As GIS applications extend into mobile environments, the design of user interfaces becomes critical for delivering spatial data functionality on small screens. Mobile GIS interfaces must balance complexity and usability, enabling users to inspect, query, and interact with geographic data without overwhelming the limited display space available on mobile devices.

Trends in spatial software design show that dynamic paneling — interfaces that adapt to user context and data queries — is emerging as a powerful method for presenting spatial information intuitively in mobile applications. Responsive design principles help ensure that key functionality remains accessible while preserving a focus on core mapping tasks.

The Role of Dynamic Panels in Data Visualization

Dynamic panels are interface components that update content based on user actions, such as selecting a data layer or performing a query. These panels can display lists of relevant data sources, visual summaries, attribute information, or actionable metrics. A well-designed dynamic panel can significantly improve how users navigate and interpret spatial datasets within a constrained mobile interface.

In GIS mobile apps, panels might adapt to show context-specific tools — for example, querying nearby points of interest, toggling layer visibility, or highlighting statistics about an area. Because panels are driven by user interaction, they can make complex spatial data more approachable and minimize the learning curve for field operators and casual users alike.

Best Practices for Mobile Spatial Interaction

Designing effective mobile GIS interfaces requires thoughtful attention to how users engage with spatial data on the move. One key practice is prioritizing the most commonly used tools — such as zoom controls, search functions, and quick insights about geographic features — in prominent UI elements. Contextually hidden or collapsible panels help reduce visual clutter while providing depth when needed.

Another best practice involves ensuring that touch interactions — tap, swipe, and pinch gestures — are mapped intuitively to spatial tasks like selecting features, panning maps, or examining attribute details. Adequate spacing, visible feedback, and consistent visual language all contribute to a mobile GIS experience that feels responsive and intuitive.

The evolution of mobile GIS interfaces continues alongside broader trends in spatial computing, including augmented reality (AR) overlays and voice-assisted interaction. Future mobile GIS solutions are likely to incorporate machine learning to anticipate user needs, surface relevant layers automatically, or adapt layout based on task context.

Additionally, as cloud services proliferate, mobile clients are increasingly lightweight, relying on remote processing for heavy analytics while providing seamless local visualization and interaction. The combination of dynamic panels, responsive design, and intelligent data delivery will define the next generation of spatial applications that empower users across industries — from utilities and transportation to environmental monitoring and disaster response.

Articles

Exploring GIS Mobile Interfaces and Dynamic Panel Design

Introduction to Affective Geovisualizations

Affective geovisualizations refer to a class of geographic visual representations that go beyond mere data presentation to evoke emotional engagement, meaning, and experience in viewers. This editorial discusses how cartographic and GIS practitioners can consider not only what spatial information shows, but also how it feels to the user — a shift that connects analytical mapping with cultural and psychological dimensions.

Traditionally, geovisualizations have focused on conveying objective spatial facts accurately and efficiently. However, as geographic visualization evolves and integrates with digital and interactive media, there is growing interest in how maps influence human interpretation through aesthetics, narrative, and emotional resonance.

Theoretical Foundations and Emotional Geography

The idea of affective mapping draws from concepts in emotional geography, which examines how human emotions relate to places and spatial experiences. In this context, affective geovisualizations aim to bridge the analytic and emotional realms by engaging viewers in ways that reflect both spatial reality and personal or collective perceptions of place.

This approach challenges traditional boundaries of cartography by suggesting that maps may not only serve as instruments of measurement but also as mediums for storytelling, empathy, and experiential insight — broadening the potential impact of spatial data beyond technical audiences.

Design Considerations and Mapping Practice

In practical terms, affective geovisualization design encourages creators to think about how color, composition, narrative structure, and interactive elements influence the emotional response of map users. For example, visual emphasis on certain features can draw attention to critical patterns, while the use of visual metaphors may invite deeper cognitive and affective engagement.

Understanding the psychological effects of different graphical choices empowers mapmakers to craft visualizations that communicate not just where things are, but what they mean to the people who view them.

Implications for GIS and Spatial Storytelling

Affective geovisualizations have implications across GIS disciplines, from participatory planning and community engagement to education and public communication. By integrating emotional and experiential layers, spatial visualization can become a more effective tool for building shared understanding and sparking dialogue around place-based issues.

As geospatial technologies continue to advance, the editorial suggests that embracing affective dimensions can enrich the ways in which maps contribute to human insight, discourse, and collective sense-making — pushing the boundaries of traditional cartographic practice.

Guest Editorial: The Value of Affective Geovisualizations

Planimetric imagery refers to spatial data that records the two-dimensional location of features on the earth’s surface, excluding elevation or topographic information. These images capture the plan or horizontal positions of features such as roads, buildings, waterways, and utilities, and form the basis for many mapping and analysis workflows in GIS.

In contrast to topographic data, which includes elevation and terrain characteristics, planimetric imagery emphasizes the horizontal distribution of features — a perspective that is particularly useful for urban planning, infrastructure mapping, and land management.

Planimetric imagery plays a central role in a variety of mapping solutions. It enables the accurate delineation of feature footprints, road networks, parcel boundaries, and other surface details that are essential for operational decision-making.

For example, in urban planning and transportation analysis, planimetric maps help planners visualize street alignments, identify parcel interactions, or assess connectivity. Similarly, real estate and cadastral mapping rely heavily on planimetric data for accurate boundary representation.

Integration of planimetric imagery into GIS enables spatial analysts to overlay these detailed maps with other data layers such as demographic statistics, infrastructure networks, or environmental features. The resulting composite view supports more informed decision-making and helps uncover spatial patterns that might otherwise be overlooked.

GIS platforms also allow analysts to extract attributes from planimetric layers, perform spatial queries, and conduct proximity or network analysis, making this imagery an indispensable component of modern spatial data systems.

Enhancing Decision-Making and Project Outcomes

The value of planimetric imagery lies not only in its precision but also in its analytical utility. By providing a clear and consistent representation of surface features, planimetric data enhances project planning, supports asset management, and reduces uncertainty in operational tasks.

Whether applied to infrastructure development, environmental monitoring, or market analysis, planimetric imagery gives professionals a robust foundation for accurate mapping solutions and strategic insights.

Global Geospatial Industry Event Focused on GIS and Mapping Technologies

The Value of Planimetric Imagery in Mapping Solutions

What Is the Esri User Conference (Esri UC)?

The Esri User Conference (UC) is an annual gathering of GIS professionals, developers, educators, and enthusiasts from around the world. Known as one of the most significant events in the geographic information system community, Esri UC showcases the latest advancements in GIS technology, best practices, and real-world applications.

Started in 1981 as a small meeting of GIS users, the conference has grown into a major event with thousands of participants, extensive technical sessions, and large exhibition halls where partners and innovators demonstrate new tools and solutions.

At Esri UC, attendees can explore hundreds of presentations, workshops, and interactive sessions covering topics from spatial data visualization to cloud-native geospatial infrastructures. Sessions often include deep-dives into Esri product workflows, such as ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and emerging technologies.

Alongside formal programming, the conference hosts showcases and user-led presentations that emphasize practical GIS implementations in sectors such as urban planning, disaster response, transportation, and environmental monitoring. This blend of technical content and real-world context makes the event valuable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Esri UC is more than a technical conference; it is a global community gathering. Attendees have the opportunity to meet GIS professionals from diverse backgrounds, exchange ideas, and build professional networks across industry, academia, and government. Workshops and informal meet-ups foster collaboration and often lead to long-term partnerships.

For many participants, UC is also a chance to share success stories, learn new techniques, and discover approaches that elevate their own GIS practice.

The conference serves as a barometer of trends in the geospatial industry. Discussions at UC often preview the future direction of GIS technology, including increased interoperability, cloud integration, and real-time data analytics.

Each year’s event acts as a platform for Esri and its partners to highlight strategic innovations and for users to voice their insights on how GIS is transforming decision-making in organisations worldwide.

Introduction to the Esri User Conference (Esri UC)

OpenGeo released a major upgrade to its open source geospatial software suite — OpenGeo Suite 3.0 — bringing enhancements that aim to narrow the feature gap with established proprietary GIS solutions. This update reflects continued interest in open source platforms capable of supporting both basic and advanced spatial data workflows.

The suite combines multiple open source components into a single package, facilitating web mapping, geospatial data management, and spatial analysis without the high licensing costs associated with proprietary systems.

OpenGeo Suite 3.0 introduces improved tools for production and processing that make it easier for users to deploy robust mapping applications. In the updated release, developers focused on streamlining administrative controls, enhancing data ingestion workflows, and providing richer client support for modern web mapping standards.

These enhancements are designed to attract organizations seeking open source alternatives that can perform many of the same tasks traditionally reserved for commercial GIS software, expanding the appeal of the suite among spatial professionals and developers alike.

Open Source Ecosystem and Community Support

Built on a foundation of established geospatial open source components like GeoServer, PostGIS, GeoWebCache, and others, OpenGeo Suite exemplifies the collaborative strength of the open source geospatial ecosystem. This community-driven approach enables interoperability, extensibility, and customization to meet a wide range of spatial analysis needs.

Projects such as those supported by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) reinforce this ecosystem, offering tools and resources that empower users to deploy end-to-end geospatial solutions without restrictive licensing.

By delivering a more integrated and user-friendly open source suite, the 3.0 release helps break down barriers to adoption for organizations of varying sizes. The ability to leverage open standards and community-backed components paves the way for broader use of spatial data technologies in government, research, and industry settings.

Because the suite includes support for widely used web mapping protocols and data formats, it enables seamless integration with other systems and workflows — a key consideration for spatial professionals evaluating their technology stack.

While the landscape of open source geospatial software continues to evolve, improvements such as those in OpenGeo Suite 3.0 demonstrate ongoing innovation and investment by developers committed to expanding the capabilities of freely available GIS tools. For users and organizations looking to balance performance, cost, and flexibility, the suite remains a compelling option within the broader open source geospatial ecosystem.

Digging Into Open Source Geospatial Software and OpenGeo Suite 3.0

Retail trade area analysis examines the geographic region from which a store or location draws most of its customers. This type of analysis helps businesses understand how far and where people travel to shop, allowing for better market planning and site selection. It has long been a core application of spatial analysis in retail studies.

Trade area analysis is essential for understanding market penetration, competitive positioning, and customer behavior, especially when integrated with geographic information systems (GIS), which enable analysts to visualize and quantify spatial patterns efficiently.

Techniques and Models in Trade Area Delineation

Several techniques exist to delineate retail trade areas. Simple approaches include radial rings or concentric buffers around a store, which represent approximate travel distances. Another common method involves drive-time polygons, reflecting actual travel behavior. More advanced probabilistic models incorporate relative attractiveness and distance effects.

One widely used model in retail trade analysis is the Huff model, which estimates the probability that a consumer will visit a specific store based on its attractiveness and distance compared to competitors. This model, introduced by Huff in 1963, has been implemented in many GIS environments due to its intuitive formula and ability to reflect spatial consumer behavior.

GIS technology greatly enhances trade area analysis by enabling extraction, aggregation, and visualization of demographic and spatial data. Analysts can combine spatial layers with customer data to generate trade area maps that illustrate where revenue originates and how consumer patterns vary across space.

By integrating spatial models with GIS, retail planners can produce more accurate market profiles, evaluate potential new site performance, and identify areas of market opportunity or saturation.

Retail trade area analysis serves multiple strategic objectives. It informs site selection decisions, estimates market demand, supports competitive analysis, and assists in merchandising and demographic profiling. Accurate trade area delineation can directly influence forecasting and long-term asset performance.

With increasingly rich spatial data and improved analytical techniques, businesses are better equipped to tailor marketing strategies, plan network expansion, and deepen insights into consumer behavior patterns across geographic regions.

Retail Trade Area Analysis Using Spatial Models and GIS

Mining SAP BO with Galigeo-for-BI for improved Location Intelligence outcomes

More and more companies are deploying Location Intelligence (LI) solutions to better leverage their investments in Business Intelligence solutions. These companies are seeing demonstrable improvements in

operational metrics, customer growth and revenues. In a recent TechTarget 2012 survey,...

The New Paradigm : Leveraging the “Information Cloud” with the Dynamic GIS

Last year, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just miles from Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. More recently, massive earthquakes have also struck Christchurch, New Zealand and Japan’s east coast, shocking and devastating local residents and providing a striking reminder of how...

Business intelligence supports decision-making but location shows you ‘Where is the Business?’

All business needs information to make decisions and never more so than in our ever-changing world. Providing the right information at the right time is never going to be a simple task.

Enhancing data by adding information about location will add real value to your business intelligence...

Advanced Spatial Data Management for Enterprise Applications

Oracle Spatial 11g, an option for Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition, provides advanced spatial capabilities to support geospatial applications, location-based services, and enterprise spatial information systems. Oracle Spatial extends the core location features included in every Oracle...

Rein in 3D Point Clouds with the LAS Format

The advent of LiDAR sensors has been valuable for the geospatial industry, but there have been some challenges as the community attempts to fully leverage the technology. As you may already know, LiDAR is similar to radar in that both direct an active signal towards the surface of interest...

White Papers

This event brings together professionals from across the geospatial and spatial technology community for focused discussion, learning, and collaboration. Designed as a forum for knowledge exchange, the event addresses current challenges and opportunities facing the GIS and remote sensing industries.

Participants include practitioners, researchers, technology providers, and decision makers who share a common interest in advancing the use of spatial data and geospatial tools.

The primary purpose of the event is to provide a structured environment for exploring emerging trends in geospatial technology. Sessions are designed to encourage practical discussion around data management, spatial analysis, and the integration of geospatial systems into organizational workflows.

By emphasizing real-world applications, the event supports professionals seeking to apply geospatial concepts to operational and strategic decision-making.

Discussions at the event cover a range of topics relevant to the geospatial sector, including advances in GIS software, remote sensing applications, data standards, and spatial data infrastructure. Attention is also given to organizational challenges such as data interoperability, scalability, and long-term system planning.

These themes reflect the evolving role of geospatial technologies across industries and sectors.

Beyond technical content, the event provides opportunities for professional development and peer interaction. Attendees benefit from shared experiences, informal discussions, and exposure to diverse perspectives within the geospatial community.

Such engagement helps strengthen professional networks and encourages collaboration beyond the event itself.

The event takes place during a period of continued growth and transformation within the geospatial industry. As spatial data becomes more central to analysis and planning, events like this play an important role in supporting community learning and industry alignment.

By offering a dedicated space for dialogue and exchange, the event contributes to the broader advancement of geospatial knowledge and practice.

As an archived event, this gathering represents a snapshot of industry priorities and discussions at that time. The ideas and insights shared continue to inform how geospatial technologies are understood and applied today.

The event remains part of the historical record of professional engagement within the geospatial field.

Geospatial Industry Conference and Professional Event

Last week’s news of riots across England sparked many news outlets to do the logical thing: map them. And many did, using eyewitness accounts, authoritative sources and social media. This week we look at the challenge of using social media as geodata and what journalists, geospatial professionals and the public can learn from these efforts.

Our sponsor, Pitney Bowes Business Insights would like to remind you that MapInfo Professional v11.0 is now available – the product includes a redesigned browser window for better data analysis, and the ability to perform memory intensive operations. Visit www.pbinsight.com to download the 30 day trial version today.

Podcast: Curating Geodata from Social Media to Map the London Riots

This company operates within the geospatial and spatial technology sector, providing solutions that support the collection, analysis, and interpretation of location-based data. Its activities focus on helping organizations better understand spatial patterns and relationships through the use of GIS tools, mapping technologies, and data-driven workflows.

With experience across multiple application areas, the company has positioned itself as a contributor to the growing adoption of geospatial technologies in both public and private sector environments.

The company offers a range of services centered on geospatial data management, spatial analysis, and system implementation. These capabilities are designed to support organizations at different stages of geospatial adoption, from initial data integration to advanced analytical use cases.

In addition to technical services, the company emphasizes practical implementation, ensuring that geospatial solutions align with operational needs and existing information systems.

A key aspect of the company’s approach is the effective use of modern geospatial technologies to deliver reliable and scalable results. This includes working with structured and unstructured spatial data, supporting interoperability, and maintaining data quality across workflows.

By focusing on adaptable architectures and flexible tools, the company enables clients to respond to changing data requirements and evolving business objectives.

The company’s solutions are applied across a variety of industries, including infrastructure planning, environmental analysis, resource management, and spatial decision support. Its work supports activities such as monitoring change over time, assessing risk, and improving operational efficiency through spatial insight.

These applications demonstrate the versatility of geospatial technologies when applied to complex, real-world challenges.

Looking forward, the company aims to strengthen its role within the geospatial community by continuing to refine its services and expand its technological capabilities. Emphasis is placed on long-term value, sustainable implementation, and the growing importance of spatial data in organizational strategy.

As demand for location-based intelligence continues to increase, the company remains focused on supporting informed decision-making through effective geospatial solutions.

Geospatial Solutions Company Profile

Building on peer‑reviewed science, the company is weaving advanced mapping intelligence from Fathom into its in‑house system for catastrophe analysis, sharpening its perspective on worldwide inundation exposure.

After the deal closed late in 2023, joint specialists broadened and harmonized core datasets from Fathom to power the next wave of catastrophe analytics. Across the program, catalogs of rare events stretching roughly fifty millennia are being assembled, using machine‑learning‑augmented climate simulations to reflect more severe tails and reduce reliance on the historical record.

Those catalogs will run atop FathomDEM+, the firm’s high‑resolution elevation layer with worldwide coverage, raising accuracy across many regions.

In production today, high‑fidelity hydrology capabilities already power components of Swiss Re Risk Data Solutions, while joint teams are methodically weaving Fathom datasets into underwriting and portfolio oversight to deliver decision tools for insurance and corporate clients.

Across the planet, close to one‑half of land surfaces—and on the order of four billion residents—face exposure to inundation threats, which elevates the need for decision‑grade analytics. As exposure grows, better intelligence helps a leading worldwide carrier serve clients and underwrite with greater confidence, supporting communities and economies as they prepare for and manage extreme flooding.

Swiss Re Integrates Fathom Data to Strengthen Flood Risk View

Through a new alliance, specialized trials will evaluate software from Pix4D on systems built by Puget Systems, laying the groundwork for a focused benchmark tool tailored to real workflows.

Testing of Software and Technical Collaboration

In pursuit of clearer performance guidance, the two organizations will co‑run a Pix4D benchmark on Puget Systems workstations, co‑author engineering insights, and present tuned hardware recommendations for users.

Pix4D Names Puget Systems: Official Status as a Certified Provider of Hardware

As a direct outcome of the alliance, official recognition is granted by Pix4D, which designates Puget Systems as a certified provider of hardware for its entire client community, guiding choices toward the right workstation lines for photogrammetry work.

Optimization of Hardware and Pix4D Benchmark for PIX4Dmatic

To drive results, engineering and lab teams from both sides will co‑design tailored trials focused on PIX4Dmatic; after pre‑defined runs, Puget Systems evaluates varied CPU and GPU configurations while validating throughput and stability.

Update Log: Publishing Findings and Recommended Systems

With early access to pre‑release builds, license entitlements, and suitable dataset packages supplied by Pix4D, Puget Systems will share results via performance write‑ups and email briefings after each round of benchmark testing, then adjust its recommended system guidance accordingly.

By following an iterative loop, measurements mirror day‑to‑day workflows used in PIX4Dmatic and remain aligned with the latest software changes, helping buyers choose the right configuration at the right time.

Puget Systems Joins Pix4d Benchmark Initiative

This press release introduces new initiatives within the geospatial industry, reflecting continued efforts to adapt spatial technologies to evolving analytical and operational demands. The announcement focuses on strategic direction rather than a single product or service, emphasizing long-term value and industry relevance.

As spatial data becomes increasingly central to decision-making, organizations are seeking approaches that balance innovation with stability and scalability.

The geospatial sector is experiencing steady growth driven by increased demand for location-based insights across multiple domains. From infrastructure planning to environmental analysis, spatial information is now a core component of modern data ecosystems.

This context shapes how organizations define priorities, invest in technology, and develop solutions that meet both current and future needs.

The initiatives described aim to strengthen the role of geospatial technologies within broader organizational strategies. Rather than operating as isolated systems, spatial tools are being designed to integrate seamlessly with enterprise platforms and analytical workflows.

Such alignment ensures that geospatial data can be accessed, shared, and applied more effectively across departments and stakeholder groups.

Technological emphasis is placed on improving data quality, processing efficiency, and system interoperability. These improvements help organizations manage growing volumes of spatial data while maintaining accuracy and consistency.

By refining underlying architectures and workflows, geospatial solutions can better support complex analyses and evolving use cases.

For end users, these developments translate into more intuitive tools and more reliable outputs. Enhanced usability lowers the barrier to entry for non-specialists, while advanced capabilities continue to support expert-level analysis.

This combination encourages broader adoption and more consistent use of spatial data across organizational roles.

Looking ahead, the initiatives outlined in this press release reflect a commitment to sustainable growth within the geospatial industry. Continued focus on adaptability and collaboration will help ensure that spatial technologies remain relevant as data requirements evolve.

As organizations increasingly rely on location-based insights, geospatial solutions will continue to play a critical role in shaping informed, data-driven strategies across industries.

Emerging Initiatives and Strategic Direction in the Geospatial Industry

This press release outlines recent activity within the geospatial industry, focusing on organizational initiatives designed to strengthen the use and management of spatial data. The announcement reflects a broader effort to adapt geospatial technologies to changing operational and analytical requirements.

As geospatial data continues to play a growing role in decision-making, organizations are increasingly focused on solutions that balance innovation with reliability and long-term usability.

The developments described emphasize a strategic approach to advancing geospatial capabilities. Rather than isolated technical upgrades, these initiatives aim to align spatial technologies with broader organizational goals and workflows.

This alignment allows geospatial data to move beyond specialized applications and become a more integrated component of enterprise-level planning and analysis.

Advancements highlighted in the announcement include improvements in data processing, system performance, and interoperability. These enhancements support more efficient handling of large and complex spatial datasets while maintaining accuracy and consistency.

By improving how geospatial systems interact with existing platforms, organizations can reduce operational friction and increase the overall value of spatial information.

The initiatives described provide clear benefits for both technical users and decision makers. More accessible tools and refined workflows help lower barriers to adoption while expanding the range of possible applications.

As a result, organizations are better equipped to use spatial data for monitoring, analysis, and strategic planning across diverse use cases.

Looking ahead, the progress outlined in this press release points to continued growth and innovation within the geospatial sector. Ongoing investment in scalable and adaptable solutions is expected to further strengthen the role of spatial data in modern information strategies.

As adoption continues to expand, geospatial technologies will remain a critical foundation for data-driven insights and informed decision-making across industries.

Recent Developments and Strategic Initiatives in the Geospatial Industry

This press release highlights recent developments within the geospatial industry, reflecting ongoing innovation and strategic planning across organizations working with spatial data and technologies. The announcement focuses on initiatives designed to improve the use, management, and accessibility of geospatial information in professional and operational environments.

The geospatial sector continues to evolve as new tools, standards, and workflows are adopted. These developments support more efficient decision-making, improved data integration, and broader adoption of spatial technologies across public and private sectors.

Implications for the Geospatial Community

The initiatives outlined demonstrate how organizations are responding to growing demand for reliable spatial information and advanced geospatial solutions. By investing in technology, collaboration, and standardized approaches, the industry is strengthening its ability to address complex challenges related to infrastructure, environment, planning, and resource management.

Such announcements underline the importance of geospatial technologies as a foundational component of modern analysis and decision support, reinforcing their role in shaping future industry practices.

Geospatial Industry Developments and Strategic Initiatives

IDV Solutions announced
an open beta of its SpatialWiki
recently. SpatialWiki "is an Enterprise 2.0 offering for visual
collaboration, deployable within SharePoint or with cloud-based
storage. The wiki offers users a number of great benefits including the
ability to create custom geospatial shapes on a map, search and view
shared geography, and export files." We posed some questions to Chief
Technology Officer Ian Clemens.

Directions Magazine (DM): We understand that with the open beta of
SpatialWiki, individuals can draw and tag new features in "drawings" on
top of Virtual Earth. Others can later copy them as the basis of new
drawings or edit them. Can you explain how this might be used in an
enterprise? Perhaps provide a use case?

Ian Clemens (IC): SpatialWiki provides a quick, collaborative,
browser-based tool for creating geospatial information without the
complexity of a full GIS. SpatialWiki also provides storage flexibility
in that it is integrated with SharePoint portal
or with Microsoft Cloud Services, specifically SQL Server Data
Services. Enterprise customers are demanding solutions that allow them
to utilize geospatial in their enterprise apps and environments, for
example, SharePoint portal, Cloud-based storage. The alternative has
been to take GIS and attempt to shoehorn it into enterprise IT - which
often doesn't work, and leaves the enterprise users dissatisfied.

One compelling use case for SpatialWiki is in the area of security
operations, whether for a corporate building, public event or a college
campus. For example, a couple of years back our company, IDV Solutions,
supported security operations for the Torino Winter Olympics. The need
was for security personnel to have a map-based ad hoc tool to draw and
comment on the map itself, and then quickly share out that information
to the global security team. SpatialWiki handles this use case
brilliantly.  Users can draw in media perimeters and delineate
trouble spots, for example, and then share those out to a larger group,
tagged with appropriate metadata. SpatialWiki also allows users to
restore previous versions of map drawings and revert back to an earlier
copy.

DM: Those new to Cloud Computing may not be aware of Microsoft's
SQL Server Data Services, one solution for the storage of
SpatialWiki geodata. Can you explain how that type of storage is
different from the more familiar Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)?

IC: We have worked with both of these Cloud-based storage
offerings, and both work well. What distinguishes SQL Server Data
Services is that it's more than a bit bucket for storage; it also has
database elements such as query and modify, and integrates with the
on-premise SQL Server, which is familiar to enterprise customers.

DM: We understand the drawings can be output as KML and "spatially
enabled SQL Server 2008 scripts." What are "spatially enabled SQL
Server 2008 scripts"?

IC: SpatialWiki allows users to export to KML or as a script that
can be imported directly in SQL Server 2008 as geospatial information.
Export options give users the flexibility to bring their
SpatialWiki-generated information into other applications.

DM: How will security be implemented? Enterprise customers don't
want their drawings to be accessible by just anyone.

IC: Security of information is critical. Different from the
current beta, which is open to the public, the SpatialWiki application
itself is hosted by the customer behind a firewall. For storage,
SpatialWiki customers currently have two options, SharePoint or SQL
Server Data Services (SSDS). In the case of SharePoint storage, the
data never leave the enterprise and stay behind the enterprise firewall
with all the security of SharePoint. For customers wanting more
flexibility in storage, and perhaps the ability to securely share
geospatial data to key partners and stakeholders in an extranet
fashion, SSDS may be more appropriate. SSDS also provides
enterprise-level security for data.

DM: What are the benefits of developing on Silverlight beyond the slick
interface?

IC: Best of breed user experiences (UX) often make the difference
between an application that gets used or doesn't. Silverlight is a
great technology for allowing rich, dynamic UX that users enjoy working
with and find easy to understand.

From a technical, geospatial standpoint, Silverlight allows for an
order of magnitude greater number of vector nodes than AJAX; for
example, where an AJAX map slows down significantly when you render
100-200 points concurrently, Silverlight allows for thousands of points.

Five Questions About IDV's SpatialWiki Beta

NASA, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, will launch the Nation’s next Earth-observing satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 11. Landsat 8 will extend the longest continuous and comprehensive record of the Earth’s land as viewed from space. This article looks at the mission ahead and the technical specifications of the imaging payload.



Currently known as NASA’s Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), the satellite will be renamed Landsat 8 after three months of extensive testing.  Operational control will then be transferred to USGS.

Landsat 8 will extend the longest continuous and comprehensive record of the Earth’s land as viewed from space. As the world’s population surpasses seven billion people, the impact of human society on the planet is increasing. The continuation of Landsat’s four-decade look at Earth will help monitor those impacts and more accurately forecast future environmental change.

Landsat data can assist a broad range of specialists in managing the world’s food, water, forests, and other natural resources for a growing world population.

Landsat images from space are not just pictures. They contain many layers of data collected at different points along the visible and invisible light spectrum. Consequently, Landsat images can show where vegetation is thriving and where it is stressed, where droughts are occurring, where wildland fire is a danger, and where erosion has altered coastlines or river courses.

Landsat satellites give us a view as broad as 12,000 square miles per scene while describing land cover in units the size of a baseball diamond. From a distance of more than 400 miles above the earth surface, a single Landsat scene can record the condition of hundreds of thousands of acres of grassland, agricultural crops, or forests.

Landsat images reveal subtle, gradual changes, such as Wyoming rangelands greening up after a drought, as well as massive landscape changes that occur in rapidly growing urban areas. Landsat can also provide broad assessments of sudden natural or human-induced disasters, such as the number of acres charred by a forest fire or the extent of tsunami inundation. Landsat data have been used to monitor water quality, glacier recession, sea ice movement, invasive species encroachment, coral reef health, land use change, deforestation rates, and population growth.

he Department of the Interior (DOI) policy of unrestricted access and free distribution of Landsat data encourages researchers everywhere to develop practical applications of the data.  Specific, purpose-driven applications of Landsat data can serve commercial endeavors in agriculture and forestry; they can enable land managers in and out of government to work more efficiently; they can assist scientists in defining and assessing critical environmental issues.

With its long-term historical record of the entire globe and widely recognized high quality of data, Landsat is valued all over the world as the gold standard of land observation. Ready access to authoritative Landsat images provides a reliable common record of Earth conditions that advances the mutual understanding of environmental challenges by citizens, researchers, and decision makers around the globe.

In 1966, at the start of the Landsat era, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall announced Interior’s new Project EROS, the acronym for Earth Resources Observation Satellites. In a statement that echoes to this day, Udall said, “…the time is now right and urgent to apply space technology towards the solution of many pressing natural resources problems being compounded by population and industrial growth.”  
Udall’s announcement was a catalyst for what eventually became the world’s first civilian land-imaging satellite, developed by NASA and launched on July 23, 1972.

USGS and NASA have distinct roles in the Landsat program. NASA develops remote-sensing instruments and spacecraft, launches satellites, and validates their performance. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation of the satellites, in addition to managing ground-data reception, archiving, product generation, and distribution.

USGS has managed the operations of two Earth observing satellites — Landsat 5 and 7 — for over a decade.  Recently, USGS announced that, after nearly three decades of service, Landsat 5 would be decommissioned over the coming months, bringing to a close the longest-operating Earth observing satellite mission in history.

Launched in 1984, Landsat 5 orbited the planet over 150,000 times while transmitting over 2.5 million images of land surface conditions around the world, long outliving its original three-year design life.

Vital observations by Landsat 5 of the Mount Saint Helens eruption, Antarctica, the Kuwaiti oil fires, the Chernobyl disaster, rainforest depletion, major wildfires and floods, urban growth, global crop production, and ice shelf expansion and retreat have helped increase our understanding and awareness of the impact of humans on the land.

Landsat 7, launched in 1999, continues to provide daily information about our planet from space, although an instrument problem reduces the amount of data it collects.

The LDCM/Landsat 8 satellite carries two instruments, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). Advanced technology increases the reliability and sensitivity of these instruments, while the improved measurements are still compatible with the past Landsat data record.

The technical capabilities of LDCM/Landsat 8 move forward in three areas in comparison to Landsat 7:  increased spectral coverage; higher data precision ( the ultimate resolution is not changed); and increased quantity of data collection (60%  more scenes per day).  Landsat 8 will orbit Earth once every 99 minutes at an average altitude of 438 miles (705 kilometers),  repeating the same ground track every 16 days.

Landsat 8 data is expected to be available within 100 days of launch from the USGS data archive.

On launch day, February 11, NASA TV launch commentary coverage of the countdown will begin at 10:15 a.m. EST (7:15 a.m. PST). Liftoff is targeted for 1:02 p.m. EST (10:02 a.m. PST).

Live countdown coverage also will be available online.

USGS Landsat Missions (latest satellite status and related information)

Landsat: A Global Imaging Program (USGS Fact Sheet)

NASA-USGS 40th Anniversary of Landsat (July 2012)

Earth as Art (a collection of Landsat scenes created for aesthetic purposes)

BBC interview on Landsat with Matt Larsen, USGS Associate Director

What is the Economic Value of Satellite Imagery? (USGS Professional Paper)

The next Landsat satellite: The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (scholarly article)

Observing Tomorrow: Continuing Landsat’s Long Look at Our Changing World

no doubt are aware, the topic of
outsourcing GIS and information technology jobs to India is at the center
of a brewing political storm this election year. (Indeed the July
17 2004 issue carried an article on this topic.) Outsourcing is seen
by some as the root
cause of the high unemployment rate of information technology workers over
the past few years.Others maintain that outsourcing work to India will
allow American firms to remain productive and competitive given the shortfall
in labor as baby boomers retire and American students choose not to pursue
careers in engineering and technology.Regardless of which side one is
on, what is uncontroversial is the fact that Indians - whether living in
India or the United States - have assumed a prominent position at the core
of the U.S.information technology (IT) sector.

From the perspective of a
geographer, the central question of interest is how and why it was Indians,
rather than citizens of another country, that became such important players
in the U.S.high tech industry.Not only was India on the opposite side
of the globe, but also for many decades after its independence from the
Britain, the country - although officially nonaligned - maintained close
official ties with the Soviet Union rather than the United States.In this
feature article, I discuss the fascinating confluence of industry restructuring,
change and reform in U.S.immigration policy, and growing liberalization
of the Indian economy that collectively brought Indians to center stage
in the U.S.high tech sector.Four distinct periods can be identified.

1. The 1950s and 1960s: Early growth and presence

The early development of
high technology industries can be traced to the years following World War
II. The war stimulated the development and production of electronic components
for use in the defense and aerospace industries, and the U.S.government
directed substantial funding to universities for research and development
of this equipment.As the scope of the research projects widened beyond
the fields of interest to the military, the relationship ultimately led
to the formation of the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes
of Health.Funded by these agencies, academic research led to the creation
of a knowledge base on which the high technology industry was based.

Most Indians involved in
this initial phase of high-tech development were graduate students.U.S.
immigration laws at this time were governed by a strict national quotas
system, and immigration quotas for countries in the "Asia Pacific Triangle"
in which India was grouped was miniscule.There was, however, less restriction
on the entry of Indians for education, and in the years following Indian
independence in 1947 there was a rapid increase in the number of students
coming to the United States.Since the Indian government had stringent
rules prohibiting the release of foreign exchange for overseas education
unless it was in fields viewed as potentially beneficial for Indian development,
a disproportionately high share of the Indian students came to study in
engineering and technology-related disciplines.The initial link between
Indian engineers and the American high-tech sector was thus forged.

2. The 1970s and 1980s: Rapid growth and permanent settlement

By the late 1960s and early
1970s, military applications and demand began to give way to computer and
industrial markets.A major development was the invention of the microprocessor
in 1971 which allowed the fledgling semiconductor industry in Northern
California to take off.On the East coast, a host of new technology companies
clustered around Route 128.Even as the traditional industries located
in the U.S.manufacturing belt suffered a sharp economic decline during
the 1970s and 1980s, high technology industries posted extraordinarily
high growth rates.A stable group of IT companies emerged - IBM, Texas
Instruments, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and others - which had the time and
incentive to serve as the training ground for technical workers.

Latest Geospatial News Update

Breaking GIS Technology News

Trends and Industry Impact

Expert Perspectives

Read more