PERSPECTIVES

Are organizations that do not use geoinformation at higher risk than those that do?

"Spatial information is an integral component of forward thinking organizations. Together with tool sets that are capable of working with spatial information, these organizations can more effectively understand their assets, operations, customers as well as threats and uncertainties. In short, their strategic foundations are stronger and their ability to adapt, respond and re-organize quickly is more fully enabled.  Without this capability, organisations are hindered from participating at leadership levels and their ability to compete is dramatically restricted."

Jeff Thurston, Editor, EMEA and Russia, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

"Organizations that don’t make use of geoinformation are certainly less informed, and many disregard the geographic perspective at their peril. Failure to understand the application of geoinformation in business practice is largely due to a lack of awareness or a feeling that the costs outweigh the benefits. It’s up to the geospatial industry as a whole to continue to inform the business community about the benefits, and to illustrate the lowered entry cost that current tools offer (primarily through a web services approach). Geoinformation has never been more robust or timely than it is right now, and the cost/benefit ratio for investments in this technology are exceedingly favorable."

Matt Ball, Editor, Americas/Asia-Pacific, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

TOP STORIES

FEATURES

• Utility Community to Discuss Best Practices and GIS Technology
• Intergraph Introduces New Medium-Format Digital Aerial Camera in Europe
• Launch of AeroGRID Aerial Imagery Alliance
• Spectra Precision Introduces New Office Software Suite to Support Optical and GPS Survey Systems
• OGC Spatial Data Quality Working Group Releases Survey Results
• Energieversorgung Mittelrhein Joins Bentley’s Enterprise License Subscription Program
• Northrop Grumman Speaks on Global Change at Space Industry Conference
• EU - Ecosystem Approach to Marine Management
• Metro Systems Corporation to Distribute ArchiCAD in Thailand
• Ordnance Survey Promotes 3rd Sector Use of Geographic Information Syste

ASTRA - Baltic Sea Region Climate Strategies

 Focusing on the Baltic Sea Region the project "ASTRA - Developing Policies and Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region" assessed the regional impacts of climate change impacts and developed adequate adaptation strategies and policy recommendations together with relevant stakeholders. The ASTRA consortium consisted of research institutes, regional and local planning authorities around the Baltic Sea.

BIM Expands Beyond Buildings

TOP FIVE LINKS OF THE WEEK 

Jeff's Top Five Links of the Week

1. Map Projections - Alarge gallery of projection examples and reference material on the topic.
2. indiemaps.com - Flash, mapping and information visualisation.
3. GIS4EU - GIS4EU project aim is to provide base cartography datasets (administration units, hydrography, transportation networks and elevation themes) for Europe and to ensure its cross scale, cross language and cross border interoperability and accessibility according to standards and to requirements of INSPIRE Directive (20007/2/EC).
4. Historical Atlas of Australian Resource Series - This atlas volume summarises historic geographical knowledge about Australia's soil resources and land use and complements the other environmental and resource topics in the Atlas of Australia Resource Series.
5. Research Studio iSpace Austria - iSPACE specialises in georeferenced technologies supporting strategic decisions and operative planning. The spatial approach is used as a key to combine various pieces of information.

Matt's Top Five Links of the Week

1. California Soil Resource Lab
2. Northwest Territories Spatial Data Warehouse
3. IEarn USA - International education and research network.
4. Map Giving - A site for cartographers to help non-profit groups by creating useful, beautiful maps.
5. Growing Power - A national organization deditcated to developing community food systems in a sustainable manner.

   
Reader´s Links of the Week

Submit suggested links to anything you would like to recommend that fellow readers do, see or read via e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text15168 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //-->\n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kelso Cartography - My name is Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso and I work at The Washington Post as a staff cartographer in their NewsArt department. I produce print graphics for daily publication and, lately, interactive graphics for our online site.

INTERVIEW

Exploring ESRI’s Science Initiatives

The geographic information system approach of ESRI has long had ties to science. Recently, ESRI placed more emphasis on this role by designating senior executive David Maguire as chief scientist. V1 editor Matt Ball sat down with Maguire at the ESRI User Conference in San Diego to speak about the science initiatives at the company, both in terms of technology frontiers and research and development priorities

HEADLINE NEWS

CALENDAR

• Under Strain, Cities Are Cutting Back Projects
• Satellite-Surveillance Program to Begin Despite Privacy Concerns
• India Infrastructure Projects May Face Two Year Funding Crunch
• GPS to Free Forestland Mapping from Long-drawn Paperwork
• State Authorizes $25 Million for Great Lakes Research Lab at Michigan Tech
• Virtual World Offers New Locale For Problem Solving
• Government Aims for Infrastructure User Needs First
• Environmentalists See Red in Ohio Energy Debate
• Oracle Plants a Stake in the World of Green Software
• Wetlands Restoration Not A Panacea For Louisiana Coast
• House Passes Stimulus Bill for Infrastructure
• Pa. Voters to Decide on $400M in Water, Sewer Debt
• Connected Urban Development - The Way to a Sustainable Future
• Conference Discusses Best Ways to Utilise Solar Energy
• Proton Rocket Lifts Off at Baikonur with 3 GLONASS

EVENTS

INTERGEO 2008 – Bremen, Germany

INTERGEO 2008 opened under rainy skies in the northern city of Bremen, Germany with the theme ‘Knowledge and action for planet earth’. With 478 exhibitors from 29 countries in attendance, presentations included reference to the changing world, climatic threats and the need for authoritative data to meet these challenges - a theme V1 Magazine has also been promoting over the last year.

Conference: AGI UK Geocommunity 2008
 
The 20th AGI (Association for Geographic Information) Event and 2nd Geocommunity Conference 2008 was held this past week at Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK to an audience of 600 under the theme ‘Shaping a Changing World’. The evening prior to the event featured a pre-conference icebreaker which included the Earl of Oxford's Men, a Shakespearean entertainment group who performed the Henry V Battle of Agincourt in full attire and with an abundance of fun and laughter. Steven Feldman once again acted as Conference Chair, putting together  a program that included a wide ranging and diverse number presentations traversing the GI community within the UK. Major sponsors of the event this year included Autodesk, ESRI(UK) and Ordnance Survey.
   

TOP FIVE BLOG POSTS OF THE WEEK 

VECTOR ONE

SPATIAL SUSTAIN

1. INTERGEO 2008 - Pipeline Mapping System
2. Dangermond: "...GIS is not simply to manage data, but to help design."
3. UN Atlas of the Oceans
4. DIGISOIL - Soil Property Project
5. Maker!

1.  The 'Building' in BIM as a Verb
2. DHS National Applications Office Opens Despite Privacy Concerns
3. Devaluation Needs Automated Mass Appraisal
4. California's Anti-Sprawl Bill Passes
5. SpaceX Launch Could Bring Earth Observation Boom
   

BOOKSTORE

Complexity (1992)

By Mitchell Waldrop

The author makes the emerging nature of complexity theory accessible to the general reader.

How to Turn a Place Around (2000)

  By Project for Public Spaces

The result of 25 years of experience working in communities around the country and internationally, How to Turn a Place Around is a primer for everyone from mayors to community members on evaluating and transforming public spaces into thriving centers of community activity.

Location and Evaluation of Underground Infrastructure (2008)

  By Saeed Mirza

A methodology is proposed for developing a GIS-based inventory of underground municipal utilities, along with their construction and repair history and condition assessment, to assist with considerably improved and scientific management of the assets.