NEWSBRIEFS –INDUSTRY

Iwave launches SiRF III based GPS module in India

Iwave Systems Technologies Private Ltd has unveiled iw-GPS receiver module based on SiRF III, a low power, miniature module for Personal Navigation, fleet management, asset tracking, personal tracking, surveying, security and other navigation devices. www.iwavesystems.com

Hale Capital Partners and Autodesk announcement

Hale Capital Partners and Autodesk announced completion of the transaction to transfer Autodesk’s Location Services business unit to LocationLogic, a new entity owned and operated by Hale Capital Partners, with Autodesk and other minority investors. www.autodesk.com/gis

First Real-Time Passenger Information System for Gdansk by GMV

GMV has won, in collaboration with the Energy and Mining Technical Assistance Loan, a contract to supply a new passenger information system for the Polish city of Gdansk. www.gmv.com

EC selects SES ASTRA for EGNOS

SES ASTRA has been selected by the European Commission (EC) to provide services to the European navigation service EGNOS. It will supply the EU with a tailor-made payload as well as the related necessary ground infrastructure. The payload will operate in L-band and be located on SES ASTRA’s new SIRIUS 5 satellite. www.ses-astra.com

Topcon Announces GRS-1

Topcon Positioning System’s new GRS- 1 is a fully integrated dual-constellation, network-enabled RTK rover system. It is an all-in-one handheld GNSS receiver and field controller with high-speed processor, increased memory, built-in camera, compass and bar code reading function. www.topconpositioning.com

Spatial Law and Policy Committee

The Board of Directors of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC®) has chartered a committee of the Board to specifically address the “spatial law and policy issues” which will influence development requirements of the Consortium’s technology process. Both public sector and private sector users and providers of geospatial data and technologies face a wide range of legal issues associated with growth in consumer and business applications for spatial technology. All applications using spatial technology raise issues that involve intellectual property rights, liability, privacy, and national security. www.opengeospatial.org

Software for bridge design

Bentley Systems has acquired LEAP Software, a provider of analysis and design products for concrete bridges. The flagship product, LEAP Bridge, is an analysis, design, and load-rating application that integrates all bridge design components into one application with a single user interface. www.bentley.com

ILRIS-HD High Density Scanner

Optech Inc has launched the ILRISHD High Density scanner which offers four times the speed for data collection, high-accuracy survey modes, rapid survey modes, and unsurpassed angular resolution. www.optech.ca

Trimble to provide reference stations in China

Trimble has been selected by the National Development and Reform Commission, which is led by the China Earthquake Administration (CEA), to supply GNSS Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) receivers for the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). Trimble will supply 295 NetR8 GNSS CORS receivers and GNSS Choke Ring antennas for the project. www.trimble.com

Leica GeoMoS Web Evaluation License

Leica Geosystems announced a 30 day free trial of Leica GeoMoS Web. Available to all existing and new users, GeoMoS Web is a web-based service for visualization and analysis of monitoring via internet. Each authorized user can access the monitoring project anywhere and anytime.Leica has also released RCD100, an integrated medium-format mapping camera on the market. It is a mapping solution for converting from analog to digital airborne imaging and for those who want productivity and efficiency for smaller to medium-sized photogrammetric mapping and orthophoto projects. www.leica-geosystems.com

Hemisphere GPS Reaches Record Revenues

In a global economic situation where many companies are cutting back, Hemisphere GPS has leaned forward. It has reported a 35% increase in 2008 revenues. The company’s record revenue total of $72.7 million can be attributed to a strong agriculture market and growing marine, geographical information system and original equipment manufacture sales.

NAVCOM Partners With Astrium Services

Astrium Services will become the sole European supplier of NavCom Technology’s GNSS product and positioning solutions, including the StarFireTM Network, global decimeter-accurate satellite-based augmentation system (GSBAS). “By providing the stand-alone accuracy of the global StarFire™ Network along with precise positioning solutions, our new partnership with Astrium Services has the potential to bring GSBAS to new and important market sectors including defense, civil security and aerospace,“ said Michael Lindsay, COO for NavCom Technology.

Own rockets in satellite launches from 2010

Europe will use its own lightweight rockets in the launching of small satellites instead of Russia’s Dnepr and Rokot from 2010, said Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of the European Space Agency’s

“In India, we can leverage the huge talent pool of resources”

Willy Govender: Promoter, Director and Group CEO, Data World on launch of operation in India

“Data World has extensive experience and domain expertise in the public sector and local government”. Please elaborate

Data World is a major solution provider to Municipalities, Provincial and Central governments in South Africa. The scope of its services varies from Property Taxation Management systems for municipalties to Census Systems at the National Level. We have extensive domain knowledge in the Municiapl Revenue, Public Transportation, Environemntal Management and Licensing, Land Registers, Municipal/Ward/Election boundary delimitation etc. In the Municipal Property taxation domain our product ‘Value Assist’ has a 30% market share. E-Governance solutions developed using our ADF, which has integrated Workflow, Document Management, Content Management and Discovery components are being used extensively by various govt entities to streamline their business process, enhance service delivery and improve accountability.

An IT company or a Geo-Spatial service provider – how does your company see its positioning in India?

Data World came to India with two broad vision – to leverage the huge talent pool of resources and to find a new market. India is still one of the few growing economies. We would position ourselves as an IT company with substantial capabilities to provide geo-spatial solutions. We have vast experience in providing enterprise geospatial solutions across various industries, however we do not limit to just GIS solutions. We have a team of people providing IT solutions that are not geo-spatial like Digital pen and Paper, Property Valuation solutions etc.

Please elaborate on your “geospatial industry standard products that can be used for out of box spatial data delivery and analysis”.

Data World has a geo-spatial product suite called as “Buffalo”. It is primarily built on top of Map Server and provides elaborate capabilities for geo-spatial data consumption, visualization and analysis. In spite of being built on various open source technology it offers an easy to use system which is robust, scalable and can be used for various application domains. Buffalo comprises set of a desktop tools and enterprise components that can easily be integrated with other systems and extend geo-spatial capabilities at a reasonable cost. It also has elaborate mechanism for service delivery that includes and enterprise deployment and even as an appliance that can be plugged into the data centre and literally be used out of box.

Trimble Dimension 2009

Trimble opened its Dimensions 2009 conference with more than 2,400 registered attendees from 67 countries around the world. The conference theme-Positioning for Success Today. And Tomorrow-provided insight into how surveying, engineering, construction, mapping, GIS, geospatial and mobile resource management professionals worldwide can harness the power of today’ s technology to help face tomorrow’s challenges. It was held on February 23-25 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, USA.

“We are extremely pleased with the strong interest demonstrated in Trimble Dimensions,” said Bryn Fosburgh, Trimble vice president. Attendees had the opportunity to network with key industry leaders, develop new contacts, build partnerships, discuss opportunities and discover how to overcome obstacles in today’s competitive business environment. With more than 300 sessions across multiple specialty tracks, the conference focused on increasing productivity in the field and the office to transform the way work is done. The conference
included an off-site demonstration and training area and a Partners Pavilion that showcased the complete suite of Trimble construction, survey, engineering, aerial and mobile mapping, GIS and infrastructure solutions, including products from Applanix, Crain, Geo 3D, INPHO, Meridian Systems, Pacific Crest, Quantm, RolleiMetric, SECO, Tripod Data Systems (TDS), TopoSys and XYZ Solutions. Highlighted solutions and technologies included GPS; total stations; field computing and data collection; 3D scanning; pre-design construction planning; 3D visualization; construction project management; aerial mapping; wireless communications; data transfer; and field and office software applications. Other technology providers who are Trimble partners also participated to extend the conference’s range of products and applications.

News at a Glance

►SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger now available at Fry’s Electronics in USA
►ERDAS Image Web Server released with Optimized Tile Delivery serving more than 4000 tiles in a second.
►Leica Geosystems achieves Singapore Quality Class certification
►RMSI wins CII Corporate Wellness Award 2009
►ESRI (UK) secures £1.35m GIS contract for Scottish police service
►DALSA receives contracts for CAD $17.3m for RS and Photogrammetry
►Rockwell Collins wins $450m contract to provide Defence Advanced GPS Receivers to U.S. Air Force GPS Wing.
►Microsoft, TomTom settle patent dispute
►Garmin lays off 141 employees in US
►PND maker Mio cuts jobs in the UK
►u-blox increased net profit by 60.9% in 2008. It acquires Geotate B.V.
►Navteq reports continued growth for In-Vehicle Navigation in 2008
►Top Image Systems reports 39% increase in full year revenues
►The worldwide value of GPS networks and services to rise from US $263m in 2009 to US $504m by 2013, according to a report by Position One Consulting.
►Navteq reports continued growth for In-Vehicle Navigation in 2008
► Cadcorp SIS 7.0 released
►RMSI wins CII Corporate Wellness Award 2009
►Alliant Energy Corporation has signed a 3 year enterprise license agreement with ESRI
►PND maker Mio cuts jobs in the UK