SuperVeyor 2013, developed by Supergeo, is a field data collection software that can be customized flexibly for hardware providers to offer high-compatible software.
SuperVeyor 2013, field data collection software applied on Windows Mobile platform, provides user-friendly interface and supports collecting feature and attribute data. Besides, SuperVeyor 2013 can work with GPS to locate current position, record GPS track, and so forth. In addition, to meet requirements from different domains, such as facility management, agricultural investigation, or census, the GIS functions of SuperVeyor 2013 can be elastically modified.
SuperVeyor 2013 is a mobile GIS designed for worldwide users: the software can support multi-language interfaces, local coordinate system settings, and specific program splash to meet requirements from different districts. SuperVeyor 2013 is for bundled sales of hardware manufacturers only.
According to Euroconsult’s new research report “Earth Observation: Defense and Security,” demand for data to support imagery intelligence (IMINT) continues to grow globally to support defense activities and military operations. However, as a result of the relatively high cost to maintain and launch EO defense satellites and the investment required to fund R&D, only 11 countries have developed EO defense capacity dedicated to supporting IMINT.
“Since only a few countries operate proprietary high-resolution satellites, the commercial sector is expected to make up a significant part of future demand for IMINT,” said Adam Keith, director of Space and Earth Observation at Euroconsult and editor of the report.
According to the report, the number of unclassified defense and dual-use satellites launched by these 11 countries totaled 75 over the past decade. This figure is expected to rise to 100 satellites over 2013-2022, with a further three countries launching dedicated capacity. With costs remaining high, and budgets strained, development of dual-use systems is therefore expected to increase, with costs spreading across multiple government departments in order to fulfill the data requirements of numerous public sectors, such as engineering, infrastructure and resources monitoring. Further mechanisms to re-coup system costs and/or to support national industry will include commercialization of government satellites through dedicated data distribution entities, such as those already observed in France and Italy through the sale of data from their dual-use systems.
In 2012, 77 percent ($990 million) of the total $1.5 billion EO commercial data market was attributed to defense customers, realizing a CAGR of 20 percent over the last five years. Of this $990 million, close to 50 percent is attributable to the U.S. government, which, through the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (the NGA), represents the first customer of commercial EO data. The increased level of procurement by the NGA drove growth in the overall commercial data market from 2006 to 2010. However, following the award of Enhanced View contracts to U.S. operators and data providers (DigitalGlobe and GeoEye) in 2010, demand stabilized, and U.S. procurement is expected to drop in 2013, with Enhanced View impacted by austerity measures within the broader U.S. government, prompting the merger of the two companies, the report said.
Growth in the commercial data sector is now being driven by wider global sales to defense users, particularly by countries with high IMINT requirements and limited viable proprietary solutions. In order to meet these needs, commercial operators are finding success in providing direct access contracts to end-users, providing secure imagery access to defense clients. With continued high demand, revenues from commercial data sales to defense are expected to grow to $2.2 billion by 2022, the report said.
Mappt has introduced an Android app for technical and professional staff who need to record data in the field and then seamlessly integrate it with desktop GIS systems.
According to the announcement, the concept — developed by Perth-based remote sensing company Scantherma for Mappt — was born in the dusty outback of Western Australia.
“We were on a field trip into the bush as part of a client project and the tools we had were just not good enough,” said Amir Farhand, Scantherma’s CEO.
“We needed something more flexible that would be easier to use with a better battery life than a laptop. That’s where Mappt started, aimed at shifting GIS and mapping tools to a tablet without relying on other proprietary technology.”
The company reports that while it will not replace the desktop applications necessary for the storage and analysis of large volumes of data, Mappt will create a faster, simpler, lower cost and more flexible method for accurate field data processing and collection. Users range from geologists and environmental officers, field workers, through to outdoor enthusiasts and travellers.
After extensive testing and development, Mappt is available for the Android operating system. Android was chosen as the key development platform because of the closed nature of the Apple iOS. “Apple has some great features, but some big drawbacks as well,” said Mr Farhand.
“The locked file system really prevented us from doing what is needed in iOS, so we chose Android because it was able to do what the market needed. Our Beta tests have gathered some very positive feedback from users and we plan to continue developing the scope and flexibility of Mappt.”
Mappt reports that the software is compatible with a number of different GIS formats, Mappt provides an application layer for both amateurs and professionals to integrate information gathered in the field into their existing GIS information databases. It can import and export a variety of different commercial and free-to-use vector and raster image file formats for the recording of information useful to technicians and professionals who need accurate geo-located information. One important feature is the use of real-time tracking which can be exported to a GIS system. By including this, field workers who are off the beaten track can easily find their way to and from previously visited locations without having to make or repeat mistakes, a feature very useful for mining exploration. In addition, this feature has applications in other industries and can be turned on and off as required.
Mappt is now available for download via the Google Play store. For more information, visit the Mappt website at www.mappt.com.au
Smartphone and tablet owners are spending less time using standalone consumer electronics (CE) devices according to new research study, “A Tale of Two Techs – Smartphone and Tablet Adoption and Usage,” released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The study shows consumers continue to use standalone electronic devices, such as digital cameras, but are reducing their usage time as a result of owning a smartphone or tablet.
According to the announcement, in households that own laptops, 43 percent of smartphone owners and 46 percent of tablet owners report spending less time with their laptops. However, very few users indicate they have stopped using their laptop computers altogether (one percent among smartphone owners, two percent tablet owners).
Compared to most standalone devices – with the exception of laptops – smartphones and tablets are being used more often and for more activities. Smartphones have become the primary device for taking pictures (78 percent), recording videos (74 percent), getting directions (69 percent), reading e-books (62 percent), listening to music (59 percent) and playing games (39 percent). Laptops and desktops remain the primary device smartphone and tablet owners use to browse the Internet, shop online, watch videos and view/edit documents.
The devices consumers indicate they are most likely to stop using altogether as a result of owning a smartphone and/or tablet are camcorders, portable audio/MP3 players, portable game devices, GPS or navigation devices and dedicated e-readers.
“Smartphones and tablets have enriched, diversified and transformed the ecosystem of consumer electronics,” said Rhonda Daniel, senior manager, market research, CEA. “As a result, mobile device owners are re-proportioning the time they spend using other standalone CE devices. While many single-function devices continue to play a distinct and relevant role in our digital lives, consumers are gravitating toward connected mobile devices able to perform multiple functions.”
An overwhelming majority of consumers are adopting smartphones and tablets in order to access the Internet. The study found that 85 percent of smartphone owners browse the Web and 89 percent check email on their devices. Among tablet owners, 92 percent browse the Web and 83 percent use their tablets to check email.
In addition, smartphones are frequently being used to take pictures (92 percent), make voice calls (91 percent) and navigate (76 percent). Conversely, tablets are used for more leisurely activities such as playing games (78 percent), watching videos (66 percent) and reading e-books (61 percent).
Esri has published a continuously updated U.S. flooding map with informationfrom the National Weather Service showing observed flooding locations and statistics, flood warning areas, and current precipitation. Users can customize the map by zooming or panning and changing the keywords or date ranges to localize geotagged social content.
Both the default map or your customized version can be embedded on your news site by using the Link button. See the real-time effects of the flooding via social media posts.
To change the search terms, go to the Social menu, click the settings icon, and update the keyword. Click here to view the real-time map.
Continuously Updated U.S. Flooding Map http://bit.ly/ZvEi7v Source: Esri
Autodesk announces ReCap, a free, key addition to the complete 2014 portfolio of Suites which is a family software and services on the desktop and in the cloud to create intelligent 3D data from captured photos and laser scans in a streamlined workflow. Autodesk ReCap brings together laser scanning and photogrammetry into one streamlined process. In addition, it provides the visualization quality and scalability to handle extremely large data sets.
According to the announcement, the Autodesk ReCap product line comprises two main offerings – Autodesk ReCap Studio and Autodesk ReCap Photo. Autodesk ReCap Studio makes it easy to clean, organize and visualize massive datasets captured from reality. Autodesk ReCap Photo helps users create high-resolution textured 3D models from photos using the power of cloud computing. Rather than beginning with a blank screen, Autodesk ReCap now enables any designer, architect or engineer to add, modify, validate and document their design process in context from existing environments.
For example, a civil engineer can bypass an existing bridge or expand the road underneath digitally and test feasibility. At construction phase, builders can run clash detection to understand if utilities will be in the way. Urban planners can get answers to specific design questions about large areas, such as how much building roof surface is covered by shadow or vegetation.
ReCap Studio is a data preparation environment that runs on the desktop. Users can import captured data directly into Autodesk design solutions, such as AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Inventor, etc., to conduct QA and verification of data. The data can come from non-intelligent, black and white sparse point clouds to intelligent, visually high appealing content. ReCap Studio will ship in Autodesk product and suite installers or be available for free on the Autodesk Exchange Apps store.
ReCap Photo is an Autodesk 360 service designed to create high resolution 3D data from photos to enable users to visualize and share 3D data. By leveraging the power of the cloud to process and store massive data files, users can upload images on Autodesk 360 and instantly create a 3D mesh model. ReCap Photo is available with Standard Suites entitlement and higher.
Key features of Autodesk ReCap include:
Visualize and edit massive datasets: On the desktop, ReCap users can view and edit billions of points to prepare them for use in Autodesk portfolio products to enable realistic in context design work
Professional-Grade Photo to 3D Features: ReCap unlocks the power of ubiquitous cameras to capture high-quality 3D models, bringing reality capture within reach of anyone with a camera. ReCap supports objects of any size and range, full resolution for high-density meshes, survey points and multiple file exports.
Photo and Laser: ReCap incorporates the best of both photo and laser data capture so that customers can use photos to fill in holes or augment laser scan data. Users can both increase photos scene accuracy with laser points and add photo-realistic detail to laser scans. Create point clouds from photos, align scans and photos and convert professional grade photo to 3D models.
Autodesk continues to invest in developing sophisticated, easy-to-use reality capture technologies. The company has made several key acquisitions including Alice Labs and Allpoint Systems as well as applied its own research and development resources to accelerate the mainstream adoption of these technologies. As customers are looking for ways to easily and accurately capture the world around them, Autodesk ReCap streamlines Reality Capture workflows, making working with Reality Capture data easy, quick and cost effective.
Autodesk reports that it combines laser scanning data and photogrammetry into one product family to address and streamline the entire workflow. Whereas traditional point clouds appear as dots, Autodesk technology can now visualize truly massive point clouds as realistic surfaces. Unique to Autodesk is that users can interact with these huge data sets doing CAD-like operations such as selection, tagging, moving, measuring, clash detection, and object extraction, all with native points. Laser scanning and photogrammetry are historically very expensive and data intensive. Autodesk’s goal is to democratize the process of reality capture so that anyone can capture the world around them to create high quality 3D models.
At the Carlson Software Annual User Conference, Carlson announced that the newest version of Carlson Software’s SurvCE 3.0 GPS/GNSS data collection software.
Featuring hundreds of additions and improvements, Carlson SurvCE 3.0 supports the widest range of popular and new release RTK GPS and conventional/robotic total stations of any other data collection software on the market. Newest instrument drivers added for Total Stations and GPS receivers include: Geomax Zoom 80, Carlson CR2/CR5 robotic, Topcon PS, Sokkia SX/50RX and South OnBoard total stations, and 20 or more new models of GPS from Carlson, Hemisphere, Datagrid, Topcon, Leica, Altus, CHC, Hi-Target, Navcom, Stonex, Javad, Geomax, Satlab and even including the Spectra Epoch 50.
“SurvCE 3.0 continues to set the standard in data collection,” says Carlson. “While Carlson is well known for its surveying and roading features, especially in the U.S. and Australia, the new options in SurvCE should also appeal very strongly to the European market with its emphasis on precision occupation for total stations, and expanded reporting of GPS localization and measurement data.”
SurvCE 3.0 is available now in more than two dozen languages. These include: English, Spanish, French, French (Canadian), Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, simplified Chinese, Korean, Greek, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Swedish, Latvian and more.
Now over 12 years in production, with incremental updates along the way, Carlson SurvCE 3.0 features an optional icon-based interface and new Cloud-based messaging, file transfer, NGS monument recall, simplified stakeout methods and powerful GPS measurement averaging and blunder detection in the field (with accuracies in-between RTK and post-processing). The Carlson SurvCE 3.0 upgrade is offered for just $150 for Carlson customers already using SurvCE. The price to purchase SurvCE remains the same as it has since 2007.
“The main and universal advantages of SurvCE are retained—a simple interface, quick learning curve, now even stronger graphics, and a rich set of features to complete any work from building and highway stakeout, to property surveying, TOPO, control, and GIS data collection,” adds Carlson.
According to the announcement, those upgrading to SurvCE 3.0 will find new camera integration among its many improvements. This integration will provide the ability to attach pictures to points and lines and store in KMZ and EXIF files containing relevant data such as position and description.
Other top new features include:
Ability to stake roads by complete LandXML Road Model—a new method augmenting “By Sections,” “By Templates,” and “From Map;”
Ability to use point “blocks” from drawings as point symbols or as objects to snap to for stakeout or for creating alignments, with GIS attributes associated with blocks recognized;
Large Point ID and Description Fields – expanded to 256 characters;
Use of RTCM 3.1 messages from virtual reference stations to auto-compute grid and geoid shifts.
Oregon State University announced that two small, remote-controlled aircraft are expected to start flying over potato fields in the Hermiston area this month as part of Oregon State University’s efforts to help farmers more efficiently use water, fertilizers and pesticides to bolster yields and cut costs.
While taking photographs, the aircraft will fly over 50 acres of OSU’s 300-acre Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC), as well as several crop circles totaling about 1,000 acres at a research cooperative farm west of Boardman. The flights will take place at least three times a week until the potatoes are harvested in the fall, beginning with a test run Wednesday at the Boardman farm.
Tetracam’s Hawkeye UAV
OSU researchers will use various cameras on the aircraft to photograph the potato plants. The cameras will include ones that detect different wavelengths of light. One of these wavelengths, infrared, is reflected by plants, but unhealthy plants reflect less of it, and in infrared photographs sick plants are much darker. Researchers will also explore using other wavelengths of light to determine which ones will be most helpful in identifying troubled plants.
Researchers aim to see if the cameras, which are capable of zooming in on a leaf, can detect plants that aren’t getting enough fertilizer and water. They’ll purposely reduce irrigation and fertilizer on some plants and will then see how quickly, if at all, the equipment detects the stressed plants. If it works, the scientists hope that the project will continue in subsequent years so they can test the cameras to also find plants that are plagued by insects and diseases. The idea is to help farmers take action before larger crop losses occur and it becomes more difficult and expensive to control the problem.
“The key is to pick up plants that are just beginning to show stress so you can find a solution quickly, so the grower doesn’t have any reduced yield or quality issues,” said Phil Hamm, the director of HAREC. “This in turn can save money. It’s an early warning system for plants with issues as well as an opportunity for growers to reduce costs by being more efficient in water and fertilizer use.”
Potatoes were chosen as the focus of the research because they’re a high-valued crop, expensive to raise and must be carefully managed to reduce internal and external blemishes and irregular growth spurts, said Don Horneck, an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. One of Oregon’s leading crops, the state’s farmers sold $173 million of potatoes in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But spuds are prone to devastating problems caused by diseases and insects, said Horneck, who is the lead researcher from OSU on the project.
“They are one of the most difficult and expensive crops to grow,” he said, adding that it typically costs Hermiston farmers $4,000 or more per acre to grow them. That equates to about $500,000 for the average size of field in the area.
OSU hopes that the aircraft it tests will reduce these costs. The aircraft that will fly over OSU’s land is called a HawkEye and is sold by a company called Tetracam. About the size of a suitcase and weighing only 8 pounds, its maximum flight time is 10-30 minutes. The hull-less, battery-operated machine is easy to operate and was made for farmers with plots of land that are less than one square mile. A motor and propeller allow it to take off on four wheels. A parachute keeps it in the air. Photos and videos of it are at http://bit.ly/10LDbjt.
A delta-winged aircraft made of plastic foam will fly over the private farm. Made by Procerus Technologies and called a Unicorn, it has a wingspan of no more than 6 feet and weighs less than 6 pounds. A bungee cord launches it like a slingshot. A factsheet on it is at http://bit.ly/XTqioS.
Lockheed Martin Unicorn UAV
OSU is inviting the public to see the HawkEye fly during its potato field day at its Hermiston research center on June 26.
Allaying concerns about privacy, Hamm said, “These unmanned aircraft are for agricultural research only and will be used to do nothing more than that. This is about helping our local growers do a better job of growing crops, something HAREC has been doing for the past 102 years.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the flights of the aircraft, which aren’t allowed to fly higher than 400 feet and must stay within sight of the operator, typically less than a mile away.
OSU is leasing the aircraft from Boeing Research & Technology. n-Link, an information technology firm in Bend, is also a partner in the project. Ray Hunt, a plant physiologist with the USDA in Beltsville, Md., will collaborate with OSU’s Horneck on the data analysis.
OSU aims to become one of the nation’s premiere universities using unmanned aircraft for research. It is using or has plans to use them in studies on natural resources, wildlife, land-use management, forestry, oceanography and engineering.
Google posted technical specifications for its much-touted Glasses.
Fit
Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
Extra nosepads in two sizes.
Display
High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.
Camera
Photos – 5 MP
Videos – 720p
Audio
Bone Conduction Transducer
Connectivity
Wifi – 802.11b/g
Bluetooth
Storage
12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.
Battery
One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.
Charger
Included Micro USB cable and charger.
While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.
Compatibility
Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.
GIS is a platform for understanding our world. In the past, the data that fueled GIS was typically created to represent the state of the geoscape at a specific moment in time (“historic” or “current”; or “future” to represent a future modeled state). While this data has proven valuable for countless GIS applications and analyses, even the “current” snapshot falls out of sync with the real world quickly. In today’s fast-paced, constantly changing world, the “current” snapshot is outdated almost as soon as it is created.
A number of new technologies are combining to enable the real time collection of data, and the sharing of that data in real time with GIS. The result is a dynamic platform which enables real time visualization, analysis, and understanding of our world. This is the new age of real-time GIS.
Some of the new technologies enabling real-time GIS include:
GeoEvent Processor is a new ArcGIS for Server extension. It gives users the ability to connect to real-time data streams from a wide variety of sensors, perform continuous processing and analysis of those data streams, and send relevant information to users or other systems.
Geofencing is the creation of a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. In the case of GeoEvent Processor, the GIS server is detecting and using geofences to issue an alert when a mobile device approaches, enters, and leaves the geofenced area (which can be based on any map feature). GeoTrigger technology will let developers build geofences into their apps that can be triggered based on time of day, speed, or position. This technology will be available as part of developers’ ArcGIS Online subscriptions in the second quarter of 2013.
GeoEvent Processor for Server makes it possible to use GIS features as geofences and create geofences on the fly Source: Esri
Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS provides a common operating picture for monitoring events. Operations Dashboard integrates maps and a variety of data sources to create comprehensive operational views that can include charts, lists, gauges, and indicators which update automatically as underlying data changes.
Collector for ArcGIS is designed with field crews in mind, and is used to capture and update both tabular and spatial information via smartphones using the built-in GPS capabilities of the device, or by tapping on the map. Data captured using Collector can be displayed in the Operations Dashboard.
Mapping social media data provides insight into what people are saying and where they are saying it. Social Media Mapping apps let you display in real time what people are saying through location-based social media such as Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.
Esri is also busy adding new features to ArcGIS Online such as Real-Time Data Services, support for GeoRSS Feeds, and more, and we are working with our imagery partners to enable the delivery of Real-Time Imagery in to ArcGIS Online just seconds after it has been captured by satellites.
New types and sources of geographic content, and new ways of sharing them, provide people with exciting new capabilities to incorporate dynamic, real-time information into decision making. The result, as Esri president Jack Dangermond likes to call it, is a Living Atlas of the World—a new vision for the concept of an atlas. “It’s a kind of global gathering place for integrating and applying knowledge about our planet and sharing it with everyone—and to do it all in real time,” says Dangermond.
The thematic information available within this virtual atlas is dynamic; it’s not stored in one centralized, static database—“It’s live, linked to and feeding in from multiple sources across the web and across the world in real time,” adds Dangermond. “The Living Atlas of the World is not only changing the way we look at the world, it is also changing the way we interact with it.”
About Matt Artz
Matt Artz joined Esri in 1989. In his current role as GIS and Science Manager, he helps communicate the value of GIS as a tool for scientific research and understanding. He writes extensively about geospatial technologies, manages the GIS and Science blog, and is the editor of GIS.com. Prior to joining Esri he worked as an Environmental Scientist at a large science and engineering consulting company, on such diverse projects as highway noise modeling, archaeological impact assessment, and chemical weapons disposal. His educational background includes an M.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Planning and a B.S. degree in Anthropology and Geography.
Colorado State University announced that David Prawel and CSU’s Mechanical Engineering department have begun a new program that assists entrepreneurs and others in the community with 3D printing while training students on this revolutionary new technology.
Prawel, a senior research scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has opened the Idea-2-Product Laboratory to the community so anyone can use this amazing 3-D printing equipment to create prototypes and products, repair parts, beautiful artwork, or virtually anything they can imagine.
Students on hand to help
CSU reports that the lab is staffed by current and graduated engineering students who can provide design and printing expertise. Prawel charges a small fee to recoup costs of materials and maintenance.
Brent MacKenzie, lab manager, works with one of CSU’s 3D printers at the Idea-2-Product Laboratory Source: Colorado State University
“3D printing is very high-value technology that has been proven to increase innovation and accelerate time-to-market for countless entrepreneurs and companies,” said Prawel, who has 31 years of experience working with 3D software and companies, including six companies he helped create. “We provide the equipment and expertise; our users provide the ideas and innovation. You can’t steer innovation – you just have to provide the tools and put some water on it and let it go.”
“The lab currently has five, soon to be seven, machines that can print up to 18 types of materials and create intricate designs that couldn’t be created any other way,” Prawel added. One or two more machines are available for use in the Morgan Library depending on the demand for the machines in the laboratory.
Innovation knows no bounds
“We’re already at capacity – we are running these machines full-time,” Prawel explained, noting that staff assists users until they’re are certified to use the devices themselves. “Users learn how to make their ideas become real products, and on the way they learn things like computer-assisted design and manufacturing and all kinds of things they’ve never thought of before. This helps satisfy the educational mission of our lab.”
Erica Suchman, a professor in the Department of Microbiology Immunology and Pathology, is working with the lab to develop 3-D printed models of virus-antibody models that can be snapped together to create unique epitope binding sites. This allows students to create different antibodies with specificity to different epitopes or shapes on the surface of 3D-printed viruses.
“These models will be given to the students in the class to manipulate creating different antibodies and exploring where on the virus these antibodies can bind, allowing them to visualize a difficult special concept,” said Suchman, who is in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
I2P software and equipment are funded by contributions from Autodesk, Lulzbot, Advanced Manufacturing Enterprises, the Mechanical Engineering department and by CSU’s students through the university’s Student Fee Review Board. I2P would also like to acknowledge the vision and assistance of the Morgan Library for space, resources and technical support.
MAPPS (www.mapps.org), the national association of private sector geospatial firms, will conduct a “Non-Cash Benefits and Salary Survey” to provide a comprehensive overview of the major salary data and benefit programs for pay levels from entry level technical positions through middle management.
According to the announcement, the survey is the only one conducted by a professional organization collecting data exclusively among private sector U.S. geospatial service firms. The study has been conducted every three years since 2000. Data presented in the salary survey portion of the report is a useful management tool. By comparing a firm’s salary structure to the regional labor market, a firm principal can determine if his or her organization is competitive in salary and benefits for employees, and benchmark possible under – or over-payment in specific employee categories. This information can also help establish the relationship of positions, or internal equity, within an organization.
This nation wide survey gathers data about employee benefits such as paid time off; health, vision and dental coverage; life insurance; short and long term disability plans; bonus programs; savings plans and much more. The results are reported on a consolidated basis, as well as, by size of firm and geographic region. The results give employers the opportunity to compare their benefit package with those of firms of comparable size and geographic location. MAPPS reports that the survey includes a comparative study of changes in wages and benefits from 2010 when the study was last conducted by MAPPS.
The MAPPS announcement says that in addition, firms are able to use the salary survey when submitting salary information for procurement negotiations. The report will be provided free of charge to participating member firms. MAPPS will make the results available to non-member firms for at a premium price.
The web-based survey, to begin on April 15, will be conducted by Compdata Surveys, an independent third party professional data collection company. Individual firm responses and data will be treated with complete confidence. No MAPPS staff or member will see any firm’s information. Any private sector firm in the United States with a desire to receive the results for free can join MAPPS and participate in the survey. A presentation on the survey results will be offered at the MAPPS Summer Conference, July 22 – 26, 2013 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine. The survey report will be available for sale to non-members, at a premium price, at that time.
SuperVeyor 2013 is a mobile GIS designed for worldwide users: the software can support multi-language interfaces, local coordinate system settings, and specific program splash to meet requirements from different districts. SuperVeyor 2013 is for bundled sales of hardware manufacturers only.
