Land & Property Services (LPS) has announced its plan to deliver a programme of improved mapping for Northern Ireland. The Positional Improvement Project, which examines the accuracy of features of LPS Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland (OSNI) maps, will deliver significant improvements to the quality of current mapping, enabling its customers to provide more efficient and accurate service delivery.

Indonesia develops NSDI using cloud: Indonesia’s National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping, BAKOSURTANAL, is developing its National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) using cloud computing technology. This initiative aims to provide accurate and reliable geospatial information to government agencies and the general public.
www.futuregov.in

UniStrong holds 40 pc GIS market share in China: Beijing UniStrong Science & Technology Co. Ltd. holds approximately 40 percent GIS market share in China, according to a report by Orient Securities Company Ltd. In next five years, the company is poised to do the business of approximately 100 billion yuan (USD 15.6 billion), China Daily reported.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voted to establish a committee of experts on global geospatial information management to coordinate international dialogue on spatial data infrastructures and enhance cooperation in that field. According to the latest report of the Secretary-General on global geospatial information management, the rapid technological advances in geospatial information and related technologies have made this kind of information readily available.

Google Street view hits roadblock in India: Commissioner of Police of Bangalore in India has asked Google to stop photographing streets of Bangalore. However, before Street View cars started operating, Google claimed it took permission from the traffic department of Bangalore police. The police have reservations regarding legality of Google’s Street View in India.

ArcLogistics update gives drivers a break:
ArcLogistics, Esri’s web-based vehicle routing and scheduling solution, has new options to route drivers more efficiently. New settings allow dispatchers to account for drivers’ daily break times, such as 15-minute and 1-hour lunch breaks. These improvements will help dispatchers better account for the actual time it takes to complete a route when creating the day’s plan.

Philippine president unveils 3-D mapping project
President Benigno Aquino III of Philippines announced that the Government allocated PHP 1 billion for three-dimensional mapping of the entire country. According to Aquino III, it is designed to minimise damage during natural disasters. Aquino made this announcement during the inauguration of the new PHP 243-million Agno River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning System.

Expert blames poor infra for tsunami disaster: More infrastructures spending by Japan could have lessened the impact of this month’s deadly tsunami but the government has become too reliant on low-cost measures such as handing out warning maps, said Professor Fumihiko Imamura, Tohoku University’s Disaster Control Research Center.

UN proposes global geospatial information mechanism
“There is general agreement of an urgent need for an inter-government consultative mechanism that can play a leadership role in setting the agenda for the development of global geospatial information, and to promote its use to address key global challenges; to liaise and coordinate among member states, and between member states and international organizations,” according to a statement by the United Nations (UN). During a meeting on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM), Cochair Hiroshi Murakami said while there are various international organisations that have been working on geospatial information, the UN feels that there is a need for an official mechanism that would link the outcomes of such organisations to specific policy decisions and actions of member states. www.futuregov.asia

Law to ensure optimum use of geospatial tech in Delhi
A year after the Delhi government, India, launched its much-publicised INR 120-crore geo-spatial project to map the land and utility service records of the city, it has been observed that its officials prefer sticking to the old ways. Hence the Delhi State Government is now planning to enact a law to ensure that its officials use the technology in everyday applications.