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Sponsor News
Esri Collaborates with Panama to Strengthen National Geospatial Capabilities
Redlands, California—January 24, 2012—The government of Panama signed a memorandum of understanding with Esri to leverage geospatial technology in support of national development. The agreement affirms Panama's recognition of the value of geographic information systems (GIS) in improving decision making and infrastructure management throughout the country. Esri president Jack Dangermond and Eduardo E. Jaén, general administrator of Panama's National Authority for Government Innovation, signed the agreement.
With support from Esri, Panama plans to streamline operations, better manage and share its spatial data, and extend geographic resources throughout government institutions. The country's national geospatial system, GEORED, will use Esri's ArcGIS technology to provide services in the areas of land management, tourism, infrastructure, traffic, health, education, public safety, national security, and investment planning, among others.
"With ArcGIS serving as the collaborative framework throughout the country, Panama can modernize operations while saving time and money," says Dangermond. "It also supports transparency and accountability by making it easier to share geographic information among government departments and with the public."
King County, Washington, Grows GIS with Esri ELA
Redlands, California—November 28, 2011—King County, Washington, the nation's fourteenth most-populous county and home to Microsoft, Amazon.com, Boeing, and Starbucks, has signed an enterprise license agreement (ELA) with Esri to better support the county's geographic information system (GIS) programs and initiatives.
The majority of King County's departments have used Esri's ArcGIS software for many years to improve operations and the delivery of services, but increasing use has frequently strained resources. Staff have often had to wait for licenses to become available to continue with their work. Now, all employees throughout the organization will have unlimited access to the ArcGIS software they need.
The ELA will also provide the platform that developers need to accelerate web application development. "Having additional flexibility with more ArcGIS licenses available for testing and production will enhance our ability to develop additional applications that serve our various agencies and the general public," says Greg Stought, King County GIS Center enterprise services manager.
King County GIS Center manager George Horning adds that he is looking forward to creating mobile versions of popular web mapping applications such as ParkFinder and What Do I Do With. . . ? ParkFinder shows residents information on local parks and trails, while What Do I Do With. . . ? shows people where they can recycle or dispose of unwanted materials, such as carpet, appliances, batteries, and scrap wood.
"We have a very active community in King County, so putting information into the hands of residents and businesses is essential," notes Stought. "There is a great deal of effort from division staff and program managers to be aware of what people are interested in and educate them about our programs. Putting information out in mapping applications that are intuitive and easy to use has proven very popular."
County leaders also plan to deliver mobile GIS applications for staff members such as appraisers. "They will have access to all the information they need in the field to complete their appraisals instead of checking back in to the office before they can finish their work," says Horning.
To learn more about Esri ELAs for government, visit esri.com/ela.
Data Transfer Solutions earns contract to provide open space land and water database for Boulder County, Colo.
July 7, 2011 - Data Transfer Solutions LLC (DTS), based in downtown Avalon Park in east Orlando, recently earned a contract worth $74,000 to provide an Open Space Land and Water Database for Boulder County, Colorado.
A.M.“Trey” Fragala III, AICP, PMP,chief operating officer at DTS, said the firm will establish an Open Space information framework for a comprehensive GIS land and water stewardship project. Additional modules, to be built in later phases, will integrate information about plant restoration, habitat preservation, trails construction, forestry management, agricultural activity, mine reclamation, and other projects that take place on the land, Fragala explained.
“An intuitive, user-friendly application for data management, with reliable, easily accessed spatial analysis, will help Boulder County preserve the conservation value of Boulder County open space,” Fragala said.
Data Transfer Solutions provides asset management, geographic information systems (GIS), transportation planning/engineering, web design, database/software applications, and video and multimedia production services to local governments and regional and state agencies throughout the U.S.
Esri Appoints Dawn J. Wright as Chief Scientist
Redlands, California—June 16, 2011—Ocean scientist, geographer, and geographic information system (GIS) author Dawn J. Wright will join Esri as its chief scientist on October 3, 2011. She will help formulate and advance the intellectual agenda for the environmental, conservation, climate, and ocean sciences aspect of Esri's work while also representing Esri to the national/international scientific community.
"As a scientist, Wright brings a background of rigor that will strengthen our alignment with the requirements of the scientific community," said Jack Dangermond, Esri president. "In her capacity as chief scientist, she will interface with government, business, industry, and the public and collaborate with them to understand and find solutions for our planet."
A notable authority in geographic information science, Wright has for the past 16 years teamed with scientists worldwide who use GIS to map and analyze terrains, ecosystems, and habitat. She combines her expertise as a geographer and GIS user to map the seafloor; design geospatial solutions for coastal mapping and charting; and advise organizations on oceanography and fisheries, including her current service on the National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board. She has worked with the GIS community to develop data models and create solutions for analyzing the ocean.
"I am honored and excited to serve with Esri in this capacity, and I look forward to helping advance Esri's science vision and scientific strategy as well as new initiatives to strengthen ocean GIS," said Wright.
Wright is currently professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University and will continue to be affiliated with the university. In 2007, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named her US Professor of the Year for the State of Oregon. She is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a new fellow of Stanford University's Aldo Leopold Leadership Program in science communication. Her research interests include geographic information science; ocean informatics and cyberinfrastructure; benthic terrain and habitat characterization; and the processing and interpretation of high-resolution bathymetry, video, and underwater photographic images. Wright received a PhD in physical geography and marine geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara; an MS in oceanography from Texas A&M; and a BS with honors from Wheaton College in Illinois. She is also certified by the GIS Certification Institute as a GIS professional (GISP).
Merrick Announces NERC Service Offering
Aurora, CO – June 16, 2011 – Merrick & Company has announced a new service offering for the power transmission industry. In response to the North American Energy Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) alert released late last year requiring power transmission line owners to document the existing conditions of their transmission assets, Merrick is providing helicopter-mounted light detection and ranging (LiDAR)/imaging multi-sensor data acquisition and processing for power line owners throughout the U.S. Helicopter-mounted multi-sensor systems provide greater accuracy in capturing the details of such issues in transmission corridors as power line sag, encroachment of vegetation, and structure information – some of the many components of in-field condition and clearance assessments. In addition, the ability of helicopters to tightly maneuver over transmission corridors, regardless of terrain, provides a cost-effective and speedier method of collecting the data versus traditional land surveying or fixed-wing aircraft data collection.
“We’re seeing an increasing demand for these types of services as line owners and operators work towards complying with NERC’s requirements,” said Torin Haskell, GISP, of Merrick. “And, helicopter-mounted, multi-sensor data acquisition platforms have clearly become the data collection method of choice.”
The North American Energy Reliability Corporation’s mission is to ensure the reliability of the North American bulk power system and is certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish and enforce reliability standards.
Merrick & Company, an $125 million geospatial, engineering, architecture, design-build, and surveying firm, serves domestic and international clients by providing geospatial technologies, products, and services for the sustainable infrastructure, energy, and national security markets. The firm’s most recent work includes providing terrestrial scanning for an electrical substation for Xcel Energy and acquiring light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for F.E. Warren Air Force Base and for a wind farm located in Kansas. Merrick maintains 10 offices in the U.S. as well as two offices in Mexico and an office in Canada.
Esri Business Summit Features Keynote from Starbucks
Commercial Organizations Worldwide Gather to Discuss Proven ROI Strategies
Redlands, California—June 09, 2011—Starbucks Coffee Company's Patrick O'Hagan, global marketing planning manager for the world's largest retail coffee chain, will keynote the Esri Business Summit to be held July 10–11, 2011, in San Diego, California. The summit draws business executives from all over the world to talk about how using location-based analysis will improve an organization's overall performance, effectiveness, and efficiency.
The morning Plenary Session will also feature speakers from different aspects of business, including insurance and risk management, retail, commercial real estate, facilities management, and manufacturing. Featured speakers include
- Nigel Davis, executive director of product development, Willis Analytics, at Willis Re, an international reinsurance firm
- Warner de Gooijer, strategic analyst and project manager for the global supply chain operations of Cisco Systems
- Matthew Felton, director of research, GIS, and mapping at MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, LLC
- Michelle Ellington, GISP, GIS coordinator for the University of Kentucky's facilities management and physical plant division
Afternoon breakout sessions will combine thought leadership with technological insight and best practices examples to deliver strategies for the future. Papers will be presented by executives from McDonalds, Norwegian hypermarket chain Coop Obs!, MarketStar, Petco, and many other commercial organizations.
"There is no other event quite like this," said Simon Thompson, director of commercial solutions at Esri. "The summit draws a truly global audience that comes together to share knowledge about GIS, which allows us to really see and understand interconnections of business in this world economy."
The summit is an invigorating meeting place for managers and executives who want to find out more about GIS and discuss how location-based intelligence can be used to seize opportunities and thrive in today's competitive economy.
To learn more and register, visit esri.com/bizsummit.
Thomson Reuters to Acquire Manatron
Tax & Accounting business moves into government sector with latest software acquisition
LONDON, June 2, 2011— Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Manatron, a provider of property tax automation and land registry software for governments and municipalities around the world, from Thoma Bravo LLC, a private equity firm. The completion of the acquisition is subject to standard regulatory approvals. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Manatron will strengthen the expanding Tax & Accounting business with an additional 1,400 clients in over 20 countries and more than 40 U.S. states. Manatron’s flagship solution, Government Revenue Management (GRM), is an integrated suite of web-based property recording, assessment and tax software that automates the operational, informational, and planning needs for assessors, auditors, treasurers, tax collectors and other government officials. Manatron’s software solutions are being used by governments to replace antiquated systems to help improve customer service, streamline processes and manage the growing velocity of legislative changes.
“The government tax automation space is a growing segment and a natural fit with our strategy to improve workflow efficiency for our clients through innovative technology,” said Brian Peccarelli, president of the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters. “Manatron has a great track record helping governments improve their collection and compliance processes, which improves accuracy, customer service and reduces costs associated with the collection process for all involved.”
In addition to its market-leading property tax offerings, Manatron is also a considered leader in the provision of land administration systems — helping governments and the private sector map, audit, register and publicize the value of assets and land. As one of the only providers of end-to-end government property tax management and land administration systems, Manatron processes more than $100 billion in annual tax revenue.
“Becoming part of Thomson Reuters extends Manatron’s global reach, but our mission remains the same —to deliver a solution that allows our clients to efficiently process and manage their land, property tax and assessment information,” said Bill McKinzie, president and chief executive officer at Manatron.
Colorado Counties Join Sidwell's Portico GIS Web Viewer Family
May 26, 2011 - St. Charles, IL – The Sidwell Company is excited to welcome several Colorado counties to the growing Portico family. Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Garfield Counties have all made the move to Portico. Along with developing the websites for these counties, Sidwell will also provide training on Portico and Esri®’s ArcGIS® Server. The sites will have a direct connection to the County’s existing Assessor web page allowing for a seamless integration between the GIS and Assessor data.
Sidwell’s Portico is a full-featured GIS web viewer that brings together the powerful spatial features of GIS with cutting edge rich user interfaces and animations, providing unprecedented ease of use, performance and visual appeal. Sidwell has eliminated the clutter of most mapping websites by incorporating a map-centric design, maximizing the map at all times. Fully cached maps provide users with blazing speed.
Visit a few of our most recent Portico websites:
http://jeffersonia.mygisonline.com
http://lakein.mygisonline.com/
http://CityofBeloitWI.mygisonline.com
New ELA Program Assists Smaller Public Safety Agencies
May 25, 2011
Redlands, California—Esri launched a new enterprise licensing program designed to make acquiring Esri technology easy and affordable for small public safety agencies. The Small Public Safety (SPS) Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) gives fire, law enforcement, corrections, probation, and emergency management departments the same benefits that larger organizations have realized from traditional Esri ELA programs. Created for agencies in the United States serving populations of 100,000 or fewer, the SPS ELA eliminates the cost barrier that can impede fully realizing the benefits of Esri software.
"Public safety agencies struggle to meet public expectations during difficult economic times," says Russ Johnson, public safety solutions director, Esri. "This new program allows smaller agencies to quickly and easily deploy a complete enterprise system to support complex analysis, effective resource deployment, and better overall decision support."
Public safety agencies will be able to take advantage of the ELA to deploy ArcGIS software as a complete system. They will be able to efficiently collect, organize, and manage data, making it more accessible on local machines, in enterprise systems, or in the cloud. Staff can take advantage of full information analysis and visualization capabilities, as well as field mobility and data sharing, for true situational awareness. In addition, the ArcGIS system provides easy-to-configure web mapping applications and can help filter and leverage social media and other volunteered geographic information. It provides a foundation for collaborating and communicating with the public, adjacent jurisdictions, and state or federal partners.
To learn more about Esri's ELAs for small government, visit esri.com/smallgovela.
Census 2010 Data Is Instantly Usable in Maps and Easy-to-Read Reports
May 23, 2011
Redlands, California—Today, Esri announces its first release of Census 2010 data. This release includes not only Census 2010 Redistricting data, but also updated 2010 geographic boundaries. Census 2010 data is available immediately from Esri in reports, dynamic color-coded maps, Smart Map Search, and in geographies that are not available from the Census Bureau.
"Esri is doing more than providing our users with 2010 Census data," says Catherine Spisszak, Esri Data product manager. "We are providing 2010 Census data in a way they can actually use it—in easy-to-read reports, powerful maps, and in nonstandard geographies."
For ease of use, the Census 2010 Profile report from Esri Business Analyst Online (BAO) and Community Analyst displays the data in counts and percentages for any geography. Mapping tools in Business Analyst Online and Community Analyst enable users to quickly thematically map the Census 2010 data in 2010 geography by selecting colors, ranges, and the zoom level.
In addition to mapping tools, Esri provides Census 2010 data for geographies not supplied by the Census Bureau, such as ZIP Codes and user-defined polygons, including drive times, rings, and hand-drawn trade areas.
Esri also provides the Census 2010 data for standard census geographies such as states, counties, census tracts, and block groups.
Subscribers and guest users can access the Census 2010 data immediately in Business Analyst Online and Community Analyst. Business Analyst Desktop users can access the Census 2010 data by choosing the Show Online Reports option from Preferences. Business Analyst Server users can integrate the Census 2010 data and reports instantly via the Business Analyst Online APIs.
To learn more, visit esri.com/census or call 1-800-447-9778.
ILS to Conduct User Needs Analysis in Trinidad & Tobago
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD -- May 12, 2011 -- International Land Systems (ILS), Inc. in partnership with GISCAD Limited has been awarded the User Needs Analysis (UNA) to guide the design and implementation of a GIS-based Land Information System (LISTT).
The purpose of the project is to determine the needs of the Land Management Division (LMD) and create the conceptual design for the forthcoming LISTT. ILS and GISCAD will also provide recommendations to the LMD for future management of state-owned lands in the island nation.
This analysis comes as the first phase of the larger overall LISTT project to replace the existing State Agricultural Land Information System that was developed for the then Land Administration Division in 2000. The LISTT will cover all state lands on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
ILS Systems Analyst, Lisa Kay Simone Lewis said, "We plan to conduct a thorough analysis of the current situation and create an effective implementation process that will foster a more harmonious management of land resources in Trinidad and Tobago. Of paramount importance will be the practical recommendations which will result from the collaborative efforts of both GISCAD and ILS that will assist the LMD to effectively administer and manage land on the islands."
The Land Management Division (LMD) is a Division of the Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs (MFPLMA), and will oversee project implementation.
International Land Systems (ILS), Inc. -- A Manatron Company is a land administration solutions company that offers the power of land management through application of modern technology and methodologies. Together, ILS and Manatron offer a complete land and property information management solution including integrated taxation, assessment, recording, cadastre mapping, and registry systems. The company has worked in more than 30 countries and implemented over 100 projects worldwide. ILS is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, and has subsidiary offices in Kiev, Ukraine, and Cochabamba, Bolivia. Manatron, the parent company of ILS, has more than 1,600 government clients worldwide, and is a privately-held company and an investment of private equity firm Thoma Bravo, LLC.
Enterprise GIS Improves Efficiency and Services in Wayne County
Renewal of Esri Enterprise License Agreement Enables Continued GIS Development
May 10, 2011
Redlands, California—Since becoming the first customer to take advantage of Esri's Small Government Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) program in 2008, Wayne County, Pennsylvania's GIS has increased efficiency and public services in a variety of areas. The county is renewing its ELA for another three years, ensuring continued access to Esri's ArcGIS software to further develop the county's enterprise-wide GIS.
"As we bring GIS across the organization, it helps departments communicate, reduces data redundancies, and lets everyone know what info is available," says Wayne County GIS coordinator Aaron Lankford, GISP. "With the ArcGIS license, the issue is not about what you can do with GIS. Instead, it's about what you want to do."
Through its original ELA, Wayne County centralized six departments' geodatabases and deployed a variety of resources built on ArcGIS technology, including
- Internal applications that allow non-GIS users, such as elections department staff, to access information and verify records
- The online Wayne County GIS Department Public Map, which provides details on addressing, structures, tax records, roads, hydrology, natural gas wells, and more, along with current and historic aerial photography
- A coordinated emergency response system that synchronizes the county's remotely hosted 911 system with its enterprise GIS to give public safety staff immediate access to the most current geospatial information
- An automatic location identification (ALI) system within the GIS that pinpoints the precise source of telecommunications for emergency personnel
Future GIS-based solutions will include an application that provides field assessors with synchronous tax and property data on their laptops throughout the day, taking the guesswork out of identifying property lines and structural modifications.
Lankford says comprehensive licensing provided through the ELA makes it easy for county departments to obtain geospatial solutions to suit their needs—from ArcGIS Desktop for planning and assessment staff to ArcGIS Server and selected extensions for the county's GIS team.
Further details on the Wayne County GIS department are available at http://gis.co.wayne.pa.us/. To learn about Esri ELAs, visit esri.com/ela.
Manatron, Inc. Acquires International Land Systems, Creates New International Division
PORTAGE, MI — January 10, 2010 - Manatron, Inc., a global leader in integrated property tax and records management software for state and local governments, today announced it has acquired International Land Systems (ILS) Inc., creating a new division: Manatron International. The acquisition was led by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, LLC. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., ILS provides land management and land administration software systems and professional services to government clients in the U.S. and internationally, as well as private sector and non-governmental organization (NGO) clients worldwide.
ILS is considered a leading expert in legal international cadastre systems – a government’s public records and registries of land ownership, value and extent for legal and taxation purposes. The company designs, develops and markets a number of land management and land administration software products. ILS has deployed software and provided services and training in more than 30 countries worldwide including: China, Qatar, Jamaica, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany, Ghana, and the United States. The company has offices located in Kiev, Ukraine and Cochabamba, Bolivia.
"This is a very exciting acquisition for Manatron, as ILS immediately expands our business into the international market space," said Bill McKinzie, president and CEO of Manatron. "With ILS, Manatron will establish an international operating division within the company, Manatron International. In addition, Peter Rabley brings with him over 20 years of international property experience as well as a strong management team and skilled staff.”
McKinzie added: “ILS has unmatched expertise in the area of international cadastre and registry systems. That insight fits well with Manatron’s established expertise in the valuation aspects of cadastral systems – what is located on the land and the value of that asset (e.g. house or business, garage, etc.). Operating as one company, we can seamlessly go from providing systems that document legal property ownership to systems that value the property and its structures, giving governments the information they need to effectively tax properties. We will offer the only truly ‘complete’ land records solution on the market.”
Peter Rabley, president and CEO of ILS, will become part of the executive leadership team at Manatron and will serve as executive vice president, Manatron International. ILS has a staff of approximately 85 employees located in three countries who joined Manatron effective December 31, 2010.
Rabley added: “I am pleased that my team and I are able to join a company of Manatron’s reputation and financial strength. Our clients will certainly benefit from the additional resources and expertise Manatron has, particularly in the area of property valuation and taxation systems. The acquisition only strengthens our position as a global leader in integrated land administration software and services.”
