post processing code 1.6 1.3 774
H-Star post processing code 2.9 1.7 7
H-Star post processing carrier float 0.4 0.5 230
Accuracies found with different post processing methods
this test, slightly worse than the real-time
SBAS corrections. When uncorrected measure-
ments as in this test have been gathered, the
results are always significantly better (3-4
times) after post processing. The results may,
however, differ in other situations.
The real advantage comes when using the
H-star method for calculating carrier phase
corrections. When considering that no special
measurements were taken for carrier phase
correction, the results are improved on
greatly. The position accuracy as estimated is
at the decimeter level.
Conclusion
As a stand-alone receiver, the Trimble GeoXH
is quite similar to the GIS data collectors from
the competition. A disadvantage is the almost
complete absence of connection options on
the receiver although this absence surely
improves the ruggedness. Furthermore, the
receiver is incapable of receiving Glonass
satellites, which is a potential disadvantage
in heavily shielded locations such as urban
canyons.
fact that post processing data acquired in the
field without specific settings will yield
decimeter accuracy, without having to install
a project specific base station, is quite useful
on many projects.
hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com is editor-in-chief of
Geoinformatics as well as project manager at IDsW.
This article represents his personal opinion.
For more information on the GPS: www.trimble.com.
For more information on the Hydrography course:
www.skilltrade.nl
The TerraSync software is easy to use, but the
fact that all processing has to be done in the
office and that almost no online data export is
available can pose a problem on some projects.
A major advantage that the GeoXH has over
many of its competitors, including the GeoXT,
is the availability of H-Star processing. The
Revi ew
31
Manufacturers Comments
The focus of the Trimble GeoXH is to have
a top-of-the-line solution for high accuracy
GIS data collection. The availability of WiFi,
Bluetooth and SD card support allows the
GeoXH to connect to modern devices and
therefore the need of connection ports on
the device, which are available with the
docking station, doesnt live up to the com-
promise you have to take when it comes
to ruggedness. Further the Windows Mobile
systems allow the user to use a software
package of his choice. Trimble white papers
show that even without Glonass the GeoXH
consistently meets the manufacturers
accuracy specifications.
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Now available:
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GeoInformatics Magazine
GeoInformatics magazine has been in the geo-information marketplace for eleven years, and we have
established ourselves as the premier journal providing current industry-relevant information, thought
provoking commentary and technology reviews, all with a broad-based international perspective.
The magazine currently holds a strong market position and is regarded
very highly by its readers and advertisers.
By: Ruud Groothuis
As a resource for the geospatial industry, our
mission continues its focus in producing the
magazine for Surveying, Mapping and GIS
Professionals, and for all those interested in
geospatial information, both within Europe and
worldwide. Currently our hard copy magazine
has a distribution of 9000 copies, primarily in
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Because of the success of our online newslet-
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To reach a growing number of readers, who may
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GeoInformatics will launch the digital version
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Readers will be able to receive the magazine
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It will also help GeoInformatics keep a cap on
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Many professional and academic organizations,
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For current subscribers of GeoInformatics, this
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How does it work?
Readers can sign up for the digital copy of
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The digital GeoInformatics magazine offers sur-
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the world a unique way of receiving high quali-
ty information free of charge!
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33
From now on GeoInformatics is also digitally availible.
Ubiquitous GML
Friend or Foe - GML is Here to Stay
Just Another Standard
None of us could possibly contemplate trav-
eling across Europe today without being able
to use our mobiles. We have all grown used
to landing at Amsterdam or Frankfurt airport,
switching on our faithful friend and being
welcomed to the local network. This would
not be possible, however, if the communica-
tions industry had not been through the same
tortuous experience of standardization nearly
30 years ago. We are now used to services
from former localized suppliers to interop-
erate seamlessly. Of course standardization
also encourages competition which, in turn,
drives down costs but that is a subject for a
further article.
So, if communications can cross borders, it is
surely to be expected that geographically ref-
erenced data should be shared across bor-
ders too. Standardization to GML facilitates
this task.
GML Today
Currently, the widest implementation of GML
within Europe is represented by OS
MasterMap - 450 million 1:1250 scale features
introduced in Great Britain in 2001. At first,
many users and vendors complained as they
missed their traditional GIS formats. However,
34
Ar t i cl e
Whether you hate or love the concept of GML, the technology is here to stay.
As more and more GML datasets are being introduced specifically across
Europe GIS professionals are having to learn the benefits of this
new standard. GML 1.0 was introduced in May 2000 as a new format to express
geographic information. Now on revision level 3.1 and a formal ISO standard
(ISO 19136:2007), GML is fast becoming the de facto method of sharing and
transporting descriptions of objects in the world around us.
By: Elizabeth Wilkinson
Figure 1: A view of the IMRO Schema in Snowflakes GO Loader - the GML Loading tool.
a few months later (together with some late
night software development), GML has become
just another format, another button on a menu
and a done deal. Whilst people are always
cautious of something new, the reality is that
GML is not complicated - in fact its just data
in a plain text file, pure and simple and thats
the beauty of it.
In the Netherlands, several GML datasets are
now emerging under the NEN3610 basis geo-
information model including: IMRO 2006,
IMKICH, IMWA and IMBOD to name just a few.
Further details on the technology and devel-
opment of GML can be found in Huibert-Jan
Lekkerkerks article GML - Geography Markup
Language in the October/November issue of
Geoinformatics 2007.
Why GML?
With all these new GML datasets appearing in
the Dutch market, it is interesting to see the
same issues and concerns being raised. GML is
undoubtedly different to existing GIS formats
and, being very honest, can sometimes be dif-
ficult to work with using current GIS technolo-
gy. However, it is important to understand the
future benefits that GML will bring to the indus-
try and why it is important for organizations to
begin working with GML.
Firstly GML is XML, the ubiquitous data
exchange language of mainstream IT. Since
1998, when XML was adopted as a W3C stan-
dard, IT systems have communicated with each
other in an open manner using XML. Microsoft,
Oracle and IBM have all invested huge
resources into developing XML to solve system
to system interoperability and data exchange,
so why does the GI industry not take advan-
tage of this investment? Spatial data is not dif-
ferent - in reality it is just data.
No matter which GIS conferences you attend,
you will always hear at least one speaker state
GIS is going mainstream. In order to achieve
this aim, GIS will need to exchange data in an
open and standards based manner. GML is just
XML is just data - and can be read by the same
tools used to read business data. GML is truly
taking GIS towards mainstream, which why we
need to make everyeffort to adopt and work
with it. Failing this, GIS will always be the sad
geezer at the party who sits in the corner and
talks to nobody!
Its Nothing to be Scared of
View GML for Yourself
We all know our GIS formats. They are famil-
iar and tangible, whereas GML, XML and XML
Schema can all be a bit daunting. But it real-
ly does not need to be that way.
And there is no need to dive head first into
the vast sea of GML. You can test the water
first.
About Snowflake Software
Snowflake Software was founded in 2001 with the
vision of making GML easy to use and, hence, achieve
its objective of being truly ubiquitous. As well as the
free Viewer, Snowflake Software also provides a set of
loading and publishing tools to make working with
GML easy and efficient. The company also has a GML
Consulting team and provides GML Fundamentals
and Hands-On Training. The GML Viewer is free to
download at www.snowflakesoftware.com.
Elizabeth Wilkinson is Head of Sales and Marketing
at Snowflake Software
elizabeth.wilkinson@snowflakesoftware.com
www.snowflakesoftware.com
Snowflake Software has been
working with and advising on all
good things GML since the com-
panys inception in 2001.
Realizing early on that the con-
cept could be overwhelming,
Snowflake introduced a GML
viewer that helps take the fear
out of GML.
The viewer is a self contained
tool with free sample data sets
that enable you to get familiar
with GML. Because the viewer is
based on generic GML (which,
after all, is the concept of a tech-
nology standard in the first place)
it can read any GML dataset you
can even use it to display a GML
schema you are developing your-
self.
The viewer enables you to load
data, select and view features
and their properties (elements in
GML that are used to describe
features) and display and hide
GML layers. It is the perfect tool
for becoming familiar with GML
and some of its capabilities
before progressing to the real
thing.
The GML Viewer at a
Glance:
Reads any GML 2 or GML 3
application schema
Provides in-built style support
for IMRO2006, TOP10NL, AAA-
NAS and OS MasterMap
Reads WinZip, GZip and
uncompressed GML files, up
to 1900 features / second
Loads multiple files into a single view
Supports the saving and loading of user
defined styles
Enables the display of feature attributes
and compares attributes of multiple fea-
tures (Feature Attribute Browser)
Displays the number of features for each
feature type loaded (Feature Statistics)
Displays by Attribute - displays features by
attribute and/or a combination of attribute
values
Enables single and multiple feature selec-
tion
Provides multiple Views - dockable win-
dows supports tiling and iconifying
Supports position tracking - showing X,Y
of cursor position
Provides navigation and zoom in/out
facilities
Ar t i cl e
35
Figure 2&3: A view of Dutch IMRO-data in the GML Viewer from
Snowflake Software.
Reference Book for Researchers and Students
Encyclopedia of GIS
With the world of GIS widening every day, it never hurts to have a good
reference book nearby. The Encyclopedia of GIS claims to be such a reference
book, although primarily aimed at GIS researchers and students. According to
the publisher the book should be published both in a print version and an
online XML reference version. We could, however, find no indication that the
latter is available yet and only reviewed the print version.
Content
This book, as with every encyclopedia, has
many authors, most of whom come from an
academic background. As a result quite a lot
of attention is given to algorithms and the
like (there are, for example, 27 entries on
indexing algorithms alone).
The content of the entries is, without any
doubt, extensive with most entries covering
multiple pages and including formulas and
drawings. All entries conclude with a cross-
reference and recommended further reading.
I personally feel that the editors could have
done a better job on this book since some
entries overlap other entries and as such it
can be confusing for readers to know where
exactly to look for the information they want.
There is, for example, an entry on the Web
Feature Service as well as an article on the
Web Feature Service AND the Web Map
Service. But I also found multiple explana-
tions of GML, the Geography Markup
Language, where I would have expected just
a single reference to the entry on GML.
Desktop reference
Possibly due to the academic set-up of the
book (or my own ignorance), some entries
were hard to find. Look, for example, for infor-
mation on GPS. No text entry is found but
there is a cross-reference to five other entries.
If we then look for Global Positioning System
there is only a single cross reference. None of
the entries mentioned, however, gives any rel-
evant information on the GPS system itself.
Another example: map projections. One would
think that this is a GIS essential. But after
searching for entries on map projections,
chart projections and geodesy, none of
which was available, I just started browsing.
After some time I found an entry marked
Mathematical Foundations of GIS contain-
ing basically two items, a single paragraph on
the GPS system and multiple pages dedicat-
ed to geodesy. One small detail is that the
entry where I finally found the information on
GPS was not mentioned under the entries for
either GPS or Global Positioning System.
Conclusion
The book is aimed at academic users but
could also have been very useful for other GIS
users. The price is a potential hurdle, but is
usually overcome by buying the book for the
greater good of some company (much cheap-
er than sending the staff out on training).
Although the book seems complete, the infor-
mation is very hard to access due to the way
the book is set up. Perhaps this is improved
upon with the online version, but I personal-
ly feel that the price for the print version is
too steep when compared to the amount of
use it will have in everyday life.
hlekkerkerk@geoinformatics.com is project manager
at IDsW and a freelance writer and trainer.
This article reflects his personal opinion.
Revi ew
37
Title: Encyclopedia of GIS
Editors: Shashi Shekhar
and Hui Xiong
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-0-387-30858-6
No. of pages: 1370
Price: EUR 309
(EUR 269 when ordered
before April 30)
As an encyclopedia I would expect at least two things from this book:
it should be relatively complete;
it should be easily usable as a desktop reference for every day use.
I have reviewed the book with the above in mind.
7
th
International Conference on Laser Scanning
Laser Scanning and Digital Aerial P
38
Event
Figure 1. Geography of overseas participants Figure 2. Profile of participants
The 7th International Conference on Laser Scanning was held in Moscow, Russia on December 6 and 7. Moscow, the capital
city of Russia, has over 11 million people and is a perfect location at this time of year. The President Hotel in the city centre
was, as last year, the location: the perfect choice and a good atmosphere. Despite the fact that the main language spoken in
most of the sessions was Russian, the Conference had an international character and translation into English was very good.
By: Ruud Groothuis
Vice President Geokosmos, Peter Goellner and Sergey Melnikov, President Geokosmos.
The Conference was organized by the
Society of Contribution to Development of
Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (RSPRS)
in co-operation with Gazprom. Geokosmos
and Geopolygon acted as General Sponsors.
The Conference was widely covered by well-
known mass media publications including
GeoInformatics.
Delegates
Laser Scanning and Digital Aerial Photography.
Today and Tomorrow had record attendance
with 250 participants, including 170 senior and
high-ranking officials from 19 countries.
This year delegates from the Uzbekistan State
Committee for Land Management, Geodesy,
Cartography and Cadastre as well as delegates
from the Azerbaijan State Committee for Land
Management and Cartography attended the
Conference. CIS (Commonwealth of Inde pen -
dent States) countries are making huge efforts
to improve the economic situation in their
regions, and they currently face quite a num-
ber of burning issues that are to be solved at
the state level: land inventory, facilities plan-
ning (industrial and urban) and environmental
monitoring. Up-to-date geospatial information
is the key factor for implementation of the
above tasks and for sustainable development
in any region. The Conference provided a plat-
form for sharing knowledge and experience
in their reports delegates brought up the most
current issues in geodesy, surveying, mapping
and topography.
Virtual Earth
This year ISPRS Council members also partic-
ipated in the Conference. Orhan Altan,
Secretary General, John C. Trinder, First Vice
President, and Stanley Morain, Treasurer, all
made speeches.
market, up-to-date equipment for aerial and
terrestrial surveying and software products.
Among the exhibitors were Russian commercial,
scientific and educational organizations in addi-
tion to well-known overseas companies such
as Airborne Hydrography AB (Sweden) and
Terrasolid Ltd. (Finland). Airborne
Hydrography AB
presented the
Hawk Eye II, a
system designed
for collecting land
and sea floor eleva-
tion data. The Hawk
Eye II gathers bathy-
metric depths and
topographic eleva-
tions simultaneously
during the flight mis-
sion. A geo-referenced
high-resolution digital
camera sighted co-axial-
ly with the laser optics is also included.
Is the Conference worth attending? Most defi-
nitely. It provides full insight into the various
applications of laser scanning technology in
both Russia and beyond. In addition, it is a
perfect meeting-point offering attendees the
opportunity to meet with many of the top pro-
fessionals and key-people within the indus-
try, and to exchange ideas, experiences and
impressions of one of todays most versatile
geo-technologies.
is owner of CMedia Productions BV,
the publishing company of GeoInformatics.
Dr. Franz Leberls presentation came as a real
surprise to Conference attendees. The founder
of Microsoft Photogrammetry announced the
development strategy for the Virtual Earth
Project. Microsoft Corporation competes with
Google (Google Earth service) for leadership
in mapping. Microsoft Photogrammetrys lat-
est digital technologies will become the key
advantage in digital, dynamic and immersive
visualization of the real world and will allow
Microsoft Corporation a stronger position in
this market sector.
3D mapping of more than 3000 cities is
planned, with photorealistic texturising of
each building and object together with com-
plete and proper representation of their
geometry. More than 100 cities have already
been mapped at the initial stage of project
implementation. The number will grow to 500
cities by June 2008 and then to 1500 cities by
June 2009.
Presentations were also made by Miles Taylor
(Aerodata International Surveys), Anders
Ekelund (Airborne Hydrography AB), Dr. Miklos
Gross (Eurosense), Hannu Korpela (Terrasolid),
Nikolaus Studnicka (RIEGL LMS), Dr. Hans
Joachim Hellmeier (RolleiMetric GmbH), Dr.
Sergey Kadnichanskiy, (Geokosmos), Valentin
Zaitsev and Mikhail Druzhinin (Leica
Geosystems) and many others.
Convergence
Another feature of the 7th Conference was the
participation of satellite imaging companies.
This demonstrates a positive tendency toward
potential convergence and interaction of two
segments of the geodetic market that were
formerly opposed to each other, i.e. aerial sur-
veying and remote sensing.
The Conference hosted an exposition demon-
strating the latest innovations in the geodetic
Event
39
hotography: Today and Tomorrow
Figure 3. Market segments Figure 4. Speakers profile
Surveyors near the Kremlin.
www.topcon.eu
g
r
a
f
i
t
-
w
e
r
b
e
a
g
e
n
t
u
r
.
d
e
Only from Topcon, the pioneer
of Digital Imaging Surveying.
IS Imaging Station
- Digital Imaging Technology
- Total Station Image Scanning
- 2000 meters reectorless
- Intelligent Feature Recognition
IS Imaging Station
Transforming LiDAR Point Clouds
3D Models in One Keystroke
Tiltan Systems Engineering Ltd is an Israel-based company that has developed a next generation LiDAR data processing
tool known as TLiD. It can process more than 500 square kilometres of data per day on a standard
PC and generate a reliable 3D model.
By: Job van Haaften
TLiD is an automatic data processing software designed to handle air-
borne LiDAR data by transforming geo-referenced point clouds into GIS
layers and 3D models. Current solutions take a long time to process large
quantities of data recorded using airborne LiDAR. The Tiltan Systems
Engineering software presents an automatic solution for airborne LiDAR
data processing. It has the capability to manage large quantities of data,
process it and create DTM, DSM and SHP files that represent natural and
man made shapes such as buildings and power lines. The solution auto-
matically creates a 3D view of the mapped area.
Oodi Menaker, Marketing Product Manager: TLiD is a standalone solu-
tion and a bold step forward in LiDAR technology. The system uses supe-
rior algorithms enabling automatic processing of more than 500 square
kilometres per day on a standard PC, while other methods can barely
handle 15 square kilometres per day. TLiD can handle the data without
manual editing almost in real-time. There is no special training required
anyone can use the software, allowing your professional team to focus
on critical objects.
Complex Shapes
TLiD delivers fast accurate data processing of LiDAR point clouds, gener-
ating geographic information layers and providing highly optimized 3D
models for real-time applications. The results are converted into the coor-
dinate system of choice. Its feature-laden design provides extraction prod-
ucts ranging from bare earth (DTM) to complex roofs and building shapes,
trees and power line corridor details. The trees are rendered from data
like start, height and radius. There is no library of buildings but they are
rendered in their real shape as it appears from the data.
TLiDs output is ready for export to other systems, and also for display
within its integrated 3D viewer, which allows full control of views, light
state and atmospheric visual effects.
TLiD can be used for the tree counting applications producing both tree
height and size. Power line clearances can also be checked and the sys-
tem can show lines of sight from a building or other observation point.
With the TLiD solution clients can process their LiDAR data on site or via
a Tiltan partner. TLiD will be available in the first quarter of 2008 with
processing services using TLiD already offered. Incorporation of terrestrial
LiDAR will follow in the next releases.
The LiDAR geo-referenced point cloud data is streamed in. TLiD translates
the format into TLiD format, converts the coordinate system and checks
the point density. It then divides the data into blocks and enables an area
definition. After calculating the bare earth it extracts cultural features filter-
ing all earth points, it calculates the roof shapes, trees, roads and more.
In the end there is a reliable 3D reconstruction of the area.
Job van Haaften jvanhaaften@geoinformatics.com
is editor of GeoInformatics. For more information
about Tiltan Systems, have a look at www.tiltan-se.co.il
Ar t i cl e
41
Raw data.
Processing trees and buildings.
A reliable 3D model based on the data in the first picture.
Second International Workshop on 3D Geo-info
Advances in 3D Geoinformation Syst
3D is the future of geo-information. Data acquisition, modeling, analysis, and the
visualization of geo-information is becoming more and more common in 3D.
The most recent examples of research and development into 3D geo-information
systems were presented at the 3D geoinfo 2007 international workshop at Delft
University (The Netherlands). In addition to (mathematical) modeling, attention
was also given to the acquisition, supply and use of 3D information in, for example,
navigation systems and policy studies. New techniques and user groups
will generate new tools for 3D geo-information.
By: Eric van Rees
The second international workshop on 3D
geo-informatics took place at Delft University
from December 12 to 14. At this workshop,
experience with the most recent scientific
research in the field of modeling 3D geo-infor-
mation was shared. Visualizing in 3D has proven
its value, with new applications integrating 3D
data and growth in the amount of 3D data itself.
Research into new ways of visualizing in 3D,
data acquisition, modeling and ways of analyz-
ing 3D data were discussed during the presen-
tation of a number of scientific papers from all
over the world. These presentations were
followed by sessions in which current open
problems and possible solutions in 3D geo-
information were mapped out by five separate
working groups.
TeleAtlas
The first day of the workshop started with
keynote speaker Rob van Essen from TeleAtlas.
His paper, entitled
Maps Get Real:
Digital Maps Evolving
from Mathematical
Line Graphs to
Virtual Reality
Models, described
the techniques TeleAtlas
uses for building 3D maps and data acquisi-
tion. Starting with past techniques, the paper
ended with a look at the future of navigation
systems. Much is expected from techniques by
which objects will be recognized automatically
by sensors in the process of data acquisition.
Not only is the built environment being pho-
tographed in 3D, but the relief of roads is also
registered in 3D.
As the level of detail in data from the built
environment increases, more capacity is needed
to save the data. There is much repetition in the
structure and form of the built environment and
standardization will result in less data. TeleAtlas
consequently created a modeling approach that
can work more efficiently with standard types
of buildings when creating 3D city models. This
approach has led to an ISO-certificated model
called GDF 4.0 in which standard types of
objects such as trees and traffic signs are includ-
ed in 3D.
TeleAtlas announced that in the future it will
offer no fewer than 24 cities fully textured in 3D
and 50 more as block models. Storage of 3D
data can happen with the Oracle 11g database
that allows storage of large 3D city models.
Concerning the future of 3D mapping, van Essen
states that it is not only the people but the cars
themselves which will make use of this informa-
tion in navigation systems. More and more cars
will be equipped with sensors that provide in-
car safety systems (called Advanced Driver
Assistance Systems or ADAS) with information
about objects and roads. He also expects 3D
representations of objects on a map to play an
important role in the future of car navigation
systems as these sensors validate
incoming information with
map information.
Working Group
Visualization
Current open problems and pos-
sible solutions in specific topics
in the field of 3D geo-information
were discussed in five separate
working groups. One topic was
visualization. This particular work-
ing group was chaired by Marc
Kreeveld from Utrecht University.
The first problem mentioned in this
session was the technique for visual-
izing 3D data. Considering that desk-
top PCs are still increasing in capacity,
sooner or later this problem will be
solved. The same goes for the availability of 3D
data; during the 1990s availability was a big
issue, but now the questions that keep
researchers busy are more about the use and
re-use of data. Along the way, questions from
the marketplace will prompt new applications,
helped along by increasing technical possibili-
ties: just look at the big jump that car naviga-
tion systems have taken. These systems will
integrate more and more forms of information
into their current data sets about navigating
from one place to another.
42
Event
Prof. Peter van Oosterom (TU Delft) at the opening session
User friendliness is another issue in visualizing 3D data. It is expected that
this will increase as systems draw more users and designers take careful
account of consumer demands. This leads to another issue, namely that of
standardization in visualizing 3D. Positioning in particular is something that
has not been standardized in 3D. Where a 2D map, like a printed map,
always has north pointing up, this varies when talking about 3D: TomTom
users can choose between having north at the top of the screen in their
navigation systems or letting the environment rotate with the direction of
traffic flow. At the moment it is not clear if positioning is something that
can be standardized, or if the many possible ways of positioning can be
used independently of each other.
Weather Conditions
The biggest advantage for visualizing 3D is the visualization of dynamic
objects and appearance in 3D, like traffic flows and weather conditions.
The question is how to visualize the aspect of movement, not so much
that of appearance. It is expected that the future of 3D visualization will
be about smart objects that tell you where they are and what they are,
like information about traffic jams or diversions.
Much of the problem-solving in 3D visualization will depend on user
demands: its nice to retrieve data with a high level of detail in 3D, but is
this what every user wants? An example from the world of gaming shows
how much user demands can vary. A participant of the session: Im very
interested in the level of detail in 3D in my sons most recent shoot-em-up
game, but hes only interested in the different types of guns that are avail-
able in the game. Techniques in 3D will make it possible to do much more
than ever before, but user demands will have to help direct these tech-
niques when creating new applications.
editorial manager of GeoInformatics.
More information on www.3d-geoinfo-07.nl
ems
Keynote speaker Rob van Essen (TeleAtlas)
43
Valuable Consulting Experience for ITC Advisory Services
Feasibility Study on Ukrainian Railw
The International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation
(ITC) and Witteveen + Bos Consultants have recently executed a feasibility study
on upgrading the Beskyd railway tunnel in the Ukraine (Photo 1). This tunnel is
located in the western region of the Ukraine, and forms part of the important
railway line between East and West Europe (Figure 1). Four years ago, Ukrainian
Railways received a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) to upgrade this railway connection. Obviously, little
interest in East-West connections existed in the days of the Iron Curtain, but
since the changes in the early 1990s economic cooperation between East and
West has been booming and as a consequence traffic between East and West
has also been increasing.
By: Robert Hack and Siefko Slob
is one of the longest tunnels on the line. It is
a single-track tunnel that was built in the late
1800s when the area was part of the Austrian-
Hungarian empire. The tunnel has been
upgraded and repaired a couple of times, but
is presently in poor condition. Trains passing
through can reach a maximum speed of only
20 km an hour. Furthermore, the tunnel is the
only single-track stretch of the whole line. In
winter, the continuous influx of water in the
tunnel freezes, and the ice has to be removed
daily to keep the line open. Because of the
poor condition and the fact that the tunnel
has only one track, the tunnel forms a seri-
ous bottleneck in the railway link between
Eastern and Western Europe. To remove this
bottleneck, it is necessary to either improve
the existing tunnel by widening it or create a
new double-track tunnel parallel to the old
one. An engineering geological study was vital
before embarking on construction.
Beauty Contest
Ukraine Railways and the ERBD organised a
so-called beauty contest tender for the engi-
neering geological study and invited European
consulting companies to tender. A beauty con-
test tender means that the proposals are eval-
uated primarily on quality and only secondly
on price. ITC, in a joint venture with Witteveen
+ Bos Consultants, beat off all rivals, includ-
ing large consulting and railway companies
from Austria, Germany and the United
Kingdom.
44
Ar t i cl e
Beskyd Tunnel
A series of railway connections exist between
Eastern and Western Europe. One of the main
lines is from Moscow via Kiev and Lviv to
Budapest, Prague and Vienna. This line cross-
es the Carpathian Mountains in the west of
the Ukraine, and at one of the highest pass-
es a series of tunnels cut through the moun-
tains. Trains pass about every 10 minutes and
are very long: passenger trains generally have
30 to 40 carriages, while freight trains con-
sist of a hundred or more wagons. Three or
four large locomotives pulling and two push-
ing are necessary to get the trains through
the mountains. The 1.7 km Beskyd tunnel,
located close to a village of the same name,
Photo1. Entrance Beskyd tunnel
Figure 1. Location of Beskyd tunnel
Engineering Geological and
Geotechnical Survey
The first stage of the work consisted of engi-
neering geological mapping of the area and
an inspection of the existing tunnel. All expo-
sures of rock and soil were investigated in a
two-week campaign by staff from ITC/W+B and
the Ukrainian railway company UZ. Each expo-
sure was characterised according to type of
rock or soil, discontinuity patterns, compres-
sive and shear strength properties, and all
other features that are relevant when design-
ing a new or enlarged tunnel. Based on this
survey, a detailed (1:10,000 scale) engineer-
ing geological map and cross sections were
made. Also the locations were selected for the
important faults (see Figure 2). Flysch
deposits are repeating sequences of material,
starting with coarse sandstone, becoming
finer sandstone and then siltstone, and end-
ing with shale. One sequence has an approx-
imate thickness of 1 to 20 m. This repeating
sequence is expected to be a major problem
in designing a new tunnel (Photo 2 and Figure
3). The sandstones are strong and highly per-
meable, while the shale is weak and imper-
meable. Hence, a tunnel will have to go
through water-bearing permeable sandstones,
with a water head up to the surface to a max-
imum of 250 m. The weak shale will squeeze
when excavated, allowing the release of stress
on the sandstone and making it possible that
subsequent site investigations for the second
stage of the project. This second stage con-
sisted of an underground campaign of four
boreholes drilled to a maximum depth of 250
m and an electrical resistivity survey. The
cores of the boreholes were described in
detail, and pumping tests in the boreholes
established groundwater levels and the per-
meability of the rocks. Laboratory tests were
carried out on selected samples from the
boreholes.
Results
The rocks in the tunnel area consist of so-
called flysch deposits, which are strongly
deformed and folded and include some
Ar t i cl e
45
ay Tunnel
Figure 2. Engineering geological map and section
Visit the Trimble Express 2008 in
your country and check out the
latest developments in surveying.
There are more than 70 events all
over Europe such as:
Norway Jan 21 - Jan 25
France Jan 30 - March 13
Sweden Jan 30 - March 13
UK Feb 5 - Feb 30
Finland Feb 11 - Feb 14
Denmark March 3 - March 7
Poland March 11 - March 14
Lithuania March 26 - March 28
Latvia April 22 - April 24
Estonia May 6 - May 9
and more to come in Italy, Greece
and Eastern Europe
For more information please send
back the return coupon or email
us at: info_europe@trimble.com
and discover how our productive
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sandstone blocks will fall from the roof and
walls in the newly excavated tunnel.
Excavation methods and the design of a new
tunnel or the widening of the existing tunnel
will have to take this into account. Suitable
excavation methods will have to use a shield,
sophisticated forepoling techniques, or a tun-
nel-boring machine.
As a result of the survey, different design sce-
narios can be drafted for the new tunnel or
for upgrading the existing Beskyd tunnel. It
transport. In addition, sustainability is very
high. Anyone who has visited developing
countries knows of roads in mountainous
areas that are flushed away each rainy sea-
son. Apart from a devastating effect on the
environment, the disruption of transport is
also very bad for economic development.
Initially, transport in a tunnel requires high
investment, but in the long run it is far more
beneficial for a developing country because it
ensures long-term uninterrupted functioning
without much maintenance.
Dr. H.R.G.K. (Robert) Hack is Associate Professor
hack@itc.nl and Ir. S. (Siefko) Slob, Assistant Professor
slob@itc.nl. Both are working at the International
Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth
Observation (ITC), Department of Earth Systems
Analysis in Enschede, The Netherlands.
For more information: www.itc.nl
will depend on the contractors as to which
option is going to be the most economical.
This is going to be decided in the following
phase of the project. Ukraine Railways were
very satisfied with the work done and award-
ed the ITC and W+B project leaders the Order
of Merit as a token of appreciation for the
work of the whole project crew (see Photo 3).
Tunnels in Developing Countries
Although this was not a typical ITC project, it
was very beneficial for the Institute.
Obviously, the staff
involved gained valu-
able consulting expe-
rience that will help in
attracting additional
advisory and research
projects. Indirectly, it
will also increase the
quality of the educa-
tion, since the experi-
ence can be trans-
ferred to the students.
Transport routes such
as roads and railways
in tunnels are an envi-
ronmentally friendly
way of arranging
Ar t i cl e
47
Photo 2. Exposure of rock in the existing Beskyd tunnel Figure 3. Example of borehole log
Photo 3. The Order of Merit of the Ukraine Railways as a token of appreciation for
the excellent work performed by the whole project crew
48
Ar t i cl e
Januari/Februari 2008
The Value of Location for Business
Location is central to how people organize and relate to their world.
In an information-based society, services that can tell us about the location of
people and objects are of high value - especially for business optimisation.
For an insight into these systems I spoke with Lars-Hendrik Schneider, Technical
Consultant with Geodan Salzburg GmbH, a partner within the Geodan Group
(figure 1). The company focuses on the implementation of real-time location
systems (RTLS), based on the Geodan Movida software, which I will introduce in
this article. While talking about the functionality, the applications and the
obstacles, we came across a variety of very different topics. Last but not least
this seems to be the reason why location services are a playground for a diverse
range of scientific disciplines and practitioners.
By Florian Fischer
The Value of Location
It is widely acknowledged in the world of real
estate agents that the three factors that primar-
ily compose the value of an estate are:
Location, Location and Location. But location
is also a valuable organizing principle for creat-
ing and building information for the Web. The
convergence of technologies including GIS,
Internet, wireless communication and localiza-
tion has given rise to new types of information
utilities. These systems are called location ser-
vices or location-based services as the content
they deliver is based on the current location.
These systems are having a major impact on
how business is done. Finding a proper defini-
tion for location-based services (LBS) is a hard
nut to crack. The field of LBS is highly interdis-
ciplinary and the services themselves have very
different characteristics. In the highly-recom-
mended opening article A critical evaluation of
location based services and their potential by
Jonathan Raper et al., in the first edition of the
new Journal of Location Based Services (JLBS),
gives a minimal definition of LBS: At a high
level of abstraction, location based services
(LBS) are computer applications that deliver
information depending on the location of the
device and user, but beyond this generality it
is hard to find a consensus on scope or defini-
tion.
Location Awareness
Location Based Services are expected to
become the solution for managing and coordi-
nating people, places and activities, as they
enable a single user to access spatial informa-
tion with respect to his or her current situation-
al context of action. They suggest a transfor-
mation of the somewhat static and place-based
Geographic Information Systems, to a dynamic
people-based mobile GIS. The key aspect of
LBS is the way they enrich context by location
awareness. Location awareness can be
described as the ability of people to make deci-
sions based on the awareness of their location
and/or of the objects and people that have
influence on their decision. Location awareness
is considered a crucial expansion of context
awareness for optimising many business pro-
cesses. But at the same time location aware-
ness means disclosure of location and there-
fore an invasion of ones personal location pri-
vacy. In the following I will introduce Geodans
Movida platform which is used for business
optimisation in health care, field work, public
order and safety. In health care for instance,
Movida is used to track patients, personnel, and
asset-tracking to optimise daily processes in
hospitals thereby ensuring the safety of
patients. (figure 2).
Real-time Location Awareness
Geodan has been working on new develop-
ments in the geo-information field for more than
20 years. The company focuses on IT solutions
for the private and public sectors, provides a
wide range of Location Based Services and is
fairly active in the field of Research and
Development. It started to develop tailor-made
software solutions for LBS applications when
the technical constraints of standard GIS solu-
tions for LBS limited its practical usage. Geodan
Movida is the resulting product. It is not a clas-
sic GIS but a platform that removes the barri-
ers between indoor and outdoor location
awareness, and introduces the relationship
between location and communication. Movida
is normally used for optimizing operating pro-
cesses. The system (figure 3) enables workers
to access data which is tied to location. Thus it
enables location context awareness for these
mobile workers. The core of Movida is the loca-
tion server, which includes the position engine.
Based on Oracle 10g technology to manage
spatial information about objects and persons,
Geodan Movida offers three application pro-
gramming interfaces. Although location is
exposed in a uniform and standardized fash-
ion, Movida offers connectors to several loca-
tion technologies within the Connectors API.
Connectors API
Connectors API allows the integration of a wide
variety of sensors in the Movida platform.
Movida does not offer preinstalled connections
to all marketable sensors but rather an easy-
to-use toolbox to integrate sensors. Therefore
Geodans specialists programme the connectors
project-based if they do not exist already.
Movida can handle different types of sensors
in one application, hence the linking up of
indoor and outdoor sensors is possible. But this
option is rarely used by customers, as Lars-
Figure 1: Lars-Hendrik Schneider, Technical
Consultant at Geodan Salzburg GmbH
Ar t i cl e
49
Hendrik Schneider mentions. He also adds,
Movida applications currently concentrate on
indoor tracking because it is very tricky to
define the areas of changeover from outdoor
to indoor and vice versa. Furthermore, the
Connectors API is not only constructed for posi-
tioning sensors but also for sensors measuring
other attributes, such as temperature and
humidity. One example of Movidas connectivity
is its implementation in a Dutch prison in
Lelystad near Amsterdam. Movida has a live
connection to the Prisoners Administration
System (PAS). All changes taking place in the
population of the prisoners are managed in
PAS. A live link using an XML stream between
Movida and PAS has been established which
allows Movida to know everything about the
current status of the prisoners.
Sensor Interoperability
Talking about sensor connections, at first glance
Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) interfaces, as
defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium
(OGC), seem to be quite important for the
Movida platform. The OGC SWEs aim is to cre-
ate interoperable web-based sensor networks.
The OGC defines several interface specifications
which allow all sensors and repositories of sen-
sor data to be discoverable, accessible and con-
trollable via the internet. I was very surprised
when told that an OGC SWE connection has not
yet been requested by Movida customers. But
nology used for short-range, high-bandwidth
communication at very low energy levels.
Ultra-Wideband
UWB uses sharp carrier pulses at a larger por-
tion of the radio spectrum to pulse code infor-
mation. UWB technology was originally devel-
oped more than 40 years ago for military
tap-proof communication. Applications for posi-
tioning (UWB-Radar) appeared later on. Market
experts attest to the future potential of UWB
technology but at the moment there is just a
handful of vendors trying to prepare the mar-
ket for these UWB applications. This will ensure
the industry is in a good position to meet the
expected boom of location services using ultra-
wideband technology. Vendors offering differ-
ent philosophies on this technology are com-
peting for the same market share. Examples are
Ubisense, which offers transmitters with accu-
racy in the range of centimetres, and Ekahau,
which offers lower accuracy at far less cost.
At Geodan, sensors from Multispectral
Solutions Inc. (MSSI) are mainly used,
Schneider says. MSSI sensors are characterised
by high location accuracies and long-life tags
concerning battery power. These sensors are
used for the Location Aware Safety System at
BPs oil refinery in Cherry Point, Washington.
Geodans Movida platform integrates MSSIs
sensors to ascertain the whereabouts of 2000
staff members, contractors and visitors at the
Cherry Point refinery. The system monitors the
positions of all staff and alerts an operator if
someone enters an area in which he or she is
not allowed. During an emergency the readers
at evacuation points capture data from every
employee wearing a tag and if someone
remains in the facility the operator will be alert-
ed regarding that persons location. In order to
achieve these alerts the Movida platform sends
messages as directed by its communication API.
Communication API
The communication API enables Movida to send
messages via email, sms, mms, and even voice
messages. It is mainly used for sending alerts
and status messages triggered by rules which
examine the locations of tracked persons or
objects. The recipients and the messages
belonging to location events are determined in
advance by using the communication API.
Notifications can be sent to oneself to increase
ones own location awareness or to others e.g.
the reasons seemed to be quite convincing.
Lars-Hendrik Schneider explained that their cus-
tomers mainly focus on well-established sensor
types, like passive Radio-Frequency Identi fi -
cation (RFID). The ubiquitous RFID is already in
our everyday lives, being used in product track-
ing, electronic toll road pricing, animal identifi-
cation and even human identification, e.g.,
passports equipped with RFID chips. Passive
RFID does not have an internal power supply
and thus is cheaper and smaller, but also less
reliable than active RFID with its own internal
power supply. Customers exclusively use these
sensors within their systems, so interoperabili-
ty becomes an expensive luxury.
Interoperability should start at the sensor itself
and there are rarely any sensors that accom-
plish this, Schneider adds. Current OGC SWE
implementations start at a gateway, but the
connection from the sensors to the gateway is
still proprietary. When working with sensors it
is generally a fundamental problem whether to
put the intelligence into hardware or into soft-
ware. On the one hand, requests can be pro-
cessed faster but they also need more power
which can be problematic in the deployment of
passive RFID. On the other hand programming
the software is more complex but also more
flexible. The problem of power consumption can
be alleviated by using pulsing transmitters
rather than continuous transmitting sensors.
Ultra-wideband (UWB) is one such radio tech-
Process Optimisation
Figure 2: Asset tracking for health care by Movida
50
Ar t i cl e
the operators, as is the case at the BP plant in
Cherry Point. Furthermore, communication can
even be established with other assets. This
offers the option to re-programme devices trig-
gered by their location or the locations of oth-
ers. As mentioned above it seems reasonable
to take advantage of programming the sensor
devices directly. Especially such high perfor-
mance devices like the Falcom Mambo
Perlocator which unifies GPS technology, cellu-
lar technology, Bluetooth connectivity and
motion detection.
Rule Definition for Alerts
Events that can be triggered are stored as rules
in the Movida database. Expressions define
when, or under which conditions, the events are
triggered. These expressions are called Alert
Conditions, because this type of event is gener-
ally called an alert in Movida. Alert Conditions
are Boolean expressions returning true or false.
If the value true is returned then the system is
triggered to send notifications (alerts) to the
specified destinations. If the value false is
returned, then nothing will happen. Variables
such as current (for the current position), previ-
ous (for the previous position) and speed can
of location privacy was not present in peoples
minds. When location systems track users auto-
matically, they generate an enormous amount
of potentially sensitive information. Privacy of
location is about controlling access to this infor-
mation. When applying location services in a
business context, issues of location privacy are
not to be underestimated. At best only the most
necessary personal location information should
be visualized. Even if not visualized, a tremen-
dous amount of data will be stored. These data
should be kept only for a critical time-phase,
like 24 hours. For analytical purposes a de-per-
sonalisation or aggregation should be applied.
That should also count for the badges too, as
they are better not to be personalised but can
have a given categorisation. Concerning legal
issues emerging from location services most
governments are trying to catch up but still lag
behind. There is an extensive public discussion
about location privacy concerning the installa-
tion of CCTV cameras, the monitoring of mobile
phone activity and car detection. At the moment
a strong political drift goes for a maceration to
ease location disclosure partly nurtured by the
omnipresent fear of terrorism.
However, location services are considered to be
very effective when concerned with operational
safety. But greater involvement of the workers
council is necessary to allay their doubts con-
cerning the right of privacy, enabling them to have
some influence on ensuring location privacy.
Commodification of Location
On the face of it the utilisation of location
seems to be another resource which ought to
be exploited carefully. It holds enormous value
for the optimisation of business processes and
safety issues whereat location privacy should
not be forgotten and always be treated with
care. Furthermore the choice of sensors will be
not easy in the future and will have a huge
impact on the functioning of all location
systems. All in all, the potential of these
location systems, and especially their ability to
combine positioning, rules and communication,
seems to be very promising for a big market in
the future.
Florian Fischer ffischer@geoinformatics.com is a
contributing editor of GeoInformatics. For more
information on the topics in this article, visit:
www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2389/1/1
www.multispectral.com/news/news-121507.html
www.falcom.de
www.falcom.de/
www.multispectral.com
www.multispectral.com
www.ubisense.net
www.ekahau.com
be used in the expressions. They are filled auto-
matically by Movida each time a new location
enters the Location Server. Besides common Java
syntax, specific functions are implemented to
enable spatial functions, date functions and other
functions that are useful for alert conditions.
Application API and Visualisation
Movida offers a ready-made client for the visu-
alization of tracked persons and objects. The
Application API therefore is intended for the inte-
gration of the Movida platform into a corre-
spondingly enterprising IT environment.
Generally not all movements and positions
received are to be visualized as well. That
would be the same as permanently watching
the logfile of ones WLAN router, says
Schneider. In most cases visualization is required
in alert situations. Therefore companies should
not be interested in visualizing all events in
between, but rather try to respect and protect
their employees location privacy.
Location Privacy
Until recently people did not usually have access
to reliable and timely information about the
exact location of others. Therefore, the concept
Any of the laptops enters the main building:
(within(previous_position,{getzoneid(Main building)}) == false &&
within(position,{getzoneid(Main building) }) == true) &&
(getDeviceOwnerParameter(Ltype) == laptop)
Any of the laptops leaves the first floor:
(within(previous_position,{ getzoneid(First floor) }) == true && within(position,
{ getzoneid(First floor) }) == false) &&
(getDeviceOwnerParameter(Ltype) == laptop)
The maintenance date is January 7 2007:
getDeviceOwnerParameter(Maintenance Date) == 20070127T000000
Figure 3: Geodan Movida System Overview
Rule definition for triggering events
Ar t i cl e
51
Sokkia Europe Celebrates a 25
Year Jubilee in Holland
In December 2007 it was exactly 25 years ago that Sokkia Europe began supplying surveying instruments to a
broad distribution network in Europe. It is not just this 25th anniversary, but also the announced takeover
by the Japanese company Topcon, and the strong growth of Sokkia Europe in the past few years,
that prompted this interview with Sokkias Managing director Jan van der Weijden and European
Sales Manager, Guy Lemmens.
By: Eric van Rees
Sokkia is a leading manufacturer in the devel-
opment of total surveying solutions for the com-
mercial building industry and industrial survey-
ing. Sokkias portfolio consists of, among
others, GNSS systems, total stations, digital
theodolites and associated software. Sokkia has
enjoyed more than 87 years of worldwide expe-
rience and with this in mind, Jan van der
Weijden and Guy Lemmens explain the latest
developments taking place at Sokkia Europe.
25-year Jubilee
On March 30 1990, the first plan was drawn
up of the 3000 square foot building and ware-
house in the business area know as De Vaart
in Almere, Holland. Not only was Sokkia the
first company in this business area but it was
also the first Japanese company to locate
here, opening tremendous opportunities for
them in the future. Finding a good location
for a baseline of 2 or 3 kilometres was the
outcome of this particular undertaking.
Consequently, the municipality of Almere is
now the longest baseline in Holland. In
December 2007, it was exactly 25 years ago
that Sokkia Europe settled in The Netherlands
with its European headquarters.
Sokkia Nederland (for the Dutch market) is
also housed in the same building, with both
companies totalling 60 employees.
Agreement
In March 2007 the announcement came that
Sokkia and Topcon would merge. To inform its
distributors about the companys future plans,
the board of directors from Sokkia Europe vis-
ited them all during April and May. This quick
action and direct communication took away any
possible unrest, explained Van der Weijden. In
the mean time, things have become more clear.
By mid-January of 2008, the greater part of the
Sokkia shares will have been taken over by
Topcon. From that moment, Sokkia will official-
ly become part of Topcon and the merger with
Topcan begin. In the new organisation both par-
ties will hold an equal position and by 2011,
both companies will be completely integrated.
Sokkia continues to work according to its cur-
rent operating methodology, but in the future
this will come under the responsibility of the
new Topcon-Sokkia organisation. This also goes
for the Sokkia Sales central management. Both
channels will be maintained and will be utilized
optimally in the new organisation. During the
merging discussions both companies agreed
that the market will decide in the end how the
distribution network will take form. The R&D
division of the current Sokkia organisation will
concentrate on production and development of
total stations for the full new organisation.
Progression
Sokkia looks back on a succesfull year during
which much has been achieved. In 2007, we
attracted, among other things, eight new dis-
tributors and we would like to continue in this
vein a little longer Van der Weijden stated
enthusiastically. The introduction of the one-
man robotic Total Station SRX and the GSR2700
ISX GNSS receiver has been an important step
in joining the three big players in the field. This
product can be seen as a confirmation that the
high-tech market has to take into account the
impact Sokkia now has on the industry. With
this new product visibility the company serves
a wider market with a wider portfolio in 2008.
editorial manager of GeoInformatics
For more information: www.sokkia.net
Guy Lemmens Jan van der Weijden
Safe Software is the maker of FME, a powerful spatial ETL (extract, transform and load) platform that enables
organizations to seamlessly extract, translate, transform, integrate and distribute spatial data in over 200 GIS, CAD,
raster and database formats. FME is used globally by thousands of customers in a wide variety of industries, including
all levels of government, the utilities sector, and resource industries such as oil and gas, mining and forestry.
In this months interview, we discuss the most important spatial ETL topics with Safe Software co-founders
Dale Lutz (left) and Don Murray.
By: Joc Triglav
To begin, please describe a brief history
of your company and the main profession-
al and business reasons for founding it.
Don: Dale and I met in 1990 at McDonald
Dettwiler and Associates (MDA). As recent uni-
versity graduates, we quickly became friends.
With our mutual passion for technology, we
had many interesting discussions (and
debates!) about ways we could attempt to
address complex technology problems!
In 1993, while I was teaching at the British
Columbia Institute of Technology and Dale
was still at MDA, we started to discuss a sig-
nificant problem that we had both noticed in
the GIS market; moving spatial data between
different systems was complex, time-consum-
ing, and in many cases, impossible. At first,
we thought that there must be someone out
there who had already built a solution to
address such a common problem. But after
further research, it turned out that although
this was a significant issue in the market,
there really wasnt any software solution avail-
able to address it. So, we decided to start a
business (Safe Software) that focuses on solv-
ing this challenge.
Our initial intent was to support the Spatial
Archive and Interchange Format (SAIF), pro-
nounced safe, a format developed by the BC
Government Mapping Agency. As you can
probably guess, this is also where we got our
company name. Together we built FME, a spa-
tial ETL platform that enables organizations
to translate, transform, federate and distribute
spatial data in over 200 different formats. Our
focus over the past decade has been on con-
tinuing to add support for the plethora of new
data formats whether its a new raster for-
mat, an emerging 3D or BIM format, or a new
web format.
The thing that has really driven us from the
start is making our customers happy. We still
believe that if we look after our clients every-
thing else will look after itself. We often say
that Safe is like a restaurant; to be success-
ful you need to have both good products and
good service. The only difference really is that
we are serving software rather than food.
52
I nt er vi ew
Safe Software
The Spatial ETL Experts Offer Insight
Every GIS professional or user faces data
interoperability headaches. But, the
spectrum of challenges related to data
interoperability is very diverse. How
does your spatial ETL technology help
overcome such a diverse set of prob-
lems?
Dale: At one point or another, most organiza-
tions need to acquire spatial data, store it,
format it or share it. Our spatial ETL technol-
ogy, FME, offers four key capabilities to help
power the flow of spatial data across this GIS
process.
The first capability is data translation, that is,
helping organizations read or write data from
one format to another. As Don mentioned ear-
lier, FME supports data translation in hun-
dreds of GIS, CAD, raster and database for-
mats with new formats being added all the
time. At first its a little hard to believe, but
its true the world continues to constantly
create new formats!
Don: Last year we added support for raster
formats. While adding support for raster data
Dale: Data federation is the third capability
required for true spatial ETL. It allows you to
create a unified view of spatial data from mul-
tiple sources but without having to move the
data into a single location. This on-the-fly
process makes it very efficient for orga ni -
zations to quickly present different data views
to different user communities, without taxing
IT bandwidth or resources.
Don: Weve traditionally provided data
integration capabilities and are expanding this
to support data federation. With FME, users
simply define the mapping from the source
data to the federated view of data. Using this
approach it is easy to bring new sources
online and not worry that they are going to
negatively impact other data sources.
Dale: With the world starting to take greater
interest in location-based or spatial data,
weve invested in expanding FMEs distribu-
tion capabilities, the final element required to
power flow of spatial data across the GIS
process. Were introducing a new solution this
year (FME Server) that focuses on spatial data
distribution. FME Server will offer a variety of
web services that will make it very efficient
for organizations to make data available in
different users requested formats and data
models.
What are some of the most common
problems people use FME to address?
Don: The first data manipulation problem
that we focused on in building FME was
the CAD <-> GIS problem. This is still one
of the most common things that people
use FME for. One fundamental difference
between these two types of systems is
that CAD systems often dont represent poly-
gons directly, but they instead store the lines
that make up the polygons. There is also typi-
cally a point in the middle of the polygons
which has a link to an attribute table in a
database of flat file. To move data from CAD
to GIS, people use FME to make the polygons
from the line work, then match the point to
the interior of the polygons and finally to join
the attributes from the table to the polygon so
that we have a nice polygonal GIS dataset. FME
can also support the opposite workflow, that
is, enabling users to bring GIS data into their
CAD system. In general, FME enables users to
efficiently extract the intent of the CAD data
and make it explicit in the destination system.
For example, taking the name of a symbol at
a certain location and applying a rule that
transforms it into a water value of a certain
capacity and installation date.
is exciting, the real excitement is now users
can have a single spatial ETL workflow that
integrates both raster and vector so they can
perform interesting transformations across
multiple datasets. This integration, fusion,
mashups, or whatever you want to call it, is
very exciting!
Dale: Aside from reading and writing data in
many formats, the real power of our technol-
ogy is what you can do with the data when
you are moving it from the source to the des-
tination system. This is the second capability,
data transformation, and its really the key to
the power of true spatial ETL. Through a drag-
and-drop interface (Workbench), FME enables
users to restructure data as it moves from a
source system to the destination system. They
can use it to restructure the data schema for
one format or between multiple formats.
Don: Many customers also use our Universal
Viewer as a way to perform quality assurance
inspections on the data throughout the spa-
tial ETL process. The first step for success in
spatial ETL is to first ensure that you truly
understand your data!
I nt er vi ew
53
on Removing Data Barriers
A GeoRSS feed provided by the USGS where each his-
togram represents the location of a recent earthquake,
with magnitude indicated by the height of the his-
togram. This GeoRSS feed was transformed into a KML
file using FME, then visualized in Google Earth.
Dale: Of course, something that users often
discover when using FME is data quality
issues. They may have lines that cross or
dont meet or polygons that overlap that
shouldnt. Data quality assurance is another
task that people often use FME for.
Don: FME was architected for flexibility. FME
doesnt automatically fix your data, but
instead, FME presents users with options so
they can decide what they want to do. There
is no way, for example, that anyone would
want software to magically fix legal bound-
aries just because it found out that the geo-
metric features dont line up the way the user
thought they did.
Dale: Regardless of what you want to use FME
for, the most important thing that users must
do first is really understand the data that they
want to move. To do this easily, weve includ-
ed a data inspection tool in FME. Using this
tool, users can really take a good look at their
data in any of the supported formats. This is
a unique capability of our product. Were not
aware of any other viewer in the market that
can do this.
FME 2007 was released in 2007. What
new capabilities does it include?
Dale: The big story with FME 2007 was the
official release of our raster support. With
this release, users can not only process vec-
tor data, but also imagery and measurement
data such as Digital Elevation Models (DEM).
While this is exciting, the true power of FME
2007 is that users can now perform spatial
ETL operations that combine or fuse data from
both raster and vector.
Don: Continuing with the fusion theme, FME
2007 also introduced integration with
Informatica PowerCenter and Microsoft SQL
Server Integration Services. For the first time,
organizations now have a way to make their
mapping data available to their corporate IT
infrastructure and to easily bring data from
the IT world into the mapping department.
With the 2007 release, FME truly enables
organizations to build the infrastructure need-
ed for moving their spatial data.
Please explain more about your
upcoming FME Server solution. How can
organizations and GIS Professionals
benefit from this technology?
Don: FME Server is a powerful and scalable
spatial ETL processing environment that will
enable organizations to very efficiently trans-
late, transform, federate and distribute spatial
data to a variety of user communities in the
structure and format they desire and via the
web technology they prefer. Basically, it allows
organizations to exploit all of the power of
FME Desktop in a server environment plus
more.
Dale: In terms of scalability, FME Server is
designed in a way that allows organizations
to add multiple FME engines to their archi-
tecture. More FME engines essentially result
in more scalable spatial ETL processing.
Don: FME Server is based on the evolution
of the architecture from our SpatialDirect
product (SpatialDirect is our first generation
web-based solution for data delivery.) FME
Server can be leveraged by organizations in
four ways.
a) Simple Data Processing: For current FME
Desktop customers, any existing spatial ETL
workflow (workspace) can be installed on
FME Server. Once this is done any user in the
organization not just GIS-savvy users - can
then run that workspace using a simple web
interface. For example, you could upload a
workspace that converts any GeoTiff to any
other raster file format. Once uploaded, any
user can then run it without having any
background in GIS. Of course, only users with
the authoring environment (provided by the
FME Desktop) can create new workspaces.
b) Web Services: FME Server can enable orga-
nizations to efficiently provide spatial data
download services to diverse user communi-
ties. Our goal is to enable FME Server to pro-
vide data to any web service protocols that
become available. We are essentially treating
web services on the server just as we did with
format support on the desktop.
c) Powerful Spatial ETL Processing: Some
organizations have a large number of spatial
ETL tasks that run daily or weekly. With FME
Server, these organizations will have access
to a scalable enterprise-ready spatial ETL pro-
cessing engine to enable faster, more efficient
processing of these jobs.
d) Integration with Traditional ETL Systems:
We are seeing more and more organizations
that want to move data across the organiza-
tion. In the past, the mapping department has
been special in that its data was not to be
disseminated freely throughout the organiza-
tion or combined with other departments
data. This is changing as organizations are
starting to realize the power of combining
spatial and non-spatial datastores together to
drive more effective decision-making. To sup-
port this, FME Server offers application exten-
sions for integration with tools such as
Informatica PowerCenter or IBM Information
Server Data Stage. FME Server essentially acts
as a bridge between these systems and spa-
tial data sources to enable organizations to
easily move data between the mapping
department and the rest of the organization.
Dale: As you can see, FME Server will be able
to meet a variety of common problems in data
interoperability. Its available in beta now and
is due for final release in the first half of 2008.
How does FME fit into the GIS industry
in terms of the other types of technology
and software available?
Don: FME is focused on solving spatial ETL
challenges. Spatial ETL plays a vital role in
54
I nt er vi ew
3D image of Schutterstock.
the GIS industry overall as it helps data flow
seamlessly throughout the GIS process, while
protecting the integrity of the data structure
as it is translated and transformed from one
format or location to another. Our focus is on
supporting the data interoperability needs of
the other vendors in the GIS industry. In fact,
most of the leading GIS vendors have part-
nered with us to integrate core FME capabili-
ties right within their own applications so they
can better address their customers needs for
true data interoperability. For example, FME
is available to ESRI ArcGIS users through a
Data Interoperability Extension. FME can also
exploit the spatial and attribute SQL queries
offered by supported spatial databases
including ESRI ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial, PostGIS
and others.
Emerging open standard formats and
web services offer new approaches to
addressing the problems of data usage
and integration in the geospatial context.
How does FME address both these new
capabilities while still meeting the needs
for traditional spatial data formats?
Don: Raster was the major theme for our FME
2007 release. For example, users can now
load data into ESRI ArcSDE or Oracle
GeoRaster. For FME 2008, we are being very
ambitious and there are actually two focus
areas. The first focus is in adding support for
3D data formats. For example, building infor-
mation model (BIM) formats such as IFC. The
second focus for FME 2008 is on bringing spa-
tial ETL to the web. This is not just about FME
Server providing services to the web through
a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Its also
about enabling our core FME engine to con-
sume services so that the FME users are able
to exploit them.
Dale: FME can essentially address both the
need to provide spatial data through FME
Server and to consume spatial data
through FME Desktop. If you download the
latest beta of FME Desktop and launch the
Workbench component, you will find a new
transformer category called Web Services.
This category includes several transformers
that are focused purely on enabling users to
easily access web pages and web services
from within a workspace. This is exciting as it
essentially turns our FME platform into a web
service client so that the power of its trans-
formation engine can be leveraged on the out-
put of the new data sources and services that
are being developed. This fits nicely with our
vision for FME in that it will allow organiza-
tions to take a simpler approach to delivering
spatial data to a destination system or user.
makes it very difficult for standards to be
established as users are still figuring out all
the things that they want done and new tech-
nology is being released at a seemingly
increasing rate. There are, however, a few
things that are going to remain important for
the foreseeable future. For example, many
organizations are building new formats
around XML and GML.
Don: KML is also something that we are see-
ing more and more use of. OGC ratification of
a future version of KML will certainly solidify
its importance for a range of important pur-
poses.
Dale: Right now every day is an exciting day
as the pace of change and opportunity con-
tinue to grow. Safes niche in the market is a
really fun place to be as applications are
always going to need access to data and were
all about making data available to the mass-
es no matter where that data originates.
How do the latest geospatial mass-play-
ers like Google, Microsoft and others
affect your business and technology
strategies?
Don: These vendors have changed everything.
Their influence in the market has led to a sig-
nificant increase in the demand for spatial
data and the level of user expectations. As
our company focuses on enabling applica-
tions to get the data they need, this change
has been very good for Safe. To us, these new
tools are simply new data endpoints that we
Don: Several of our readers in FME can also
read data directly from the web; for example,
GeoRSS/RSS, GeoJson/Json and WMS/WFS. The
web is a whole new platform for our techno -
logy. By making it easy for organizations to
create and consume services, more and more
users will be exposed to the benefits of our
technology.
There is a saying The good thing about
standards is that there are so many to
choose from. In your opinion, what are
the arguments if any in favour of the
expectation that this Babel situation of
file and data formats is ever going to
change?
Dale: The thing about technology is that it is
difficult to predict where things are going to
come from. For example, three years ago, who
would have thought that Google and
Microsoft would be driving forces in web map-
ping? There are a lot of standards out there
for data interoperability. Our approach is to
support all standards - both official and de
facto.
Don: For the web, we are focused on sup-
porting all the different standards, just as we
have viewed format and database support on
the desktop. For example, FME was one of
the first software solutions to add support for
GeoRSS and GeoJSON.
Dale: Right now in the web world in general
and the web mapping world in particular,
things are changing at a tremendous rate. This
I nt er vi ew
55
The diagram shows how FME supports various stages in the ETL process.
I believe in reliability.
Reliability means peace of mind knowing that
your equipment will never let you down.
Regardless of the situation, you want to be able to rely on your
equipment and the results you get. Thats why Leica Geosystems
places great emphasis on dependability. Our comprehensive
spectrum of solutions covers all your measurement needs for
surveying, engineering and geospatial applications. And they are
all backed with world-class service and support that delivers
answers to your questions. When it matters most. When you
are in the field. When it has to be right.
You can count on Leica Geosystems to provide a highly reliable
solution for every facet of your job.
Leica Geosystems AG
Switzerland
www.leica-geosystems.com
The Leica GPS1200 this exceptionally rugged,
easy-to-use instrument with a self-explanatory
interface is a fine example of our uncompromising
dedication to your needs. Reliability: yet another
reason to trust Leica Geosystems.
need to support - very popular endpoints,
with lots of users. For example, we will sup-
port Microsoft both on the web and at the
database level.
Not only is your company known for its
quality support service and dynamic
online community, its also known for its
candid openness about future plans. Can
you give us a sneak preview of whats
next?
Dale: As you can tell, were really excited
about our upcoming FME 2008 release which
will add support for 3D data formats and
introduce FME Server. Our focus this year is
to continue to deliver new and better ways
for removing data barriers to applications.
Data is to applications as fuel is to an engine.
With FME in 2008, we are going to bring very
high test fuel to both spatial and non-spatial
applications.
Joc Triglav jtriglav@geoinformatics.com is editor and
columnist of GeoInformatics.
For more information on the subject visit
www.safe.com.
Dale: Over the last two
years the number of web
based technologies that
have arrived on the scene
is very exciting. We now
have GeoRSS GeoJSON,
Yahoo Pipes, and count-
less new web services
coming online all the
time. Were pretty excited
about the upcoming
launch of FME 2008 as it
will be able to address
this both from the server
and the client level by giv-
ing users building blocks
to take advantage of web
services and to easily cre-
ate their own web ser-
vices.
Don: Take GeoRSS for
example. One can easily
publish spatial data to the
web by simply writing a GeoRSS file and then
copy to their website. That is it, and then users
of Google Maps or Virtual Earth can easily see
on a zoomable, slippy map. Its amazing!
I nt er vi ew
57
Example of a raster image, a key
feature in FME 2007.
The ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC) is the largest conference
dedicated to geographic information systems (GIS). This one-of-a-kind
event brings together users from more than 120 countries to delve into the
power of place using GIS. Attendees gain knowledge, develop skills, and
experience a strong sense of community. Youre invited this summer to be
part of this enlightening and inspiring forum.
Hear about the future of GIS.
Explore the latest geospatial technology.
Learn from your peers about recent applications and best practices.
Bring your questions to the technology experts.
Kick-start your project.
Get energizing ideas from new solutions, programs, and services.

Copyright 2008 ESRI. All rights reserved. The ESRI globe logo, ESRI, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks,
or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions.
Join more than 14,000 ESRI users at the
28th Annual ESRI International User Conference
for a week of insight, opportunities, and community.
ESRI International User Conference
August 48, 2008
San Diego, California, USA

Visit www.esri.com/uc for more
information or to register.
Enlightening. Inspiring. Influential.
58
Safe Software Introduces Free FME FDO Provider for AutoCAD Map 3D 2008
Today Safe Software introduced a free FME FDO
Provider for AutoCAD Map 3D 2008. Map 3D users
now have a faster and easier way to access nine
popular import formats from directly within the
applications Data Connect dialog box.
Our FME technology has been an integrated part
of AutoCAD Map 3D for almost a decade, says Dale
Lutz, Vice President of Development at Safe
Software. With the FME FDO Provider, the impor-
tant data formats available through the data import
feature are now also easily accessible through a
more intuitive interface.
Available for download today at www.safe.com/fmefdo,
the free FME FDO Provider integrates with the Data
Connect dialog to enable quick connectivity to key
spatial data formats, including ESRI ArcInfo Export
(E00), Geography Markup Language (GML), and
MapInfo TAB/MIF/MID. With just a few clicks, Map
3D users can conveniently read data directly, with-
out having to copy the datasets. When the data
changes, users drawings will automatically reflect
the most recent information. Users can also easily
upgrade to FME, a powerful spatial ETL platform, for
access to over 200 additional CAD, GIS, raster and
database formats, such as ArcSDE Raster, MapInfo
SpatialWare, and KML (Google Earth).
www.safe.com/autodesk.
TatukGIS Releases GIS SDK Edition for Compact Framework
TatukGIS announces the release of the .NET Compact
Framework edition of the TatukGIS Developer Kernel
toolkit product for the development of custom GIS
applications for Pocket PC type applications for
Windows CE/Mobile operating systems. The DK-
Compact Framework (DK-CF) product supports
Windows Compact Framework 2.0 development with
Visual Studio 2005 and Compact Framework 2.0 and
3.5 development with Visual Studio 2008.
The DK-CF has been tested with a number of commer-
cial handheld devices running Pocket PC 2003,
Windows Mobile 5 and 6, Windows CE.NET 4.2, and
Windows CE 5 and 6. A running DK-CF application has
a reasonably small memory footprint. The data size is
not limited because the product can read data from
external storage such as a removable SD card. Testing
was typically performed with 1 GB-sized SHP files, with
the R-Tree spatial indexing enabled.
Because the DK-CF is based on pure .NET code, it is
processor independent. This means a DK-CF applica-
tion can run on any processor supported by Compact
Framework, without the need for recompilation.
Furthermore, because the DK-CF has exactly the same
interface (API) as the .NET WinForms edition of the
TatukGIS Developer Kernel (DK.NET) for GIS desktop
development, porting a DK.NET based desktop appli-
cation to the DK-CF is just a matter of copying the code.
www.tatukgis.com
Blue Marble Releases Geographic Calculator 7.0 Featuring Many New
Data Management Tools
Blue Marble Geographics announces the release of
Geographic Calculator 7.0, a major version upgrade
of the Geographic Calculator that features many new
enterprise-wide collaboration tools and core library
enhancements. These tools extend the power of the
Calculator to enable geospatial data definition, manip-
ulation and management across the users organiza-
tion. This is the most comprehensive upgrade to the
Geographic Calculator since its inception. Blue
Marbles coordinate conversion technology is used
worldwide by thousands of GIS analysts at software
companies, universities, oil and gas companies, civil
engineering, surveying, technology, enterprise GIS
groups, government and military organizations.
The Calculator will still have the same look and feel
right out of the box. The interface is now more flexi-
ble and customizable. This version introduces dock-
able windows, workspace settings that can be saved
and shipped to other users, administrative tools that
can be used to lock down editing of the coordinate
datasource to protect definitions and guide users, an
extension allowing the use of the Calculator in ArcGIS,
complete FLEXnet licensing for easier porting of licens-
es and WAN usage, a data source merge tool, the abil-
ity to transform between any datum (not just WGS84)
and more.
7.0 now sits on the GeoCalc 6.3 library, leveraging the
largest coordinate data source available with over
3500 pre-defined coordinate definitions and thou-
sands of other geodetic objects. There are new inter-
faces that allow the user to query and edit objects,
as well as a new geographically organized data tree
with search tools that make finding objects much eas-
ier and faster. The data source is now signed so
the user is notified when objects are manually edited
without the dialogues.
New features of Geographic Calculator 7.0 include:
Administrative tools for quality assurance,
enabling lock-down of a particular data source,
securing true definitions and avoiding data cor-
ruption.
Administrative tools for filtering objects so that
users only see the objects their administrator
chooses Datum Shift envelopes that can be used
to assign the appropriate datum shift for a partic-
ular geographic envelope.
Direct connection to the new OGP WRS Registry
Dataset (the online version of the EPSG database)
which is used as a standard for the Oil & Gas
Exploration industry.
Administrative controls that offer managers the
ability to select a specific datum transformation
method when converting coordinates between two
coordinate systems, whether the system is
WGS84, or any other system.
Read and write to all ODBC databases including
MS Access, Oracle, MySql, Sql Server and others
Updated file support for all the major GIS and CAD
formats, as well as new GML support.
www.bluemarblegeo.com.
Topcon Wins Huge Handheld
GPS Tender in Romania
The Romanian Agency
of Payments and Inter -
ventions in Agriculture
( APIA ) has acquired
530 units of Topcon
Europe Positionings
successful GMS-2 units
from the TOPCON
Czech exclusive distrib-
utor GEODIS BRNO
and its Romanian daughter company GEODIS RO.
This makes it the largest sale of Topcons hand held
mobile GPS-receiver, not only in Romania, but also
Europe-wide. More than 40 local offices of the APIA
organization received training in the use of the
GMS-2.
According to EU regulations eligible Romanian
farmers can obtain subsidies of 50 euros per
hectare of land in addition to 30 euros per hectare
from the Romanian state budget. For the manage-
ment of distribution of these European Community
Funds the Agency of Payments and Interventions
in Agriculture has been installed. The amounts of
hectares the farmer actually owns will naturally
have to be checked.
Aimed at the surveying and GIS professional mar-
ket Topcons new GMS-2 GIS hand-held mobile is
the industrys first GIS-GPS product with:
dual-constellation tracking;
an integrated digital camera linking photos to
feature locations;
an electronic compass for bearing and direction
information; and
the functionality to be used as a GIS mapping
system, an L1 static survey grade receiver or a
field controller.
With all these featuresand options to suit every
job site situation and budgetin one small, durable
unit, Topcons GMS-2 provides a solution for multi-
function GIS-GPS tasks in the field. Using a
Windows CE operating system, the GMS-2 is
equipped with vivid, color touch-screen, a powerful
Intel processor, internal wireless Bluetooth connec-
tivity, and accuracy levels from sub-meter to cen-
timeter range, removable, rechargeable lithium ion
battery, SD memory slot and USB port.
www.topcon.eu
Pr oduct news
59
1Spatial announces release of Radius Studio Version 2.0
Radius Studio is an enterprise data integration and quality assessment tool that
makes comprehensive use of the Oracle technology stack. It provides a data cer-
tification platform that ensures the quality and consistency of spatial data locat-
ed in either Oracle 9i / 10g Databases or in vector file formats accessed via
Feature Data Objects (FDO). This solution is delivered in a J2EE architecture that
offers web access through the Oracle 10g Application Server (or JBoss v4.0.4 GA)
and makes effective use of Oracle MapViewer.
Version 2.0 of Radius Studio incorporates several additional features, including
provision of the ability to spread data processing across multiple machines via
distributing components, such as the Sun Grid Engine. This functionality is
enabled via web services and allows large volumes of data to be validated against
data quality and business rules in a timely and efficient manner, greatly reducing
workflow run-times.
This version also introduces application server support for SUSE Linux Enterprise
10 in addition to the existing Microsoft Windows XP and 2003 Server support.
Another important new feature is the ability to download and upload Radius
Studio elements. This means that Radius Studio elements such as data stores,
rules, actions and templates can be easily shared between development, test
and production systems.
www.1spatial.com
Ordnance Survey Opens Source Code to Web 2.0 Applications
Web developers are this week previewing a free online
platform to help them experiment with some of the
worlds most advanced geographic information. OS
OpenSpace enables web-savvy users to build mash-ups
with a range of Ordnance Survey data in line with gov-
ernment aims to make public sector information more
accessible. Under an application programming interface
(API) developers will register for a feed of data to exper-
iment with non-commercially. It includes a range of map-
ping scales covering the whole of Great Britain down to
street level. This weeks stage involves a hands-on pre-
view to a dedicated group of developers who will have
exclusive access to test functionality and build applica-
tions ahead of a public launch early in the new year.
Technology continues to expand the opportunities for
benefiting from geographic information, says Vanessa
Lawrence, Ordnance Surveys Director General and Chief
Executive. Our OS OpenSpace project is all about pro-
moting innovation and allowing non-commercial experi-
mentation with our mapping data.
Ordnance Surveys move has been welcomed by Steve
Coast, founder of OpenStreetMap and a consultant on
the development of OS OpenSpace. He says: This rep-
resents one of the most significant releases of a map-
ping data API. It will be interesting to see what web
developers do with it.
Ordnance Survey is keen to ensure its community of
more than 500 business partners support OS
OpenSpace. Partners will be able to offer their own
equivalent experimentation platform as well as offer
developers a path to help take forward ideas suitable
for commercial application.
Developers can access up to 30 000 tiles or extracts
of data a day and up to 1 000 place name look-ups.
OS OpenSpace allows users to add markers, lines and
polygons on top of Ordnance Survey maps, search for
place names with a gazetteer and display other loca-
tion data from elsewhere on the web.
The platform is a JavaScript API that uses slippy
maptechnology, so users can grab and move images
in different directions. As well as the API itself, OS
OpenSpace will include a community website so devel-
opers can discuss, review and collaborate on projects.
OS OpenSpace comes just three months after Ordnance
Survey launched its explore portal enabling users to
create and share walking routes over the web. So far,
explore has 1400 members with 800 individual routes
posted. Ordnance Surveys Developer Partner pro-
gramme also helps individuals and organisations that
have potentially marketable ideas for using mapping
information. This is a one-year, low-cost package of tech-
nical and business support with access to sample data.
The Cabinet Office recognised Ordnance Surveys
progress towards OS OpenSpace in its response earlier
this year to an independent review of how public sec-
tor information is created and shared over the internet.
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/explore
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/partnerships/developers
ESRIs ArcPad 7.1 Mobile GIS Software Release
ArcPad 7.1 and ArcPad
Application Builder 7.1,
the latest versions of
ESRIs mobile GIS
software for data collec -
tion and field mapping
applications, have been
released. The new
enhancements in ArcPad
7.1 will help experienced users, as well as field
personnel new to GIS, capture field data quickly
and easily.
ArcPad products are designed for various industries
and organizations wanting to extend the benefits of
GIS from the office to the field. Together with ArcPad
Application Builder, the development and customiza-
tion framework for ArcPad, version 7.1 continues to
simplify the field data collection process and offers
advanced functionality for mobile users who need
to make critical decisions in the field.
ArcPad provides mapping, GIS, and GPS integration
to users via handheld mobile devices. It can be eas-
ily customized for specific field projects using ArcPad
Application Builder. ArcPad software also integrates
with ESRI desktop technologies, allowing field edits
to be incorporated through disconnected editing.
In version 7.1, the ArcPad object model has been
updated to support data relationship rules and
includes improved data management tools. ArcPad
Application Builder 7.1, sold separately, has been
enhanced to include ArcPad database files and cus-
tom query forms and enables users to set read only
layers.
ArcPad 7.1 introduces the following enhancements:
Much-anticipated, out-of-the-box solutions to
view and edit relational databases in the field
QuickProjectA simple data template to capture
various geographic features and help both new
and experienced users become immediately
productive.
StreetMap extensionIncludes the most recent
North American street map data from Tele Atlas,
providing geocoding, routing functionalities, and
a preconfigured basemap for users at no addi-
tional cost.
Enhanced query capabilitiesIncludes a query
builder and query forms that support predefined,
customized queries.
ArcPad Data Manager extension for ArcGIS
DesktopInteractive tools in ArcMap and ArcPad
that allow simple automation of field workflows
and easier management of mobile GIS project
deployments.
www.esri.com/arcpad.
www.esri.com/international
60
Pr oduct news
I ndust r ynews
61
Correction
In GeoInformatics 8-2007 we stated that ESRI Europe
Keynote speaker Tomas Ries worked with the min-
istry of foreign affairs in Sweden. He is not, Ries is
director of UI, the Swedish Institute of International
Affairs (UI). In English translations it is sometimes
called the institute of foreign affairs, hence our con-
fusion. UI is a public service institution, politically
independent, for information and research about
international political issues. In Sweden, the insti-
tute has an important function as a forum for debate
on international issues and as a meeting place for
both academics and practitioners, journalists and
politicians.
Fugro Acquires HGN Hydrogeologie GmbH
Fugro has acquired HGN Hydrogeologie GmbH
(HGN), a leading hydro geological and hydrological
consultancy in Germany with headquarters in
Nordhausen, near Leipzig. Established in 1990, HGN
operates from a number of offices throughout
Germany and an office in Lithuania. HGN has an
annual turnover in excess of EUR 7.5 million and
employs a staff of 121.
Galileo Back on Track
The European Union has agreed a definitive funding
model for the Galileo satellite navigation system.
EU states have backed a $3.7 billion funding pack-
age. It takes up unused farm subsidies and cash
that had been earmarked for R&D, meaning that
member states will not have to find extra money to
keep the system on track. The decision was reached
at a budget meeting in Brussels on 23 November.
The European parliament must approve the spend-
ing plan, but this is expected to be a formality. A
more substantive hurdle for the system may be a
meeting of national transport ministers, who still
need to agree on a pan-European legal basis for the
system. Galileo allows for a 30-satellite constella-
tion, to be operational by 2013. It will generate bil-
lions of euros in revenue, create thousands of jobs
and keep European companies at the technological
cutting edge. Germany and the UK were strongly
against the plan, saying it created an undesirable
precedent in EU affairs. Up till now, normal practice
has been that unspent budget funds are returned
to member states. The German plan was to divert
funds to Galileo Industries that are normally allocat-
ed to the European Space Agency. However,
Germanys opposition collapsed when the other
states agreed to a proposal that would guarantee
that German companies would receive at least some
of the contracts from the project.
www.esa.int/esaNA/galileo.html
Hexagon to Acquire Leading GNSS Provider
NovAtel Inc.
Hexagon AB (STO:HEXA B) and NovAtel Inc (NAS-
DAQ:NGPS) have entered into a definitive agreement
under which Hexagon has agreed to acquire all the
outstanding shares of NovAtel for USD 50 per share.
NovAtel is a leading provider of precision Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) components and
subsystems. NovAtel develops quality OEM products
including receivers, enclosures, antennas and
firmware that are integrated into high precision posi-
tioning applications worldwide. These applications
include surveying, Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) mapping, precision agriculture machine guid-
ance, port automation, mining, timing and marine
industries. NovAtels reference receivers are also at
the core of national aviation ground networks in the
USA, Japan, Europe, China and India. NovAtel record-
ed sales of CAD 77.6 million and net income of CAD
21.5 million in 2006. Hexagon expects that NovAtels
organic revenue growth will be approximately 20
per cent per year. NovAtel is based in Calgary,
Canada and has about 300 employees worldwide.
NovAtel has a long standing partnership with
Hexagons subsidiary, Leica Geosystems, focused on
the development of high-precision GNSS technolo-
gies. NovAtel has been a core supplier of these tech-
nologies to Leica Geosystems since 2002. The com-
bination of Hexagon and NovAtel will add new
applications to the Hexagon product portfolio and
give Hexagon access to technologies applicable to
new high growth markets.
www.hexagon.se.
Intermap Technologies and Harris Corporation
Renew Partnership
Intermap Technologies Corp. today announced that
Harris Corporation, a major supplier of commercial,
government and defense communications systems
and geospatial solutions, has extended its agree-
ment to distribute Intermaps high-resolution digital
elevation and orthorectified radar images.
Harris ImageLinks Program is a market leader in pro-
viding products and technology that enable effec-
tive management and control of geospatial-based
information. Using in-house proprietary technology
for image processing, they solve problems that can
be better explained and solved visually with images.
Their advanced technology manages pixels that rep-
resent information that is both visible and invisible
to the human eye, combining enhanced pixels with
terrain data elements to create image-based infor-
mation that is more effective for decision-making for
commercial and government GIS professionals.
According to Scott Bennett, Director of Business
Development, for Harris Corporation, ImageLinks
Program, Our ability to help customers solve com-
plex problems, ranging from environmental monitor-
ing for oil companies or training and simulation for
the military, is largely reliant on highly accurate and
uniform elevation data and imagery. Our partnership
with Intermap has allowed us to expand our broad
suite of data products to offer extremely reliable
wide-area elevation data at an affordable price.
Commercial market applications for ImageLinks
include environmental, forestry/agriculture, min-
ing/oil/gas, telecommunications, and consumer-
based businesses. Intermaps highly accurate and
uniform 3D digital elevation models, collected as
part of their NEXTMap countrywide mapping pro-
gram, are effectively enabling these types of appli-
cations worldwide.
www.esri-germany.de
Microsoft Acquires One of Europes Top Online
Map Services
Microsoft Corp. has acquired Multimap, one of the
United Kingdoms top 100 technology companies and
one of the leading online mapping services in the
world. The acquisition gives Microsoft a powerful
new location and mapping technology to comple-
ment existing offerings such as Virtual Earth, Live
Search, Windows Live services, MSN and the
aQuantive advertising platform, with future integra-
tion potential for a range of other Microsoft prod-
ucts and platforms. Terms of the deal were not dis-
closed.
One of the best-known online mapping companies
worldwide, Multimap provides a publicly available
personal mapping service at www.multimap.com, as
well as a range of integrated business services.
Partnering with Microsoft gives us a world of new
opportunities to build our mapping services into
new technologies and applications, said Jeff Kelisky,
CEO of Multimap. As one of the worlds foremost
technology brands, Microsoft is in a position to bring
even more value to the Multimap service and give
people everywhere new, exciting and fun ways to
get from point A to point B.
Multimap will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary
of Microsoft, as part of the Virtual Earth and Search
teams in the Online Services Group. The acquisition
is the latest in a series of moves as Microsoft seeks
to expand its online services to deliver software, ser-
vices, and premium content and applications to con-
sumers and businesses.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT) is the
worldwide leader in software, services and solutions
that help people and businesses realize their full
potential.
www.multimap.com
www.microsoft.com
Pitney Bowes MapInfo Acquires Encom
Pitney Bowes MapInfo, a company within the software
division of Pitney Bowes Inc, and the global leading
provider of location intelligence, today announces the
acquisition of Encom Technology, a leading innovator
and major supplier of specialist software, data and
services to the global mineral exploration and
petroleum industries.
Encoms products enable explorers to identify, locate
and evaluate natural resources quickly and cost-effec-
tively. The company has approximately 50 employees
and serves more than 1,000 organizations worldwide
both directly and via its global network of more than
60 partners.
Encom has been a natural resources strategic partner
of Pitney Bowes MapInfo for more than ten years. This
acquisition will provide Pitney Bowes with new tech-
nologies in the mineral and petroleum exploration sec-
tor that include advanced multi-dimensional analytical
tools, surface generation, 3D visualisation, geophysi-
cal modelling and advanced multi-dimensional data
integration. In addition, Encoms Compass Enterprise
range provides advanced metadata cataloguing, data
management and visual spatial data discovery.
International expansion is a paramount priority for
Pitney Bowes MapInfo and Asia-Pacific is an extremely
important growth region. This acquisition enables us
to expand operations in Australia and other parts of
Asia, as well as provide the company with exciting
technology and services that empower our customers
all over the world to make the best geoscience and
location intelligence decisions, said John OHara, exec-
utive vice president, International, Pitney Bowes
MapInfo.
www.mapinfo.com

PHOTOMOD
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software offers high-tech and high-
performance solutions for professional photogrammetric
processing of the remote sensing data allowing you to extract
geometrically accurate spatial information. It covers all your
needs for high-precision digital terrain models creation, 3D
image features collection, images orthorectification, mosaick-
ing and digital maps making.
The new advanced version of PHOTOMOD
R
complete ADS40 support; Kompsat-2 support; featuring filters
and "urves" tools for radiometric preprocessing; new bundle
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Contact information:
Tel.: +7 495 720 51 27
Fax: +7 495 720 51 28
E-mail: info@racurs.ru
Internet: www.racurs.ru

We invite you to visit our stand
at INTERGEO EAST 2008
Belgrade, Serbia
19-22 February, 2008
Stand No. D 412
I ndust r ynews
63
Trimble Acquires Engineering and Construction
Accessories Company
Trimble announced today it has acquired privately-
held Crain Enterprises, Inc. of Mound City, Illinois, in
an all-cash transaction. Crain is a leading manufac-
turer of accessories for the geomatics, surveying,
mapping, and construction industries. Financial
terms were not disclosed.
Crains product lines include tripods, bipods, level-
ing rods, measuring rulers, prisms, prism and GPS
poles, stream gauges, wire installation tools, as well
as bags, packs, and sewn carrying cases for survey-
ing and positioning instruments. The purchase of
Crain allows Trimble to provide the necessary acces-
sories that can be offered as part of its positioning
solutions used in the Engineering and Construction
markets. In addition, Crain and Trimble will be able
to leverage distribution channels.
Crain will enable us to augment our existing prod-
uct lines by offering accessories as part of our solu-
tions portfolio, said Jim Veneziano, general manag-
er of Trimbles Construction Division. Since
accessories are often key to achieving total system
performance, this acquisition will enable us to bet-
ter satisfy user needs.
Steve Crain, president and CEO of Crain Enterprises
and the staff of Crain Enterprises will join Trimble
and operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary as part
of Trimbles Engineering and Construction segment.
www.crainent.com
New ESRI book on Sustainable Development
Jean Poulits
long, distin-
guished govern-
ment career in
France, mainly as
a transportation
and urban plan-
ner, gave him
unique insights
into where and
how far people
will travel for
work, recreation,
and shopping. In Connecting People While
Preserving the Planet: Essays on Sustainable
Development, a new ESRI Press book, Poulit pre-
sents his vision of building intelligent and healthy
living spaces and transportation systems to protect
the environment and spur economic growth.
Poulits methodologies and findings show how peo-
ples travel behavior affects the economy, job oppor-
tunities, and the environment. While Poulit focuses
on France and the European Union, his wealth of
knowledge should prove illuminating to futurists,
transportation officials, urban planners, government
officials, and environmentalists worldwide.
Poulit writes that four in-depth transportation sur-
veys conducted between 1976 and 2001 in France
provided data about the number of trips people took
daily and the distances they traveled by foot, on
public transportation, and in motorized vehicles. The
results showed that theyre reaching newer and more
far-flung destinations to shop, seek better jobs, and
enjoy nature because of improved transportation
systems, even though they spend about the same
amount of time in transit as they did more than 20
years ago. In turn, this generates more wealth for a
country, he writes.
Though it runs counter to popular belief, even
clogged freeways and packed commuter trains are
very useful, generating nearly half a nations wealth
by interconnecting people and facilitating exchanges
of know-how between them, Poulit says. And,
according to the author, access to natural spaces,
such as parks, rivers, beaches, and mountains, is
increasing constantly, creating greater well-being.
Poulit also discusses transportations negative effects
on the environment and makes a case for improv-
ing mass transit, adding bullet trains, and combat-
ing the greenhouse effect by promoting vehicles that
rely on hydrogen and fuel cells.
www.esri.com/esripress
Waterstone Lands $2.4 Million
Contract With Air Force
Waterstone Environmental Hydrology and
Engineering Inc has been awarded a $2.4 million
software development contract to provide a Decision
Support Tool for 13 Air Force bases under the Air
Education and Training Command.
The interactive, geospatial Support Tool is to be
used for a wide range of environmental and plan-
ning issues carried out at the bases in Alabama,
Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Basically Waterstone was contracted to create a
program where none had been before, said Doug
Belscher, Waterstone COO, and as a small, woman-
owned company we are delighted to work with the
Air Force.
Waterstones innovative software tool enables Air
Force users to couple their existing geospatial infor-
mation with site-specific environmental data, allow-
ing them to walk through a 3-D model of each base
and call up multiple layers of meaningful data. The
tasks include risk assessment, evaluation of concep-
tual hydrogeologic models, and optimization of long-
term groundwater monitoring programs.
One of our main goals is to provide decision mak-
ers with answers to planning questions that are
asked on a regular basis. said Carla Johnson,
Waterstone CEO. Users can navigate underneath,
above and around buildings to pinpoint potential
contamination sites, review 45 years of associated
reports and documents, identify groundwater depth
or assess the impact of a proposed building, all with
a click on the landscape.
In addition to greatly facilitating environmental plan-
ning, regulatory compliance, stakeholder communi-
cation and data sharing, the Air Force anticipates
cost savings at a minimum of $5 million per year
through faster, more informed decision-making.
The contract, expected to take several years to com-
plete, was awarded based on the leading-edge envi-
ronmental engineering work carried out by
Waterstone during the previous three years at Altus
Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
www.waterstoneinc.com
Bushnell ONIX GPS Product Line to Use
AccuTerra Maps provided by Intermap
Intermap Technologies Corp. today announced at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, an agree-
ment with Bushnell Outdoor Product that enables
recreational enthusiasts to download AccuTerraT out-
door map content for the new ONIX series of hand-
held GPS devices. Through this agreement, Bushnell
customers will be able to access digital terrain data,
roads, trails, and points of interest for most recre-
ation areas in the United States. Intermap's
AccuTerra mapping data will provide rich content for
the contiguous 48 states and Hawaii. Digital maps
for geographic specific regions - small or large - will
be available from Bushnell in early 2008.
"This partnership means that Bushnell customers
will enjoy a user experience previously unavailable,"
states Eric DesRoche, senior vice president of con-
sumer electronics for Intermap Technologies. "Our
AccuTerra recreational map data is the highest qual-
ity data available for GPS devices and we're pleased
that Bushnell recognizes the value that our map con-
tent brings to their line of GPS products."
AccuTerra will feature several layers of geospatial
information including elevation data, trails, paths,
roads, and outdoor-specific points of interest, such
as campgrounds, service facilities, and trail heads.
Also included will be a land use display that clearly
shows the location of public and private property
boundaries. AccuTerra data will be available on the
Bushnell ONIX series beginning in 2008.
"Intermap's new recreational datasets are an excel-
lent complement to our line of ONIX GPS navigation
systems," said Phil Gyori, vice president at Bushnell.
"Our customer's favorite outdoor and recreational
activities will now be significantly enhanced thanks
to some of the best off-road maps on the market
today."
www.Intermap.com.
Infoterra Awarded Catalist GISS Framework
Agreement
Infoterra Ltd has been awarded a framework agree-
ment under OGCbuying.solutions' Catalist Geo -
graphical Information Services and Solutions
framework (GISS), an arrangement that provides a
streamlined procurement route for public sector
bodies. Under the new Catalist GISS framework,
Infoterra has been awarded framework agreements
in the GI Mapping Services and GI data supply
solutions categories.
The Catalist procurement service is managed by
OGCbuying.solutions, an executive agency of the
Treasury's Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
Securing accreditation on a Catalist framework
agreement confirms Infoterra as one of the lead-
ing suppliers of GIS data and services.
"Procurement under Catalist saves time and
money for public sector bodies, allowing them to
select a supplier without having to go through the
process of pre-qualification. Selecting a service
provider, such as Infoterra, means they will be
working with a risk-free GIS partner that not only
meets, but exceeds all the standards for profes-
sional GIS services and associated products," com-
mented Dr Andy Wells, Director of Sales for
Infoterra Ltd. "Over the last three years we've
found that Catalist has been an important route
for the Public Sector market to work with Infoterra.
Since first being awarded framework agreements
under Catalist, our clients have used the frame-
work for almost 10 million worth of procure-
ment."
www.infoterra.co.uk
SuperPad
Mobile GS Software
Ferfect Ycur F|e|d Survey.
Ferfect Ycur F|e|d Survey.
Anytime. Anywhere.
Wcrk cnc NcvigcIe wiIh GFS Survey wiIh c DigiIc| Ccnerc FcuIe F|cnning cn FD/
/LunccnI SynLc|: cnc FcIIern: Fcwerfu| EciIing Icc|: CcpIure cnc FecIify lncge:
SuppcrI CGC SIcnccrc: High|y f|exiL|e cu:IcnizcIicn ccpcLi|iIy Mu|Ii-Linguc| U:er lnIerfcce:
IEL:+88-2-254-7700 F/X:+88-2-2545-017
nci | ::ervi ce@:upergec.Iw hIIp://www.:upergec.Iw
Hecc Cffi ce : 8F, Nc. 217, Sec. 3, Ncnj i ng E. Fc., Ici pei , 104, Ici wcn
One so|twore. Mony opp| | cot| ons.
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l f ycu cr e i nIer e:Iec i n Leccni ng cne cf cur r e:e| | er :, p| ec:e f ee| f r ee Ic ccnIccI u:.

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I ndust r ynews
65
UNI__GIS
Educating GIS Professionals Worldwide www.unigis.org/uk
Study for a postgraduate qualification in GIS
by distance learning
With over 16 years of experience presenting distance learning courses
to professional standards, UNIGIS offers you access to the premier
international network of Universities in GIS education.
Our courses meet the learning needs of busy professionals, or those
seeking to enter the GIS industry. We support you with personal
tutors, on-line help and optional residential workshops. Our courses
are assessed by coursework - there are no examinations.
Find out why the UNIGIS postgraduate courses are so successful:
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NAVTEQ Announces Approval of Merger
Agreement With Nokia
NAVTEQ Corporation (NYSE: NVT), a leading global
provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation
and location-based solutions, announced that its
stockholders have approved the previously
announced merger agreement entered into with
Nokia at the special meeting of stockholders held
earlier today.
Over 75% of the issued and outstanding shares of
common stock eligible to vote, representing over
99% of the total votes cast at the special meeting,
were voted in favor of the adoption of the merger
agreement.
Adoption of the merger agreement by NAVTEQ stock-
holders satisfies one of the conditions to comple-
tion of the merger between NAVTEQ and Nokia.
Completion of the merger is also subject to receipt
of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of the
other closing conditions set forth in the merger
agreement. Upon satisfaction of the closing condi-
tions and, subject to the terms and conditions of
the merger agreement, North Acquisition Corp., a
Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary
of Nokia Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-
owned subsidiary of Nokia Corporation, will be
merged with and into NAVTEQ, each outstanding
share of the common stock of NAVTEQ will be con-
verted into the right to receive $78.00 in cash, with-
out interest, and NAVTEQ will survive the merger as
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia Inc. All unvest-
ed options to purchase common stock will acceler-
ate and vest in full immediately prior to the con-
summation of the merger. Option holders will receive
a cash payment for each option held equal to the
excess of $78.00 over the applicable option exer-
cise price, less taxes.
www.navteq.com
OGC Processes Advance GEOSS Interoperability
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) pro-
cesses contributed to the interoperability achieve-
ments announced in the "GEOSS Report on Progress
2007" accepted by the Member Nations of the Group
on Earth Observations (GEO) at their EO Summit in
Cape Town on 30 November.
At the Summit, representatives of 71 member gov-
ernments, the European Commission, and 46 partic-
ipating organisations of GEO met to assess progress
on the Global Earth Observing System of Systems
(GEOSS), a global, coordinated, comprehensive and
sustained system of earth observing systems to pro-
vide vast quantities of near-real-time information of
the Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere and biosphere
through interoperability arrangements agreed to
among all contributing systems.
During the EO Summit, ministers of GEO Member
Nations were presented the "GEOSS Report on
Progress 2007" and they unanimously approved the
"Cape Town Declaration" reaffirming their commit-
ment to the development of the GEOSS. The GEOSS
Report on Progress highlighted the news that the
development of interoperability of GEOSS was ahead
of schedule.
Development of GEOSS interoperability is led by the
GEO Architecture and Data Committee. As part of
this committee, the OGC leads a core task to devel-
op the GEOSS initial operating capability. The OGC
led the GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot, an
OGC Interoperability Initiative, which has brought
together technical contributions from over 120 orga-
nizations. Demonstrations of the capability for seven
societal benefit areas can be viewed at:
www.ogcnetwork.net/AIPdemos
Ivan DeLoatch, co-chair of the GEOSS Architecture
and Data Committee and the FGDC Staff Director
stated, "The OGC processes for developing interop-
erable infrastructures serve as an excellent frame-
work for informing the system of systems approach
of GEOSS. The lessons learned from these process-
es will provide a basis for the ongoing architectural
developments of GEOSS."
GEOSS Interoperability is based on non-proprietary,
formal international standards. OGC standards were
extensively used in the GEOSS Architecture
Implementation Pilot, including the OpenGIS Web
Map Server (WMS), Web Feature Server (WFS), Web
Coverage Server (WCS) and Catalog Services - Web
(CSW) Implementation Specifications.
www.opengeospatial.org
HGN specializes in the fields of water manage-
ment, flood control concepts, dike
investigations and hydraulic modeling for federal
and state authorities. With the acquisition of HGN,
Fugro will become one of the leading suppliers of
geotechnical and water management services in
Germany and will also extend its global capabilities
in the field of water management.HGN will operate
within Fugros onshore geotechnical division.
Managing Director will be Volker Ermisch, one of
HGNs founders.
www.fugro.com
Calendar 2008
Advertiser Page
1Spatial www.1spatial.com 24
DAT/EM www.datem.com 18
ESRI www.esri.com 8, 57
GITA www.gita.org 14
ITC www.itc.nl 15
Intergeo www.intergeo.de 43
Leica www.leica-geosystems.com 56
Navcom www.navcomtech.com 2
Novatel www.novatel.ca 22
Magellan www.pro.magellangps.com 32
Optech www.optechusa.com 67
Racurs www.racurs.ru 62
Sokkia www.sokkia.net 36,58
STAR-APC www.star-apic.com 19
SuperGeo www.supergeo.com 64
Topcon Europe www.topconeurope.com 40
Trimble Surveying www.trimble.com 46,68
UNIGIS www.unigis.org 65
Advertisers Index
04-08 March 2008 ACSM/LSAW Conference
Spokane, WA, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 240-632-9716
Fax: +1 240-632-1321
E-mail: colleencampbell@mindspring.com
Internet: www.acsm.net
05-07 March EARSeL Joint Workshop,
Remote Sensing: New Challenges of High
Resolution
Bochum, Germany
Tel: +49 (511) 762 2482
Fax: +49 (511) 762 2483
E-mail: secretariat@earsel.org
Internet: www.sig-urs-2008.de
05-09 March EGEA North & Baltic Regional
Congress 2008 Sustainability - Key to the
future
Kriku, Estonia
Info: Kerli Mrisepp
Tel: +372 53441155
Fax +372 7 37 58 25
E-mail: Info@egea.ee
Internet: www.egea.ee/nrc08
07-08 March Safe Software FME
International User Conference
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tel: +1 (604) 501 9985
E-mail: Ashley.moore@safe.com
Internet: www.safe.com/company/
fmeuc2008/index.php
09-12 March GITAs Geospatial
Infrastructure Solutions Conference
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (303) 337 0513
Fax: +1 (303) 337 1001
E-mail: info@gita.org
Internet: www.gita.org
10-11 March RSPSoc Annual Student
Meeting 2008
Foxlease, New Forest, United Kingdom
E-mail: ASM08@mkthomson.net
Internet: www.mkthomson.net/activities/
ASM08-intro.html
11-12 March 7th Internationales 3D-Forum
Lindau
Lindau, Germany
Tel: +49 8382 704 293
Fax: +49 8382 704 5 293
Internet: www.satdtwerke-lindau.de
E-mail: a.lindenmueller@sw-lindau.de
11-13 March Oceanology International (OI)
Technology, Sustainability and the Ocean
Environment
London, United Kingdom
Internet: www.oceanologyinternational.com
11-14 March GeoForm+ 2008
Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 (495) 105 34 86
Fax; +7 (495) 268 99 04
E-mail: kls@mvk.ru
Internet: www.geoexpo.ru
11-15 March CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008
Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (414) 298 4141
Internet: www.conexpoconagg.com/
index.asp
16-20 March SPIE Defense & Security
Symposium 2008
Orlanda, FL, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (360) 685 5407
Fax: +1 (360) 647 1445
E-mail: PeterB@SPIE.org
Internet: www.SPIE.org
26-28 March UNIGIS Symposium:
GIS Education in Latin America
Quito, Universidad San Francisco de Quito,
Ecuador
Info: Richard Resl or Leo Zurita
Tel: +593 2 2971743
E-mail: unigis.admin@usfq.edu.ec
Internet: www.unigis.net
April
02-04 April GISRUK 2008
Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan
University, United Kingdom
Info: Ms. Tracy McKenna
Tel: +44 (0) 161 247 6199
E-mail: GISRUK2008@mmu.ac.uk
Internet: www.geo.ed.ac.uk/gisruk/
gisruk.html
07-11 April 2008 BAE Systems GXP
International User Conference
San Diego, CA, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines,
U.S.A
Tel: +1 (858) 675 2850
Fax: +1 (858) 592 5309
E-mail: rachel.snyder@baestystems.com
Internet: www.baesystems.com/gxp
07-11 April WRC 08: United States of
Europe?
Mozet, Belgium
Tel: + 32 16 326424
Fax: + 32 16 322980
E-mail: wrc2008@gmail.com
Internet: www.egea.eu/congresses/wrc08
08-10 April Map Middle East 2008
Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 (4) 204 5350/204 5351
Fax: +971 (4) 204 5352
E-mail: info@mapmiddleeast.org
Internet: www.mapmiddleeast.org
08-10 April Go-vnement 2008
Paris, France
Tel: +33 (1) 4523 0816
Fax: +33 (1) 4824 0181
E-mail: n.duquenne@ortech.fr
Internet: www.ortech.fr/geo-evenement/
09-10 April GEO-8, GIS Innovations and
World of Geomatics
Ricoh Arena, Conventry, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 438 352617
Fax: +44 438 351989
E-mail: sharon@pvpubs.demon.co.uk
Internet: www.pvpubs.com
16-18 April 2nd International Conference
Remote Sensing-the Synergy of High
Technologies
Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 (495) 514 8339
Fax: +7 (495) 623 3013
E-mail: conference@sovzond.ru
Internet: www.sovzondconference.ru/eng
16-18 April Disaster Management 2008
Exhibition & Conference
Pragati Maidan, India
Tel: +91 (11) 4505 5562
Fax: +91 (11) 2577 8876
E-mail: rnaresh@servintonline.com
Internet: www.dmindiaexpo.com
18-22 April XI Eastern Regional Congress
2008
Sinaia, Romania
E-mail: erc2008@gmail.com
Internet: www.egea.eu/congresses/erc08/
index.php
22-25 April NeoGeography XXI-2008
Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 (495) 332 3595
Fax: +7 (495) 331 0511
E-mail: arena@vt21.ru
Internet: www.vt21.ru
22-28 April GEO-SIBERIA 2008
Novosibirsk, Russia
Tel: +7 (383) 2106290 2255151
E-mail: strutz@sibfair
Internet: www.sibfair.ru
27 April-02 May ASPRS 2008 Annual
Conference: Bridging the Horizons - New
Frontiers in Geospatial Collaboration
Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (301) 493 0290 106
E-mail: akinerney@asprs.org
Internet: www.asprs.org/portland08
29 April-01 May 1Spatial 2008 Conference,
1 Source of Truth
Radisson SAS Hotel, Stansted Airport,
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 420414
Fax: +44 (0) 1223 420044
E-mail: chloe.rooney@1spatial.com
Internet: www.1spatial.com
May
05-08 May 11th AGILE 2008 Conference on
GI Science
Girona, Spain
Tel: +34 972 418 039
Fax: +34 972 418 230
E-mail: agile2008@sigte.udg.edu
Internet: www.agile2008.es
February
06-08 February Map India 2008
Greater Noida, India
E-mail: info@mapindia.org
Internet: www.mapindia.org
11-13 February 5th Workshop of EARSeL
Special Interest Group Remote Sensing of
Land Ice and Snow
Bern, Switzerland
Tel: +49 (511) 762 2481
Fax: +49 (511) 762 2483
E-mail: secretariat@earsel.org
Internet: www.earsel.org
16-17 February Digital India 2008
Hyderabad, India
E-mail: gisindia.in@gmail.com
Internet: www.gisindia.in
18-21 February FIG Commission 3 Spatial
Information Management Toward
Environmental Management of Mega Cities
Valencia, Spain
E-mail: chryssyp@survey.ntua.gr
Internet: www.fig.net/events/
events2008.htm
18-21 February International Congress on
Geomatic & Surveying Engineering
Valencia, Spain
Tel: +34 (963) 416 023
E-mail: organizacion@top-cart.com
19-20 February Intergeo-East 2008
Belgrade, Serbia
Tel: +49 (721) 93133 760
Fax: +49 (721) 93133 110
E-mail: cschlegel@hinte-messe.de
Internet: www.intergeo-east.com
19-21 February Kuwait AVL and GPS
Technology Conference & Exhibition
Kuwait City, Radisson SAS Hotel, Kuwait
Tel: +965 4335391 / 4335396
Fax: + 965 4335474
E-mail: info@kuwaitAVL.com
Internet: www.kuwaitAVL.com
20-22 February EuroSDR und ISPRS-
Workshop Geosensor Networks
Hannover, Germany
Tel:+49 (511) 762 3465
Fax: +49 (511) 762 2780
E-mail: Birgit.Elias@ikg.uni-hannover.de
Internet: www.ikg.uni-hannover.de/
geosensor
21-22 February International Lidar and
Mapping Forum 2008
Denver, CO, U.S.A
Tel: +1 (303) 332 5407
E-mail: info@lidarmap.org
Internet: www.lidarmap.org
25-29 February GSDI 10th Annual
Conference
St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Tel: +1 (508) 720 0325
Fax: +1 (703) 852 7917
E-mail: onsrud@gsdi.org
Internet: www.gsdi.org/GSDI10
March
28 February-01 March GEOS 2008 3rd
International Trade Fair of Geodesy,
Cartography, Navigation and Geoinformatics
Prague, Czech Republic
E-mail: Jitka.Jurkova@vugtk.cz
Internet: www.vugtk.cz/geos/2008
03-05 March GEO 2008
Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel: +973 (17) 550 033
Fax: +973 (17) 553 288
E-mail: fawzi@aeminfo.com.bh
Internet: www.geobahrain.org
03-05 March SPAR 2008
Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Internet: www.sparllc.rsvp1.com
Please feel free to e-mail your calendar notices to:calendar@geoinformatics.com
66
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The most affordable GIS solution

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Geoinformatics 2008 Vol01

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Geoinformatics 2008 Vol01

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Copyright

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Geoinformatics 2008 Vol01

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www.geoinformatics.

All-in-One Land Survey Solution

The most affordable GIS solution

Extremely accurate GPS

Windows CE.NET 5.0 system

Rugged and waterproof design

Hear about the future of GIS.

Explore the latest geospatial technology.

Bring your questions to the technology experts.

Kick-start your project.

Get energizing ideas from new solutions, programs, and services.

San Diego, California, USA

You might also like