NEWSBRIEFS – INDUSTRY

Products

SatNav Technologies launches SatGuide

SatNav Technologies (P) Ltd., announced the launch of India’s First Navigation System SatGuide™ late last month. It has come into an agreement with Nippon Audiotronix, who will handle the Sales and Marketing of Nippon SatGuide on an exclusive basis in India. Nippon would handle both retail channels as well as the OEM route using their network of over 650 outlets across the country. SatGuide™ will be available with one city default information. Additional city information can be bought at a nominal charge and will be very useful for those who travel across cities regularly. Mr. Amit Prasad, MD & CEO – SatNav Technologies said, “As product principals, we will focus on the technology aspects and in expanding the geography to multiple cities in India.
www. satnavtech.com
www.satguide.in

Siemens working on standards based A-GPS for cellphones

Siemens says that it will be one of the first companies to bring a standardized solution for Assisted Global Positioning Systems (AGPS) to the market: The so-called Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) standard is being developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and is scheduled for release in June 2005.

While current proprietary A-GPS systems work only with devices from specific manufacturers, the OMA standard will enable the positioning service to be used on any A-GPS-capable phone on any mobile network.

Siemens is already conducting interoperability tests with A-GPS chipset suppliers Global Locate and SiRF Technology Holdings and with device manufacturers Compal Communication (CCI) and HP. The SUPL-based Siemens A-GPS solution will be offered to mobile operators as of the third quarter of 2005.
www.cellular-news.com

Real Works Survey Software introduced

Trimble introduced a new version of RealWorks™ Survey software for surveyors and engineers that leverages the rich point-cloud data set provided by today’s advanced 3D laser scanners.

The new software version incorporates a series of new precision tools and features for civil survey, building, heritage, forensic and other applications, allowing surveyors to produce 2D and 3D information for direct output or export to AutoCAD or MicroStation software design packages.

It is also complemented by RealWorks Survey Lite that allows surveyors to offer enhanced deliverables in both format, which clients may then visualise, manipulate, print or partially edit.
www.trimble.com

TOPO! Xport Pro – a new software tool

Users of geospatial software have a new tool to quickly add the highestquality topographic maps to their projects with National Geographic Maps’ TOPO! Xport Pro. This enables users to add seamless topographic maps to any software that supports standard raster file formats. The maps are actual USGS quads that have been georeferenced and enhanced with up-to-date streets and roads and 3-D hill shading. The maps immediately provide context for other geospatial information and are ideal for reports, presentations, or use in the field. It is compatible with a wide range of spatially-enabled software. www.directionsmag.com

Miner & Miner releases ArcFM Solution 9.1

US-based Miner & Miner, announced the availibility of ArcFM Solution 9.1. It is an enterprise solution for editing, modeling, maintenance, and management of facility and landbase information for electric, gas, and water/wastewater utilities. It is being released concurrently with ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.1, and supports both ArcGIS 9.0 and 9.1. www.directionsmag.com

MapInfo Professional v8.0 is available now

MapInfo Corporation announced the availability of MapInfo Professional version 8.0. It enables companies in all industries to easily visualise the relationships between data and geography to drive more insightful decisions. This in turn leads to increased revenue, lower costs, enhanced efficiencies and improved service.

Cadcorp announces new interoperable solution

Cadcorp has announced a new and free solution for managing OS MasterMap data: the Cadcorp SIS OS MasterMap Database. it is a relational database encapsulated ina single “ODB” file that can handle anything from a single OS MasterMap chunk right up to national coverage. ODB files provide an extension to the Cadcorp SIS OS MasterMap Manager and are designed to appeal to users who want to use OS MasterMap data without having to invest in database server technology and management resources.
www.cadcorp.com

Garmin Launches GPS with turn by turn navigation

GARMIN launches the turn by turn GPS technology in India. This is said to be the first time that such on-road navigation will be available on a standalone basis in India. In addition to this, Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), which will help track vehicles through their entire route will also hit the markets, announced Mr A M Lalljee, Director, Aerial Services Private Ltd (ASPL).“We have an entire database across India garnered from Kalyani Net Ventures Ltd (KNVL), which has been loaded in these devices. Landmarks of cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, which include railway stations, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, banks, ATM points etc apart from every road is available in this software.” Dr Vivek S Kale (CEO, GIS Division, KNVL) added that a major application of this system is expected in the are of asset management; particularly for enterprises, which have networked assets .” This technology will be initially available for the markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore and will be introduced in other cities shortly and the rest of the country later.

MSN announces satellitemapping service

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates previewed new satellite-mapping technology designed to compete with local-search offerings from Google, Yahoo and Amazon.com.

Gates, presenting at the “D” conference in Carlsbad, California, introduced MSN Virtual Earth,a map service that lets visitors zoom in on a local area and get information about restaurants, cafes, hotels, dry cleaners, and so on.

Contracts

Infotech Enterprises to provide enterprise wide GIS Solutions

North Delhi Power Limited has selected Infotech Enterprises Limited, to implement GE Smallworld GIS technology for GIS mapping of the entire distribution network and provide GIS based solutions for operations resource management. It has selected Infotech Enterprises after studying the leading GIS technologies available. Infotech Enterprises will implement the final phase of the GIS initiative, which started with a base-line GIS solution nearly two years ago to improve customer service and efficiency. With the latest implementation, it will scale up its GIS implementation at an enterprise wide scale.

BAE Systems signs contract with Ordnance Survey

BAE Systems has announced that Ordnance Survey, Great Britain, has ordered multiple copies of BAE Systems’ SOCET for ArcGIS product. The SOCET for ArcGIS solution has enabled the Ordnance Survey to maintain their highlevel photogrammetric production workflows with SOCET SET while allowing them to capture and edit 3D national map data in stereo directly in their enterprise Geodatabase.
www.na.baesystems.com

Space Imaging ME bags Dubai Police 3D City model contract

Space Imaging Middle East (SIME) announced that it has been awarded contract to generate a 3D City Model of Dubai for Dubai Police Command and Control Center. SIME’s aerial division, Sanborn ME, will be doing the same. The model will show the different buildings in 3D as wellas it depicts ground elevations. It is information rich and can include detailed data about landmarks, buildings and streets. It is endowed with tools to extract the needed information from the available data and can take live feed from cameras placed on top of monuments.

Business

Autodesk signs definitive agreement to acquire c-plan

Autodesk, Inc. announced an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of c-plan AG, a provider in the European GIS market, whose customers include more than 2,000 users in 700 municipalities and utility companies. The purchase price for the shares of the Gumligen, Switzerland-based developer of the TOPOBASE(TM) family of geospatial applications and data management solutions will be approximately $18 million plus net working capital.
www.prnewswire.com

PCI Geomatics technology assists the European Space Agency

PCI Geomatics is helping to create the next generation of automated coastal maps through its contributions to the COASTCHART project. The project, led by LogicaCMG, is entirely funded through the Data User Element (DUE) of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Observation Envelope Programme (EOEP). Once completed, the project will allow for the delineation of 6,000 kilometers of western African coastline, and will also enable standard navigation charts to be updated from space-based observations.
www.pcigeomatics.com