NEWSBRIEFS – GIS

Jul 2007 | Comments Off

INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

Use of geographical data promoted in Japan by new law

Having recognized the great contribution of applications derived from data obtained through a combined use of GIS and positioning systems for a lot of valuable uses (cadastre, floods, spatial planning, statistics on old buildings, criminality rates etc.), the Japanese government decided to draft a law for the use of these data and to give guidance for orientation of future needs as well as for financial and human resources required. This will help avoid fragmentation of initiatives efficient use by different Japanese ministries.
www.gmes.info

The SLA and NTU sign MoU

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have signed a MOU to conduct cooperative research and development, and education in the area of spatial information science and technology.
This collaboration will eventually benefit industries such as real estate, national security, transportation, logistics, mapping and surveying.
www.sla.gov.sg

The OGC announces new automated compliance tests

The Open Geospatial Consortium membership has adopted new test suites, test scripts and reference implementations for OpenGIS(R) Specifications. A new TEAM Engine (Test, Evaluation, And Measurement Engine) and Compliance Test Language were adopted as the OGC’s official new compliance testing platform.
www.opengeospatial.org

Businesses get free statistical information

Businesses in New Zealand will soon gain free access to a wealth of valuable statistical information that will help them identify growth opportunities and make better decisions. The first products to be released by Statistics New Zealand in August this year – Digital Boundaries and StreetLink – will enable businesses todevelop market profiles, research likely sites and identify growth opportunities in particular locations. www.scoop.co.nz

Ordnance Survey improves rural mapping programme

An improved programme to update the most detailed mapping of rural Britain has been announced by Ordnance Survey.
It shall improve a process called “cyclic revision” in rural areas, which involved systematic aerial photography “sweeps” at intervals of either five or ten years. The scheduling of sweeps will now move away from a purely cyclic basis to one led chiefly by intelligence on landscape change. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

ROLTA raises USD 150 million in international market

Rolta successfully raised USD 150 million in the international markets through Zero Coupon Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs). These FCCBs have a tenure of 5 years and 1 day, are convertible at a conversion price of Rs. 737.40 per share, representing a premium of 50 % over the closing price as on 21st June 2007 on the National Stock Exchange.

Indian land record management to integrate data on GIS

Government of India to consider the National Land Resource Management Programme (NLRMP). The programme aims at integrating satellite imagery, Survey of India maps and the land records on a GIS system. Although, construction and building activities will not be covered under the programme, once implemented, it would be able to provide Records of Rights (RoRs) with maps to scale.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Web based GIS project for urban development in Tamil Nadu

Work on the World Bank-funded Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III, for developing web-based GIS application for five urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu State of India, is likely to commence by mid-August covering Tiruchi, Coimbatoreand Madurai Corporations and the Gobichettipalayam and Rajapalayam
Municipalities. www.hindu.com

BISAG to set up Geoinformatics academy

The Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) will set up an Academy of Geoinformatics in its premises near Gandhinagar in Gujarat, to promote and carry out research, impart education and training andalsoencourage the development of advanced Geoinformatics
technology and applications. It will be affiliated to Gujarat University and the project will be funded by the State Science and Technology Department.

First web-GIS based ‘Rural Surveillance System’ in Nagaland

map

The Nagaland government’s department of planning and co-ordination (planning branch) has implemented a statewide web- GIS-based “rural surveillance system”.The system will help the government reassess its priorities,while drawing up policies to tackle poverty, health, education,land use, literacy and promote allround rural development. The facility aims at making services like health and education accessible to people in rural areas. http://nagarealm.com

Tax in Indonesia

The Indonesian government plans to use imagery from DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite to identify taxable land. The imagery will provide a base map for property tax surveys conducted by the Indonesian Directorate of Property Tax and Ministry of Finance. http://media.digitalglobe.com