ESRI, the leading developer of geographic information system (GIS) software, has announced the establishment of the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Global Map International Grant Program. The initiative is intended to jump-start the development and distribution of national geospatial data as a backbone for supporting sustainable economic development. It is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Jack Estes, a GIS pioneer who envisioned a global program to assist developing countries in the creation and maintenance of their spatial data infrastructures. The initiative actively supports the expansion of the international programs of the GSDI and Global Mapping organizations in their efforts to promote the sharing of spatial data. ESRI will underwrite the initiative with a comprehensive package of software, training, and support worth more than $5,000,000 (U.S.). It is anticipated that approximately 100 grants valued at $50,000 (U.S.) each will be awarded to support the building of national spatial data infrastructures throughout the world.
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www.esri.com/sdigrant
Top Stories
A Screaming Fast Solution for Geographic Imaging
Cantrio Systems, a server appliance company affiliated with VistaScape Technology Corp, announces the GEO-2206 Server Appliance as an ideal solution for the high-speed, large storage capacity requirements of the Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) markets. The Cantrio GEO-2206 has the ability to transform, distribute and store large geographic images five times faster than current solutions. The Cantrio GEO-2206 revolutionary design represents a departure from traditional server architectures by embedding applications and enabling tools. By sustaining full duplex transfer at gigabit rates in a parallel processing environment, the GEO-2206 Server Appliance transmits bandwidth intensive geographic images rapidly. In addition, the onboard high-capacity storage of compressed images means faster access to stored data. This means multiple users can create and extract mosaics on the fly faster and more efficiently with greater access and speed of delivery. It supports commonly used third party applications and integrates easily into existing systems.
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http://www.cantrio.com/
ESRI Announces ArcSDE 8.1 Support for IBM's DB2 Universal Database
ESRI has announced the release of ArcSDE 8.1 for DB2, which extends support to IBM's DB2 Universal Database and DB2 Spatial Extender. The release of ArcSDE 8.1 for DB2 continues ESRI's support of major commercial database management systems (DBMS) by exploiting and extending the standards-based spatial data storage and functions in DB2 and providing the gateway to the ESRI. ArcGIS tools. Together, ESRI and IBM are delivering spatial information management for business intelligence and data mining solutions. ArcSDE is the geographic information system (GIS) gateway that facilitates managing spatial data in a database management system, as well as being able to serve ESRI's file-based data with ArcSDE for Coverages. ArcSDE serves spatial data to the ArcGIS Desktop (ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo) and through ArcIMS as well as other applications.
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www.esri.com/arcsde
Woolpert to Build Randolph County’s Property GIS
Woolpert LLP is currently working with Assessor Noel Carpenter in Randolph County, Indiana, to create a geographic information systems (GIS) basemap with digital parcel data that will link to the county’s computerized automated mass appraisal (CAMA) system. Woolpert will use the photography generated for the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Indiana digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQ) as the foundation for the county’s digital orthophotos. This will create data with an accuracy of ± 10 feet, which meets National Map Accuracy Standards for 1"=400' scale digital orthos. Woolpert will use the data as a guide to perform heads-up digitizing to connect the county’s rural-area parcel maps to the Earth’s surface.
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http://www.woolpert.com/
ESRI and the National Geographic Society Announce Geography Network Challenge Winners
ESRI, the world's leading developer of geographic information system (GIS) software, in partnership with the National Geographic Society, is proud to announce the winners of the 2001 Geography Network Challenge. Designed to increase the awareness of Internet mapping services and recognize the most innovative Internet mapping applications, the contest attracted a diverse range of entries from federal, local, private, and academic communities throughout the world.
The Geography Network Challenge's premier winner was Minnesota MetroGIS DataFinder (www.metrogis.org), a collaborative organization representing more than 250 local governments and associations. Established to foster-shared use of geospatial data in the seven-county Twin Cities Metropolitan Area of Minnesota, MetroGIS DataFinder provides access to a number of map services through the Geography Network. Other winners include the Chicago Police Department; Iowa State University; City of Sydney, Australia; and the U.S. Geological Survey. To view a complete list of all 46 Geography Network Challenge winners log on to
www.esri.com/gnchallengewinners
Asia News
Singapore makeover for Bangalore as "IT hub of Asia"
A Singapore company has been engaged to give a facelift to Bangalore and convert India's information technology capital into the 'IT hub of Asia'. The Singapore firm will formulate a master plan to develop an IT corridor while the Australians and the French will provide the "back-end" support by studying the city's archaic water supply and drainage system and suggest remedies for its improvement.
"The two projects in the making will change the face and character of Bangalore. The master plan for the IT corridor will integrate the IT corridor with the infrastructure for IT and related industries as well as the rest of the city,'' a senior official, who did not want to be named, said. The master plan, prepared at a cost of $350,000 for the IT corridor, covers a 23 km stretch between Whitefield, where the Singapore consortium-led international tech park is located, and the electronics city.
Source : The Economic Times
E-Transactions Much Favored by Chinese Bankers
Chinese bankers have shown a persisting interest in online banking services despite the overall recession of the network economy. While state-owned commercial banks like the Merchant Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC), the Agricultural Bank, the Bank of China and the Construction Bank (CBC) have launched online banking services, small and medium-sized banks including CITIC Industrial Bank, Everbright Bank and Shenzhen Development Bank are seeking upgrades to their e-banks. With online banking services, the customers can have access to their accounts, allocate funds and make payments through a simple click of the mouse at home. Dr. Zhou Yonglin from ICBC Zhejiang Branch said online banking services have cut costs and made it more convenient for customers by diverting some transactions from the bank counters.
Meanwhile, network technologies make banks more "versatile". In addition to traditional transactions such as saving, deposit, extending loans and settlement, banks are now able to provide comprehensive financial services ranging from investment, insurance, consultancy to other derivative financial services. Statistics show that by the end of 1999 over 2,700 banks across the world had launched online financial services. In China, all commercial banks have opened e-banks. ICBC Zhejiang Branch, for example, has over 200,000 registered customers for its e-bank, and transactions through the e-bank have totaled 10 billion yuan (about 1.205 billion US dollars).
Source : Xinhua News Agency
