GPS World

Tag: GIS software

  • MemSQL Brings Geospatial Analysis to In-Memory, Distributed Databases

    MemSQL, which specializes in real-time databases for transactions and analytics, has announced new geospatial capabilities for its in-memory, distributed SQL-based database. By bringing together geospatial and operational data in the same high speed database, customers can achieve unprecedented agility for geospatial analysis, MemSQL said.

    Unlike segregated solutions, MemSQL integrates geospatial data as a primary data type, making it as easy to use and operate at scale with as much speed and high throughput as any other class of data.

    Previously, enterprises were forced to segregate their geospatial data into separate data stores. With the rise of IoT and mobility, nearly all data is location-specific. As data volume increases, maintaining geolocation information outside of the primary datastore leads to longer latency and synchronization challenges.

    By integrating geospatial functions, MemSQL enables enterprises to achieve greater database efficiency with a single database that is in-memory, linearly scalable and supports the full range of relational SQL and geospatial functions. With MemSQL, geospatial data no longer remains separate and becomes just another data type with lock-free capabilities and powerful manipulation functions.

    Taxi Scenario with Esri. Working with MemSQL and Apache Spark, Esri analyzed data compiled from 170 million real-world New York City taxi rides around the GPS coordinates of pickups and dropoffs, as well as distance and travel time. Slicing by hour of the day, Esri can calculate the average speed of a taxi ride and find the best and worst places for traffic jams. Slicing by day of the week, the ebb and flow of traffic during workdays and weekends becomes visible.

    For a city planner, this data insight can be used to redirect traffic at specific times in an effort to unclog traffic congestion. For the taxi business, this data can improve efficiency with supply and demand of cabs during times of high or low traffic for any given region.

    “MemSQL is enabling companies to consolidate many niche solutions into fewer, more capable multi-purpose solutions. By making geospatial data a primary part of in-memory, operational databases, our customers can rely on one solution to make their data more valuable,” said Eric Frenkiel, MemSQL co-founder and CEO. “We’re delivering on our promise of easy access to database innovation and are quickly becoming the go-to-company to help enterprises operationalize analytics.”

    MemSQL will showcase the MemSQL, Apache Spark and Esri demonstration at Spark Summit East 2015 on March 18-19 at The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Visit MemSQL at Booth 13 during show expo hours.

    The early access MemSQL geospatial capabilities are available now and will be generally available in calendar Q2. Read the technical blog post here.

  • Blaze Terra Extension Enables Access to WAMI

    Eternix Ltd., provider of software for GIS visualization and editing in 3D, has released its first WAMI extension, enabling Blaze Terra users to access WAMI data through cloud-based services. WAMI — Wide Area Motion Imagery — is an advanced sensor-based technology that has been gaining popularity since its adoption by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OCG).

    Blaze Terra’s advanced GIS environment allows real-time decision makers working with WAMI to yield optimal insights and results at comfort and speed. Instant overlay of WAMI data with digital elevation models (DEM) or any other geospatial data, such as 3D models, raster or shape files, ensures a comprehensive user experience. In addition, a set of WAMI specific features, such as playback control and feature tracking, use WAMI’s inherent video qualities.

    “We believe that Blaze Terra’s high-end capabilities open a whole set of new opportunities for GIS professionals working with WAMI,” said Daniel Zeitlin, CTO at Eternix Ltd. “Vital application of WAMI occurs in areas where real-time decision making is key. Blaze Terra’s fast processing speed and holistic approach make it the ideal choice for such real-time applications.”

     

  • LandWorks Tightens Integration with Esri in Land Management Software Upgrades

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    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has introduced Release 5.20 of its three primary software suites — LandWorks Property Management, LandWorks GIS, and WebMaps Enterprise GIS. All three have been re-written for easier use, enhanced industry-specific functionality, and tighter integration with Esri GIS solutions.

    “In Release 5.20, we rebuilt the software from the ground up with a combination of C# [Sharp] .NET and a service-oriented architecture,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “This modern architecture allows for integration of live Esri GIS maps and builds a foundation for hosting in the cloud.”

    Deployed extensively for land asset management and mapping in the oil and gas, utility, mining, pipeline, renewable energy and government sectors, the upgraded LandWorks software suites are expected to appeal to an even wider audience. In addition, their applicability within organizations will expand beyond land management to project planning, acquisition and development.

    The flagship LandWorks Property Management (LPM) suite is a complete solution for land asset management designed for easy storage and retrieval of data relating to any type of land right. In the new LPM version 5.20, clients may open an oil and gas lease or right-of-way agreement and instantly access a live GIS map displaying the relevant polygons. Direct integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Server gives the client full web-based GIS functionality from within the LPM interface and the ability to update the live map with new information on the fly.

    “LPM is the only land asset management software with embedded live access to Esri GIS maps,” Bramwell said.

    The LandWorks suites, used worldwide, also have been internationalized to support the language, date, currency and measurement formats preferred by individual end users based on their locations. A large mining company with operations in multiple countries, for example, may deploy the LandWorks suites across its enterprise. End users in Portugal, Spain and Canada are able to view the same information presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English.

    In addition to a more intuitive interface with a modern look and feel, LandWorks has added new functionality to the software products designed for greater ease-of-use in specific industries. The ability to make land royalty payments for mining and wind energy operations has been expanded. LPM and LandWorks GIS have been enhanced to better manage and present linear-based land rights.

    “The enhancement of our products to better manage land rights associated with linear assets will make the LandWorks suites more attractive to transportation and telecommunications industries,” said Bramwell.

    LandWorks has built new modules to the LPM suite to extend its usability across the entire land management workflow. LPM now manages land-related projects of any type or size including acquisition, surveying and encroachment investigation.

    The three LandWorks suites comprise a total of 18 individually licensed software products, many of which can function alone or interface with LPM. LandWorks GIS integrates the Esri GIS functionality into LPM. WebMaps Enterprise GIS Suite extends web-based mapping via ArcGIS Server across the enterprise to all departments, not just the land department.

    “All LandWorks software products currently reside behind the client’s firewall, however, we will soon offer hosting in the cloud as an additional licensing optional for our clients,” said Bramwell.

  • Esri Maps Colleges and Universities Attended by American Presidents

    In honor of Presidents Day, Esri’s Presidential Colleges story map features colleges and universities attended by all 44 American presidents. Search by president or college, and discover the varied academic undergraduate experiences of each president.

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  • PDF3D Releases Version 2.11.0 of its 3D PDF Software Suite

    PDF3D_v211_WPDF3D has improved the quality of tools and has introduced new features in version 2.11.0 of its 3D PDF software suite. The suite includes ReportGen, SDK Developer Toolkit and XML Server.

    The company said in a news release that in response to customers, a large number of technical issues have been addressed.

    “For our geospatial customers, we’ve extended the Geospatial 3D PDF solution profile with new input data formats, new processing methods and new library features for developers,” said Ian Curington, head developer at PDF3D. “And for engineers and CAD users, we’ve added new engineering representations and advanced texture mapping surface material characteristics.”

    The release features new textures, material characteristics and templates available within the software.

    “Those working with 3D terrain, point cloud data and scans will find various new formats and functions, including the addition of GeoTIFF 16 and 32-bit Raster Elevation Data and IMAGINE IMG Raster Data Format for multi-channel imagery and elevations,” said Curington. “With IRAP Classic Grid Formats, Landmark ZMap Elevation Grids and layered 2D PDF Geospatial map drawing now extended, there are some great new visual features in the tool.”

    Version 2.11.0 is available to download immediately.

  • Esri Managed Cloud Services Achieves Federal Security Milestone

    Esri Managed Cloud Services (EMCS) has achieved Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance at the moderate level, Esri president Jack Dangermond announced during the Esri Federal GIS Conference in Washington, D.C.

    EMCS is the first program tailored specifically for a GIS to offer a cloud environment compliant at the FedRAMP moderate level, meaning it satisfies the stringent security requirements that federal agencies must meet before operating in a cloud computing environment.

    “We look forward to continue working with vendors like Esri who have demonstrated FedRAMP compliance through the CSP Supplied path,” said Matt Goodrich, FedRAMP director. “This approach facilitates federal agency security authorization demands as the complete security package for Esri Managed Cloud Services is available in the FedRAMP repository today.”

    EMCS provides ready-to-use instances of ArcGIS in the cloud. Customers can adapt it to best suit their needs, either as an alternative in their own infrastructure or in conjunction with their own servers. The scalable, secure environment is supported by experienced GIS professionals to ensure GIS data and services are available whenever needed, Esri said.

    FedRAMP is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. Being FedRAMP compliant means a cloud computing system has established and documented a highly secure environment that has withstood comprehensive, rigorous review before federal agencies are authorized to engage the system. Currently, compliance can be met at either the low or moderate level.

    EMCS is the first geospatial cloud-service provider reviewed under the latest FedRAMP and NIST 800-53 Revision 4 security controls. This expanded set of security controls represents the most comprehensive update to the government security controls catalog since its inception in 2005 to better address the increased frequency and persistence of today’s cyber attacks.

    With Esri Managed Cloud Services, customers can use ArcGIS Online, Esri’s online GIS platform, as their primary discovery mechanism and easily supplement it with Esri’s FedRAMP-compliant GIS hosting tools, ArcGIS for Server and Portal for ArcGIS, to meet more advanced security needs. The program provides a standardized, demanding security protocol that customers can review themselves and that federal agencies can use for the government assessment and authorization process to expedite compliance.

    EMCS also supports federal agencies seeking to comply with the White House Cloud Computing Strategy. Adopted in 2011 to save money, the Cloud First policy requires federal agencies to evaluate safe, secure cloud computing options before making any new investments.

    Because EMCS was designed from the ground up to meet the needs of federal customers, it can also meet the robust security demands of users from other sectors such as law enforcement, health care, and retail, Esri said.

    GIS users are moving to the cloud in large part to take advantage of the flexibility and potential cost savings it provides. Using EMCS helps users reduce risk, speed deployment, improve performance, and reduce operational costs in a secure environment.

    To learn more about FedRAMP, visit http://cloud.cio.gov/action/secure-your-cloud. 

    For a complete description of the Esri Managed Cloud Services FedRAMP–compliant system, visit esri.com/services/emcs/security.

  • PD Ports Uses GIS in New Ways for Hydrographic Surveys

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    PD Ports is streamlining the way it shares hydrographic data by using GIS software from British software developer Cadcorp. PD Ports is a port, shipping and logistics company headquartered in Middlesbrough, UK, where it owns and operates Teesport — a major deep-water complex and one of the largest container ports in the North of England.

    Teesport is a major deep-water complex and one of the largest container ports in the North of England, handling around 40 metric tons of cargo per year, according to Captain Jerry Drewitt, Harbor Master for Teesport and Hartlepool. “Our first priority is to ensure the safe movement of the considerable amount of river traffic handling this cargo. We rely a lot on hydrographic survey charts which provide an up-to-date record of the depth of the river in berths, approaches, and channels.

    “Until recently, our survey department not only carried out hydrographic surveys, but also produced the associated charts. This is changing as we have come to recognize that having surveyors spend time on creating cartography was an unnecessary step in the sharing of hydrographic data, and was actually delaying data publication.“

    Drewitt continues, “Hydrographic charts don’t only depict depth data. They also show topography and contextual data about features and boundaries along the river. The position of these features and their attributes, tend to be relatively stable — certainly when compared to the constantly changing topography of the riverbed. We wanted the survey department to concentrate on recording this more dynamic hydrographic data.”

    PDPorts-hydrographic-GIS-2“The less dynamic data — topography, assets, boundaries, Admiralty Charts, Ordnance Survey MasterMap, and aerial photography — can be managed as separate overlays in our GIS, Cadcorp SIS Map Modeller,” Drewitt said.

    “We now create composite hydrographic charts by displaying the hydrographic data the surveyors capture, against whatever reference layers are appropriate for a task in hand,” Drewitt said. “This is done in the knowledge that all features will be represented in their true location. We now take XYZ soundings directly from the survey department; drag and drop this data into the Cadcorp GIS, and pass it through a simple filter to indicate three categories of depth zones. Red indicates where the river is too shallow, blue where it is OK, and white where it too deep. “

    The outcome of these changes allows the harbor master to share information with the Vessel Traffic Service and pilots much more quickly than before. For example, whenever there is suspected slippage in the river bed, the survey department can be alerted to make a new survey of the affected area. The outcome of their echo-soundings will exported as XYZ files to Map Modeller. The GIS is used to delineate any areas which are deemed to be out of bounds. It is then a simple matter to insert a map into a Word document as a “Shoaling Notice” that can be distributed by email.

    Drewitt hopes his deputy harbor masters and pilots eventually will be able to accept map data from Teesport directly in digital form and in real time. However, for the moment, GIS is playing a transitional role somewhere between a map creator and a map viewer. This can be seen in current project where Captain Drewitt is using GIS to match vessels to available berths. He uses the GIS to create and display templates of vessels originally designed as DWG files in AutoCAD. By superimposing these templates, along with tugs and towlines, over maps and charts, it becomes possible to assess the maximum size of vessels that can be accommodated in different berths.

    “It is easy to generate a family of templates, and a simple matter to superimpose them against maps,” Drewitt said. “While I can’t yet share them online, I can take map representations to meetings, where the serve an important evidential role.”

    “GIS applications don’t have to be complex to deliver real business benefit,” said Mike O’Neil, CEO of Cadcorp. “Teesport have shown this. Their use of GIS isn’t about intricate analysis and modelling. On the contrary, it is about the value you get by bringing together different data sets, quickly and easily. The combined value of these different data sets is often much greater than the sum of its parts.”

  • Esri Launches Site to Find Open Data

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    Esri has launched a website to help citizens discover organizations sharing open data around the world and provide direct access to thousands of open government datasets. Citizens can search, download, filter, and visualize this data through their web browser or mobile device.

    Since July 2014, more than 1,200 organizations from all levels of government, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Muroran, Japan, have used Esri’s ArcGIS Open Data to configure custom open data sites to serve local citizens and businesses. Now the public can search across these sites to find authoritative data by location and topic.

    “We are excited about the large number of organizations currently sharing open data and believe we have a great opportunity to boost global support for open data and open knowledge,” said Andrew Turner, CTO of Esri’s DC R&D Center. “As more of the 380,000 organizations we work with across the globe begin to contribute open data, we will be able to help foster innovation by connecting the millions of datasets created by government agencies and shared through ArcGIS Open Data.”

    Any organization can make its data available through ArcGIS Open Data, and people can now discover this data by visiting opendata.arcgis.com.

  • DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data Platform Enabling New Commercial Solutions

    DigitalGlobe, Inc., has agreed to provide another commercial customer access to its Geospatial Big Data (GBD) platform, paving the way for new analytic products serving the insurance, forestry, oil & gas, and mining industries, the company said.

    Exogenesis is a provider of advanced analytics, algorithm development, and predictive modeling and simulation. The company has subscribed to DigitalGlobe’s GBD service to facilitate new product development enabled by large-scale data analysis.

    The agreement includes access to algorithms, expertise, and petabytes of high-resolution satellite imagery collected over the past 15 years. DigitalGlobe customers Orbital Insight and Cuende have also subscribed to the service and are introducing unique products to their commercial markets.

    DigitalGlobe’s cloud-based GBD offering is a “platform as a service” model that provides access to DigitalGlobe’s vast image library. It is designed to create a new ecosystem in which partners and developers can leverage their expertise and API’s to create new customer solutions without the cost of owning and operating costly IT infrastructure, DigitalGlobe said.

    The GBD platform is one of the strategic initiatives propelling DigitalGlobe toward its vision of becoming the indispensable source of information about the planet, the company said.

    “Exogenesis is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with DigitalGlobe, the biggest name in commercial satellite imagery,” said Sean Anklam, president of Exogenesis. “As an early adopter of DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data platform, we will be able to provide the most advanced decision support information derived from source imagery of the highest quality.”

    “It’s a privilege to bring our Geospatial Big Data capabilities to the market with an innovative partner like Exogenesis,” said Shay Har-Noy, DigitalGlobe’s Senior Director for GBD. “We are committed to investing in Geospatial Big Data in order to create a living digital inventory of the surface of the earth, enabled by our unmatched satellite constellation, commitment to ecosystem partners, and ability to convert imagery at scale into searchable, analytics-ready information layers.”

  • Global Mapper v16.1 Introduces 3D and UAV Video Playback Tools

    Global Mapper version 16.1, what Blue Marble terms an “interim release,” adds a UAV Video Playback Tool, new options to rotate the map view, and the ability to select and measure features in the 3D viewer. It is available for download.

    To introduce the new version, Blue Marble is presenting a free webinar titled “What’s New in Global Mapper v16.1” on February 19 at 2 p.m. EDT.

    The release includes a variety of updates to both the Global Mapper base product and the optional LiDAR Module. A new video playback tool allows users to play a video derived from the flight of an aircraft or UAV. The playback option displays a video file synced to any line feature with per-vertex times, fly-through lines or point features with recognized timestamp attributes.

    Version 16.1 of Global Mapper also offers the option to rotate the map view as needed, allowing the user to more clearly visualize any spatial data with a unique alignment. The automatic “Track Up” mode works when connected to a GPS device and rotates the map view based on the current GPS heading. The new release also introduces the ability to select vector features with the Digitizer tool in the 3D Viewer. This functionality links the 2D and 3D maps, allowing users the option to pan, zoom, measure, and add vector data in one viewer while automatically replicating actions and updating features in the other. The right-click menu enables users to perform many Digitizer operations on the selected features in the 3D window.

    Single-user license upgrades for version 15 are available for $169; upgrades are also available for USB dongles and network licenses. To purchase a dongle or network license upgrade, contact sales at [email protected].

  • DAT/EM Systems Releases Version 7.1 of Software Products

    DAT/EM Systems International has released the 7.1 edition of DAT/EM software products, including Summit Evolution, Landscape, Capture, MapEditor, Ortho+Mosaic, Airfield3D and Contour Creator. The advancements in the 7.1 DAT/EM Photogrammetric Suite represent the latest evolution in technology and are based on customer input and growth within the geospatial industry, the company said.

    DAT/EM Photogrammetric Suite Version 7.1 Highlights

    • A new Multiple Project Solution combines different project types that have any input coordinate systems and displays them in multiple viewports. The viewport cursors move together where the diverse projects share the same geographic area. This allows use of imagery from sources such as aerial, orthophoto, ADS, and satellite RPC at the same time.
    • Oblique imagery support in the aerial project type. Oblique options will apply for any imagery where omega and phi are greater than 15 degrees.
    • Enhanced printing options, such as print preview, print in anaglyph, print with boundaries, print with full superimposition, virtually print to TIFF, and print to a higher resolution.
    • A Direct Linear Transform (DLT) model has been added to Summit close range projects. This model allows Summit to orient photos without a known camera calibration.
    • Named Image Adjustments is a new tool that saves image adjustment profiles for repeated use. It can also link to a Channel Map configuration.
    • Aerial projects can now define image scale, earth curvature correction, and refraction correction by a new Use heights method, which defines individual model scales and is used in steep terrain.
    • A second generation beta of the Global Mapper Extension. The Extension connects Blue Marble Geographics Global Mapper with any Summit Evolution edition (Professional, Feature Collection or Lite).
    • LandScape offers a new slider to adjust the intensity of color.
    • All DAT/EM products support new file formats, including LAZ format for both read and write operations, all LAS 1.4 for read only, and LAS 1.4 non-waveform formats for read and write.

    View all of the upgrades and highlights by visiting the DAT/EM Release Notes.

  • ArcGIS 10.3, ArcGIS Pro Modernize GIS for Organizations and Enterprises

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    ArcGIS 10.3 is now available with the release of ArcGIS Pro, Esri announced. ArcGIS 10.3 realizes the vision of web GIS, which empowers customers to use information anywhere and on any device. It includes new apps and enhancements that continue to advance the science of geography and GIS and enable users to more readily share their work throughout their organizations, Esri said.

    “ArcGIS 10.3 is a very large release that fully completes the picture of ArcGIS for organizations and enterprises,” said Sud Menon, director of software development and engineering, Esri.

    The release of ArcGIS 10.3 transforms the entire ArcGIS platform and is headlined by the introduction of ArcGIS Pro.

    ArcGIS Pro

    ArcGIS Pro is a new desktop GIS application from Esri. Designed as a multithreaded 64-bit application for Windows, ArcGIS Pro takes advantage of modern technology that allows users to visualize, edit, and analyze data faster than ever before. With ArcGIS Pro, users can create and work with geographic layers in both 2D and 3D and share map information as feature layers, imagery, maps, analysis services, 3D web scenes, and web maps.

    “ArcGIS Pro is an integral part of the ArcGIS platform,” said Menon. “It’s our premium application for authoring maps and scenes that can be easily shared through the web GIS model.”

    ArcGIS Pro is included at no charge with every license of ArcGIS 10.3 for Desktop. Users can run ArcGIS Pro simultaneously with any version of ArcMap.

    SmarterBetterCities, a start-up based in Switzerland, uses ArcGIS Pro to help cities understand the impacts of zoning changes in 3D. “We understand our world in 3D. ArcGIS Pro is a fantastic platform for us to create affordable next generation planning tools for small town and big city planning,” said Antje Kunze, CEO of SmarterBetterCities.

    ArcGIS in Your Own Infrastructure

    At ArcGIS 10.3, Portal for ArcGIS is now included at no charge with ArcGIS for Server Standard or Advanced licenses. With Portal for ArcGIS, users can bring the full ArcGIS experience into their own infrastructure for secured stand-alone or hybrid deployments in ArcGIS Online. Portal for ArcGIS also gives organizations access to the full suite of ArcGIS apps, including the new Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, so that they can more easily share maps and analyses across their enterprise.

    Better 3D across the Platform

    ArcGIS 10.3 features improved support for 3D data across the entire ArcGIS platform. In addition to the 3D capabilities in ArcGIS Pro, Esri has also released a new web scene viewer in ArcGIS Online that lets users create 3D scenes by mashing up existing layers directly within a browser.

    Real-Time GIS

    ArcGIS 10.3 fully integrates real-time, streaming data into the ArcGIS platform. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server delivers improved performance and throughput capabilities, as well as faster spatial filtering. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server also offers better scalability by allowing organizations to create clusters that can handle higher volumes of data. Users can take advantage of new spatial operators and processors in ArcGIS 10.3 to perform more powerful spatial filtering and real-time analytics.

    More Opportunities for Developers

    From the launch of Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to the enhanced JavaScript API, ArcGIS 10.3 offers new capabilities for developers across the board. This release also marks the beginning of a wave of releases that will further help developers build mobile applications using ArcGIS Runtime.

    For more information on the dozens of other improvements in ArcGIS 10.3, visit esri.com/whatsnew.