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April 2001
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Cypress System-Using GIS to offer Real-Time Management of Timber Investment Portfolios
Charlotte, N.C., April 18, Stonebridge Technologies, an award-winning technology consulting company with operations in Charlotte, has announced the completion of an engagement with Canal Forest Resources, Inc. (CFR) to create a Web-based system that gives timberland owners the ability to more effectively manage their timber portfolios. CFR, which is also based in Charlotte, is a leading forestry consulting and timber investment management firm.
Stonebridge, in collaboration with CFR, developed an online system called Cypress(TM) that enables CFR's customers to manage spatial and attribute data concurrently, export data for further analysis and run historical reports about their properties via the Internet. The system also serves up maps and data that help CFR's forestry experts track more than 1.5 million timberland acres.
To develop the Cypress system, Stonebridge consultants from the company's Charlotte operations helped CFR identify issues affecting data management and security, geographic information systems (GIS), business workflow, dynamic reporting and Internet delivery. Stonebridge integrated new technology with CFR's existing GIS and database management resources, creating a system that manages workflow processes, reporting and Internet delivery which included integration to a third-party GIS mapping tool.
CFR manages timberland on behalf of landowners and investors in much the same way that securities firms manage stock and bond portfolios. Cypress enables CFR's customers to evaluate the performance of timber investments in real time. For example, customers can review historical and current volumetric data to calculate current and future inventory, and they can view forest management information such as fertilizations and herbicide treatments. Previously CFR updated investors on their timber holdings via traditional delivery of printed reports on a quarterly basis that were once manually produced.
Cypress' security features give users far-ranging access to information while protecting portfolios' confidentiality and data integrity. For example, landowners and investors can access information specific to their own timber holdings. Authorized CFR personnel can change attribute data only for properties under their jurisdiction. CFR managers can approve attribute changes before they are transferred into an investor-accessed database.
Visit: http://www.canalforest.com/. & http://www.sbti.com/.
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