GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • Esri UC: Avineon to Give Away 10 Free Licenses for ArcGIS Metrics Extension

    Avineon, Inc., a global provider of information technology, geospatial, and engineering support services, will distribute discount coupons for its new Metrics Extension to ArcGIS for Server at the 2015 Esri User Conference. Ten customers who activate the permanent Metrics Extension license with the coupon code will receive it for free. All others using the coupon will receive a 50 percent discount off the $4,995 price if the permanent license is activated by Aug. 31, 2015. 

    Avineon will be handing out the discount coupons in booth #1015 at the Esri User Conference being held July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention Center in California. In addition, Avineon will be holding a drawing each day for a Windows Tablet.  Anyone who registers at Booth #1015 will be entered into the drawing, no purchase required. 

    The Metrics Extension enhances the value and usability of GIS data in ArcGIS by creating a spatial data warehouse in which key business intelligence metrics can be created and stored for historical reporting. It computes and stores key metrics such as asset quantity, length, or area coverage for a specified period. Storing this data permits important historical trends to be documented and evaluated for potential performance improvements and cost savings.

    “Metrics Extension gives ArcGIS users better visibility into their enterprise geodatabase by revealing trends in their global and regional data sets,” said Joel Campbell, Avineon vice president of commercial systems. “The return on investment for Metrics Extension will be fast.” 

    Avineon developed the Metrics Extension for ArcGIS users across all markets, especially in applications where the installation, operation, and decommissioning of assets need to be tracked over time. Asset changes and trends can be tracked by timeframe and by geographic area, such as neighborhood, zip code, and political district. The most common applications will be in energy and water/waste water utilities, telecommunications, and local/state/federal governments.

    Avineon will also showcase its entire portfolio of geospatial services and solutions available to the Esri community. As a long time Esri business partner, Avineon specializes in data centric services and solutions serving a variety of industries.

  • Esri UC: City of Boston Takes Grand Prize in Storytelling with Maps Contest

    Esri-Boston-snow-storymap

    Esri revealed the winners of its Storytelling with Maps Contest at the Esri User Conference, highlighting grand prize winner Joyce John’s Snow Journal story map for the City of Boston. John’s story map incorporated data-rich maps, videos, photos, and text to craft an engaging story of how the city dealt with historic amounts of snow in Boston earlier this year.

    As the grand prize winner, John, a member of the City of Boston’s GIS team, will receive a one-year ArcGIS Online subscription for five users plus a plaque and certificate. 

    “Story maps harness the power of geography to tell stories in the most engaging ways,” said Allen Carroll, program manager, storytelling. “The winners of our Storytelling with Maps Contest demonstrate the endless ways people can use this rich medium to share their stories with the world.” 

    Storytellers from around the world submitted more than 400 entries that covered the full gamut of Esri Story Map templates. Contest judges selected the following 18 story maps as winners from across the five contest categories:

    Best Travel, Destinations, and Recreation

    First Place: Elizabeth Frank for Living on the Edge: The Extremes of Human Inhabitance

    Second Place: GIS Team, County of Simcoe (Ontario, Canada), for Matchedash Bay Loop Trail

    Third Place: Daragh McDonough, Donegal County Council, for The Hills of Donegal, Ireland

    Honorable Mention: Yasser Ayad, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, for Al Qahira: A Trip to the Past

    Best Infrastructure, Planning, and Government

    First Place and Grand Prize: Joyce John, City of Boston, for Snow Journal

    Second Place: Alberto Fiorillo, VeloLove/Legambiente, for GRAB: Grande Raccordo Anulare delle Bici

    Third Place: Pat Landrum, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), for LOSSAN: Coastal Rail Corridor

    Honorable Mention: Cassie Hansen, FireWhat, Inc., GIS Team, for Rapid Damage Assessment

    Best Science, Technology, and Education

    First Place: Emily Wilson and Chester Arnold, University of Connecticut, for Connecticut’s Changing Landscape

    Second Place: Garry Simmons, Wilmington Grammar School for Girls (UK), for Journey into Danakil: Hottest Place on Earth

    Third Place: Anna Mölter, Colorado State University, for Pittsburgh—Health Impact of Black Carbon Air Pollution

    Best Culture, History, and Events

    First Place: Chris Ingram, Santa Clara County Fire Department, for The San Francisco 1906 Earthquake and Fire

    Second Place: Mark Gallant, EntertainMaps.com, for Ottawa’s Eyewitness: Thomas Burrowes

    Third Place: Gordon Campbell, COGS/NSCC, for Pilot Francis Mackey and the Halifax Explosion

    Best Conservation, Environment, and Sustainability

    First Place: Greenbelt Land Trust and FLO Analytics for Bald Hill Farm: A Legacy for Corvallis, Oregon

    Second Place: Dan Kelly and Sylvia Busby, The Nature Conservancy, for Ogooué: Field Notes from Gabon’s Great River

    Third Place: Thomas Skowronski, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, for Cooperative Solar: Driven by Cooperative Principles

    Honorable Mention: Lindsay Withers and Carolyn Ives, The Trust for Public Land, O’ahu Projects

    Submissions were judged on a range of factors. Each selected story map combined design, user experience, impact, and overall creativity with an interesting and engaging story.

    All first-place winners will receive a GoPro camera. Second- and third-place winners will receive a copy of the Esri Press book Cartographica Extraordinaire: The Historical Map Transformed. All winners will also receive a plaque and a certificate in honor of their award-winning story maps.

    For more information about Esri Story Map, visit esri.com/storymaps. To view all 18 winning story maps, visit esri.com/storytellingwithmaps.

  • Esri UC: nearmap Partners with Esri on High-Resolution Imagery

    Aerial imagery and visual analytics company nearmap (NEA) is collaborating with Esri to provide timely, high-resolution imagery for use with Esri’s suite of software. Through the Esri ArcGIS Marketplace, users will be able to instantly access up-to-date imagery captured at better than 2.8 inch GSD. In addition, a nearmap add-in for ArcGIS gives Esri users the flexibility to access current or historic imagery, arming businesses with powerful information to make informed planning and prospecting decisions.

    Esri professionals attending the Esri User Conference this week at the San Diego Convention Center will have the opportunity to see a live demo of nearmap technology in Booth 2701.

    “Esri has revolutionized the GIS industry from a thought leadership and technology standpoint,” said Simon Crowther, CEO of nearmap. “nearmap’s business partner relationship with Esri will make nearmap’s time and money saving features available to Esri users through the online ArcGIS Marketplace. We hope this is the first of many initiatives we can introduce to the Esri community.”

    nearmap’s innovative hardware and software solutions have transformed hundreds of industries including solar, construction, insurance, transportation and government. nearmap expanded to encompass U.S. urban areas in October 2014 and already has captured more than 50 percent of the U.S. population. Imagery is updated at the unprecedented frequency of a minimum of three times per year for all capture areas and as much as six times yearly in major urban areas.

    “nearmap’s incredible high-resolution, up-to-date imagery will be invaluable for organizations managing assets in industries such as solar, construction, insurance and local government,” said Lawrie Jordan, Esri’s Director of Imagery. “The ability to quickly roll back time and look at change is a unique benefit. Our users will have access to this imagery much faster and simpler now that it is accessible in the ArcGIS platform through the ArcGIS Marketplace.”

    Clear imagery combined with the ability to document change over time has already disrupted the geospatial industry. In the United States the government, solar, construction and insurance industries have quickly leveraged the power of nearmap to transform the way business is done.

    Clark County has already been using the new Esri integration capability. “The clear image quality and quantity of flights per year will help Clark County’s Tax, Building and GIS Departments work more accurately and efficiently,” said Brian Bolduc, GISMO/IT Clark County senior programmer analyst.

  • Trimble Unity Software for Water Utilities Adds Support for Esri ArcGIS Online

    Trimble has introduced the latest version of its smart water mapping and work management cloud software — Trimble Unity version 2.0. The version adds new capabilities to support complex water, wastewater and stormwater industry asset maintenance planning and work execution workflows, support for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) GNSS mapping receivers for smart devices and cloud-based single sign-on integration with Esri ArcGIS Online.

    Trimble Unity version 2.0 features advanced asset maintenance capabilities that allow utility customers to quickly search and group various types of utility assets, including meters, pipelines, valves and hydrants, into prioritized collections of work that can be easily assigned to crews for completion. The new features enable utilities to reduce the time and cost associated with water asset repair and installation work.

    Version 2.0 adds support for the latest Trimble and Spectra Precision BYOD GNSS mapping receivers to provide customers with new options for mapping and locating utility assets and keeping their GIS up-to-date and accurate using iOS, Android or Windows mobile handhelds, smart phones and tablets. Utility mobile workers can now connect their mobile devices via Bluetooth technology to the Trimble R1 GNSS receiver, a BYOD GNSS receiver with sub-meter accuracy, or the Spectra Precision MobileMapper 300 receiver that supports up to centimeter-level accuracy.

    In addition, Trimble Unity version 2.0 leverages the Esri ArcGIS platform across the product. It provides support for Esri Web map technology and adds single sign-on functionality that enables licensed Esri ArcGIS Online customers to use their Esri login credentials to sign-in and use the full capabilities of their Trimble Unity version 2.0 software.

    “Water utility workers in the field have a wide variety of products they use on a daily basis, so we’ve designed Trimble Unity version 2.0 to be compatible with a broad range of devices—including Trimble handhelds and iOS, Android and Windows smartphones and tablets. The new version allows customers to use their mobile device of choice with a robust software solution for asset maintenance workflows that supports high-accuracy mapping and location. The addition of the Esri ArcGIS Web map and single sign-on integration also enables customers using Esri GIS to leverage their GIS investment and easily deploy Trimble Unity throughout their organization,” said Rami Naber, product manager for Trimble Water. 

    Trimble Unity Software

    Trimble Unity offers a unified cloud-based and mobile collaboration platform for smart water mapping and work management. The software is designed to automate a variety of industry workflows through individual “apps” offered within the software suite, enabling utilities to deploy smart meters, assess the condition of assets, repair leaks and reduce non-revenue water (NRW), and locate and map critical infrastructure using Trimble high-accuracy GNSS mapping technologies. The software can also assist utilities in reducing spills and environmental damage, extending the life of aging assets and enabling improve worker safety and productivity.

    Trimble R1 GNSS Receiver

    The Trimble R1 GNSS receiver is a rugged, pocket-sized GNSS receiver that provides sub-meter precision to users of any Bluetooth connected mobile device, including iOS, Android and Windows mobile smartphones, tablets, or more traditional integrated data collection tools such as a Trimble handheld computer. The R1 GNSS receiver supports multiple GNSS constellations, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou, to provide a truly global solution. The R1 GNSS receiver includes the ability to utilize Satellite Based Augmentation Services (SBAS), Trimble ViewPoint RTX or, Virtual Reference Station (VRS) correction sources to suit the location and business requirements.

    Spectra Precision MobileMapper 300

    The Spectra Precision MobileMapper 300 GNSS receiver is controlled with a wide variety of Android smartphones, tablets or notebook computers and allows users to collect high-accuracy location information, which is significantly more accurate than the device’s internal GPS. The MobileMapper 300 is available in three levels of precision, so users can determine the best value for their project requirement. A full-precision model is available that uses Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) or Virtual Reference Station (VRS) technology to achieve centimeter positioning in 3D. This is a powerful solution for mapping gravity-networks such as storm and wastewater systems.

  • Esri UC: LizardTech Launches GeoExpress 9.5

    LizardTech, a provider of software solutions for managing and distributing geospatial content, launched GeoExpress 9.5 at this week’s Esri International User Conference. The conference is taking place in San Diego, Calif., and LizardTech is exhibiting in booth number 2310.

    GeoExpress enables geospatial professionals to compress and manipulate satellite and aerial imagery. In addition to compressing raster data, GeoExpress 9.5 now features the ability to natively compress LiDAR data to MrSID and LAZ formats, saving up to 75 percent on storage space.

    GeoExpress 9.5 also includes batch color balancing, multipolygon cropping and exporting images to custom dimensions and tiles. Esri UC attendees can see demonstrations of the new features of GeoExpress 9.5 at booth 2310.

    “The launch of GeoExpress 9.5 is particularly exciting because of the many benefits this latest version brings not only to our raster image collection customers, but also LiDAR data collection customers,” said Jeff Young, LizardTech global business development manager. “GeoExpress 9.5 is now your one-stop shop to compress raster and LiDAR imagery to MrSID and LAZ formats.”

    LizardTech will also showcase the rest of the company’s line of geospatial products: Express Server software for high-performance delivery and publication; LiDAR Compressor software, which turns giant point cloud datasets into efficient MrSID files; and the recently updated GeoViewer software, which a fast way to view MrSID and JPEG 2000 imagery.

  • Esri UC: PTFS Unveils Droneware Geospatial Content Management System

    Progressive Technology Federal Systems Inc. (PTFS) has introduced Droneware, a geospatial content management system (GeoCMS) for unmanned aerial systems. Droneware facilitates the storage, discovery and dissemination of virtually any type of sensor data captured by a UAS or unmanned aerial vehicles.

    PTFS is the provider of the Knowvation Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) for users of geospatial data. PTFS unveiled the new system at the 2015 Esri User Conference being held July 20-24 in San Diego, Calif. PTFS will demonstrate Droneware GeoCMS in booth #N1332 at the San Diego Convention Center.

    “Unmanned Aerial Systems capture large volumes of data that must be quickly organized, interrogated and disseminated immediately,” said Dan Quinn, PTFS vice president. “Droneware makes it easy to manage enormous archives of UAS data so the right image, video or other sensor data can be found and accessed instantly.”

    A thin client/server-based solution requiring only a web connection, Droneware runs on a PC in the office or handheld device in the field enabling the user to interrogate local or remote UAS data storage anytime from anywhere. Droneware is built on the Knowvation ECMS technology, which commercial and government organizations use to manage raster and vector geospatial data as well as video, audio and text-based content across multiple large data archives.

    The primary appeal of Droneware to UAS and UAV data users is its simple and intuitive search and browse capability for data discovery. Users can perform geospatial queries by typing a geographic name or word, entering latitude/longitude coordinates or preforming a visual search by drawing a rectangle on a map interface. Droneware performs the search on the entire archive regardless of data type or file format.

    “Droneware is configured and ready for use in minutes for fast and effective support of any UAS data application,” Quinn said.

    PTFS offers the option of deploying Droneware as the client’s repository of record in which all UAS content is ingested, stored, managed and searched inside the application. Droneware can be purchased on the Amazon Marketplace and deployed in various EC2 cloud instances for commercial use or for the hobbyist.

    AWS Marketplace enables customers to compare options, read reviews, and quickly find the software they want. Visitors seeking Droneware in AWS Marketplace can purchase and launch Droneware with 1-Click deployment. Droneware is then available for consumption on an hourly or annual basis.

  • Topcon Tech Used to Digitally Preserve Japanese Heritage Site

    SOGI_3_Topcon-O

    Data from Topcon’s participation in the digital preservation of the historic Sogi hydroelectric plant in Japan was unveiled at a special event in Bonn, Germany, in conjunction with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meetings, held June 15-25. The committee examined proposals to inscribe 36 properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    SOGI_2_Topcon-WLocated in Isa, the Sogi power plant was constructed in 1909. At its height, the hydroelectric plant generated 6,700 kW of power. The Sogi plant closed in 1965 with the construction of the larger Tsuruda dam downriver. The new dam caused Sogi to flood seasonally, endangering the unique representation from the Meiji industrial revolution. 

    Considered a significant contribution to the Meiji industrial revolution, the plant was mapped as part of the CyArk 500 Challenge — an international project to digitally preserve and create awareness of some of the world’s most significant cultural heritage sites.

    The Sogi site was recorded in 3D by an international team using the latest Topcon geopositioning technologies including the GLS-2000 scanner, the IP-S3 mobile mapping system, and aerial mapping solutions.

    “We are proud to have provided our technology and resources to the Sogi project,” said Eduardo Falcon, Topcon executive vice president and general manager of the GeoPositioning Solutions Group. “As a global company headquartered in Japan, we particularly understand the importance of this site and appreciate the CyArk efforts to digitally preserve it for future generations. The Sogi hydroelectric plant was a pinnacle of the industrial ingenuity of the period, and we are honored to have this opportunity to link our technology with the technology of the past.”

    The National Congress of Industrial Heritage, in collaboration with the Japanese government, nominated the Sogi plant to the CyArk 500 Challenge in December of 2014. Topcon teamed with CyArk and the National Congress to develop a three-dimensional map of the site for future preservation and visualization.

    CyArk archived the captured data and used it to build an interactive online map of the site to promote the preservation and study of Japan’s industrial heritage.

    “We are very excited for the digital preservation of the Sogi hydroelectric plant,” said Ben Kacyra, CyArk founder. “The CyArk 500 strives to connect the international heritage community in an effort to preserve and experience incredible places in a way previously impossible.”

    SOGI_1_Topcon-W

  • Esri Publishes Getting to Know ArcGIS, Fourth Edition

    esri-publishes-getting-to-know-arcgis-fourth-edition-lgA new book published by Esri covers the fundamentals of making digital maps, analyzing geospatial data, and building and editing spatial databases using ArcGIS. The workbook Getting to Know ArcGIS, fourth edition, is updated for use with the latest version of Esri’s ArcGIS for Desktop software. 

    Getting to Know ArcGIS teaches geographic information system (GIS) concepts and common tasks such as how to find GIS data online, create a web map, set map projections, symbolize and label maps, edit data, and geocode addresses.

    The workbook also provides a preview of the new ArcGIS for Desktop ArcGIS Pro application. ArcGIS Pro is a new application for quickly creating and working with spatial data on your desktop. It includes scientific tools for spatial analysis, along with the capabilities needed to create and publish 2D and 3D content and to share maps in ArcGIS Online or on an internal server portal.

    The workbook, which provides a comprehensive understanding of all the tools and functionality available in ArcGIS 10.3.1 for Desktop, can be used in classroom settings or for on-the-job training. The data for working through the exercises and a 180-day free trial of ArcGIS are available for download at Esri’s Book Resources website at esripress.esri.com/bookresources.

    Getting to Know ArcGIS was written by Michael Law and Amy Collins. Law is a cartographer with more than 10 years of professional GIS experience. He has worked for Rand McNally Canada and for Esri, where he developed cartography for books and edited and tested GIS workbooks. Collins is a writer and editor who has worked with GIS for 13 years. She is a former technical editor at Esri, where she honed her knowledge of GIS and designed instructional materials for budding GIS professionals.

    Getting to Know ArcGIS is available in print (ISBN: 9781589483828, 808 pages, US$84.99) or as an e-book (ISBN: 9781589484283, US$64.99). The book is available at online retailers worldwide, at esri.com/esripress, or by calling 1-800-447-9778. If outside the United States, visit esri.com/esripressorders for ordering options, or visit esri.com/distributors to contact your local Esri distributor.

  • Avineon Unveils Business Intelligence Solution for ArcGIS Geodatabase

    Avineon Inc. will unveil the Metrics Extension to ArcGIS for Server at the 2015 Esri User Conference, being held July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. The Metrics Extension gives ArcGIS users better visibility into their enterprise geodatabase by revealing trends in their global and regional data updates. 

    The Metrics Extension enhances the value and usability of GIS data in ArcGIS by creating a spatial data warehouse in which key business intelligence metrics can be created and stored for historical reporting. It computes and stores key metrics such as asset quantity, length or area coverage for a specified period. Storing this data permits important historical trends to be documented and evaluated for potential performance improvements and cost savings.

    One of the most common applications of the Metrics Extension is tracking the installation, operation and decommissioning of assets for telecommunications, electric, gas, oil, water, waste water and sewer utilities. For instance, a telecommunications company can use ArcGIS for Server and the Metrics Extension to determine how many miles of buried fiber its network contained on a certain day or how many linear feet of fiber were laid in the past 30 days.

    Likewise, an electric utility can report the quantity and type of smart meters, poles and cable installed by month and location. Outside of the utility industry, local, state and federal government agencies can trend geodatabase objects such as fire hydrants, real property parcels, land use and environmental classifications, vegetation, and crime instances not only by neighborhood, zip code and political district but also by timeframe.

    “Avineon’s Metrics Extension elevates ArcGIS geodatabase to a true spatial data warehouse for historical reporting and data analysis. Once we release, you can download the Metrics Extension and have it installed and running in less than a day,” said Joel Campbell, Avineon Vice President of Commercial Systems. “Users can expect a quick return on their investment by deploying this technology.” 

    A long-time Esri Business Partner, Avineon develops and implements a wide variety of geospatial services.  “Avineon has been working closely with Esri for more than 10 years to create innovative solutions for GIS clients worldwide,” Campbell said. “We invite all Esri Conference attendees to visit our booth and learn how Avineon can make your geospatial content more intelligent.”

    Avineon will demonstrate the Metrics Extension publicly for the first time in booth #1015 at the Esri User Conference, as well as offering presentations and demos of its other products. For more information on the Metrics Extension, Avineon will conduct free 30-minute webinars on Aug. 11 and 25. To register for the Aug. 11 webinar click here. To register for the Aug.25 webinar, click here.

     

  • Avenza Releases Geographic Imager 5.0 for Adobe Photoshop

    Avenza Systems Inc., producers of MAPublisher cartographic software for Adobe Illustrator and the PDF Maps mobile app, has released Geographic Imager 5.0 for Adobe Photoshop. This latest release is compatible with Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 2015 for both Windows and Mac.

    Among the new features, the Georeference tool has been redesigned to provide more flexibility and interactivity when referencing and rectifying images. This release also introduces map package export compatible with the PDF Maps mobile app and the upload of map packages directly to the PDF Maps digital map store.

    “We’ve been working diligently on this release of Geographic Imager to allow users to work with their spatial imagery and data in Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 2015,” said Ted Florence, president of Avenza. “Geographic Imager is an excellent add-on to Photoshop and proves to be a competitive geospatial image editing platform for many GIS professionals in the industry. We’re looking forward to continuing to develop new tools for the Creative Cloud platform to improve productivity and to streamline workflows.”

    Additional Geographic Imager 5.0 Features

    • Fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop CC 2015
    • Redesigned Georeference tool: reference with online maps, coordinate system detection, and improved rectification process
    • New export DEM formats: ArcInfo ASCII Grid and BIL
    • New online help and help integrated into dialogs
    • New ability to export a PDF Maps package and upload it directly to the PDF Maps digital map store
    • New ability to record operations, errors, and messages to event log
    • New mosaic options including ability to apply blending mode and place mosaic layers above destination layer
    • Optimized Export to Web Tiles and now includes image interpolation methods and support for OpenStreetMap and TileMill
    • Enhanced scripting support now includes WMS import
    • New Preferences interface and options
    • Various other bug fixes and user experience enhancements

    Geographic Imager software for Adobe Photoshop leverages the superior image editing capabilities of the world’s premier raster-based image editing software and transforms it into a powerful geospatial production tool. Work with satellite imagery, aerial photography, orthophotos, and DEMs in GeoTIFF and other major GIS image formats using Adobe Photoshop features such as transparencies, filters, and image adjustments while maintaining georeferencing and support for hundreds of coordinate systems and projections.

    Geographic Imager 5.0 is immediately available and free of charge to all current Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and at US$319 for non-maintenance upgrades. New fixed licenses start at US$699. Geographic Imager Basic licenses start at US$99. Academic, floating and volume license pricing are also available. Geographic Imager 5.0 is compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS6, CC 2014 and CC 2015. Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CC are supported but deprecated in this release.

  • Blue Marble Hosts 6th User Conference in October

    The 2015 Blue Marble User Conference (BMUC) will take place in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The annual event provides industry experts, Blue Marble software users, product developers, and applications specialists with a forum for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas on the current and future developments in the Global Mapper and Geographic Calculator platforms.

    Blue Marble’s geospatial data manipulation, visualization and conversion solutions are used worldwide by thousands of GIS analysts at software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying, and technology companies, as well as governmental and university organizations.

    Following the success of last year’s User Conferences in Calgary and Houston, the 2015 conference is being consolidated into a single venue, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. As with previous conferences, this event offers a unique and invaluable opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in Blue Marble’s suite of GIS applications; to hear from industry experts about their experiences working with Blue Marble technology; and to network with representatives from a variety of business sectors and government departments.

    Over the years, the BMUC has provided GIS professionals with the opportunity to learn how Blue Marble’s innovative geospatial applications are streamlining GIS operations across many industries and to learn how others are maximizing their investment in the software. One of the most popular segments in the BMUC agenda is case studies that demonstrate the inherent flexibility of the software and its ability to meet the challenges of today’s GIS data processing and management tasks. The 2015 event will continue this trend with industry experts from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. military and prominent engineering and survey firms.

    “BMUC is the most important event on our calendar every year,” stated Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble president. “Not only does it allow us to showcase some of the latest advancements in our applications, but it also provides us with an ideal forum in which to engage with our most dedicated users and to garner their input on the continued development of Blue Marble products.”

    Space at BMUC is limited and attendees are asked to pre-register to guarantee a spot at this event.

  • ThinkGeo Releases Map Suite 9.0 with Aerial Imagery

    ThinkGeo has released version 9.0 of Map Suite, its full line of GIS software components for .NET developers. This major milestone refreshes ThinkGeo’s Map Suite product line with a wide variety of enhancements. It includes Aerial Imagery for the Map Suite World Map Kit Online, Xamarin.Forms in the Map Suite iOS and Android Editions, support for Google Traffic and Street View in the Map Suite Web Edition, and many performance and stability improvements.

    Map Suite World Map Kit Online now features beautiful aerial imagery. The all-new Hybrid View combines ThinkGeo’s detailed street-level world-wide maps with aerial imagery to provide the best of both worlds.

    Xamarin.Forms has been added to Map Suite iOS and Map Suite Android Editions. Developers are now able to rapidly create maps for iOS and Android devices while sharing the vast majority of the code.

    Another notable feature in ThinkGeo’s Map Suite 9.0 is the addition of Google Traffic and Street View to the Map Suite Web Edition. In the Map Suite MVC Edition, data binding and action triggers have been designed in order to simplify development. MapBox tile overlay support in the Map Suite iOS and Android Editions provides another option to the existing Google, Bing, and OpenStreetMap basemaps.

    The 9.0 update includes new builds of all of Map Suite’s editions, including WebAPI, iOS, Android, Desktop (WinForms), WPF Desktop, Web (WebForms), MVC, Silverlight, Services and WMS Server Editions, as well as the Map Suite Geocoder and the Map Suite Routing extension. Many performance and stability improvements have been implemented across the Map Suite GIS product range. Complete change logs are available at the ThinkGeo Wiki, the company’s official online source for Map Suite documentation and learning material.

    ThinkGeo’s next major release of Map Suite, version 10.0, is expected in the summer of 2016, but developers can expect to start receiving beta features in advance via the daily builds which can be downloaded directly from the ThinkGeo Product Center.

    For more information about Map Suite, or to download the ThinkGeo Product Center and access free 60-day evaluation of each Map Suite 9.0 product, visit ThinkGeo’s website. All evaluators and users can discuss and receive support for their Map Suite applications at ThinkGeo’s Discussion Forums.