Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Professional Land Surveyor News

Professional Land Surveyor News-European Environment Agency and Esri Put Map Service in Cloud

August 17, 2010

Redlands, California—The European Environment Agency (EEA) and Esri have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The agreement supports the design and development of ways to share and access essential geographic environmental data provided by the agency’s 38 European member countries.

EEA, which already uses Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) products, will now work closely with Esri to improve the agency’s cloud environment map services. European countries will share their environmental data more easily, while nations, agencies, scientists, and policy makers will be able to quickly access and consume the data for viewing and analysis.

“Our partnership with Esri provides us with innovative solutions to reach out to our key stakeholders and present them with timely and relevant information as they need it,” said Jacquie McGlade, EEA’s executive director. “The agency will now also be able to work directly with citizens in the coproduction of knowledge via open access to data, creation of personalized maps, and simple ways of sharing data among social networks. The two-way exchange of knowledge and expertise between Esri and the EEA underlines just how business and the public sector can work well together to build answers for tomorrow’s challenges.”

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Professional Land Surveyor News

Professional Land Surveyor News-Topcon Corporation Appoints Di Federico To Executive Committee

LIVERMORE, Calif. – August 5, 2010 – Ivan Di Federico, who was recently named chief strategy officer of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), has been selected to join the Topcon Corporation executive committee for the Tokyo-based positioning business unit.

In making the announcement, Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of TPS, and newly appointed managing executive officer of Topcon Corporation, said,

“Ivan’s appointment to the positioning business unit executive committee is a result of his leadership in expanding and creating opportunities in all areas of our positioning business. As former senior vicepresident of global engineering, Ivan’s ideas, drive and determination have greatly benefited Topcon Corporation.”

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Professional Land Surveyor News Adapx GIS Data Collection for GeoPDF, ESRI MapIt, & Mobile Devices

Adapx Introduces New Capturx GIS Data Collection Solutions for GeoPDF, ESRI MapIt, and Mobile Devices at ESRI User Conference

Handwritten data on paper maps and forms instantly scanned and sent to ArcGIS, GeoPDF files, and ESRI MapIt-enabled SharePoint lists using digital pens, Bluetooth and mobile devices

Seattle, 12 July 2010. Adapx, the company that is changing the way mobile teams collect data and collaborate, today announced new Capturx GIS solutions enabling field teams to instantly send georeferenced data collected on paper forms and maps into ArcGIS, GeoPDF files, and ESRI MapIt-enabled SharePoint lists using digital pens, Bluetooth, and mobile devices. The new solutions, along with Capturx for ArcGIS and Capturx Multimodal for ArcGIS, will be featured in the Defense and Intelligence Showcase at the ESRI 2010 User Conference in San Diego on 12-15 July.

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Professional Land Surveyor News Trimble Introduces New Desktop and GPS Handheld Solution for Utility and  Smart Grid Asset Maintenance and Inspection

SAN DIEGO, July 12, 2010 — Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) introduced today a new version of its Trimble® Field Inspector solution for utility infrastructure and smart grid asset maintenance and inspection. The solution is comprised of the Trimble Field Inspector software for handheld computers and Trimble Field Inspector Desktop software. Scalable and easy to deploy, the solution leverages Trimble Global Positioning System (GPS) and handheld computing technology to automate a wide variety of field applications for electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities—from smart meter deployments to routine asset maintenance inspections.

The announcement was made today at the ESRI International User Conference.

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Professional Land Surveyor News: Carlson EMEA BV Opens in the Netherlands to Serve Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Markets

THE NETHERLANDS – Carlson Software, U.S.-based developer of technically advanced design software for land surveying, civil engineering, construction and mining industries, established a wholly owned subsidiary, Carlson EMEA BV, this June in the Netherlands to support and expand the Carlson business in  Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Joining Jan Bech in the United Kingdom and Jesus Latova in Spain to make up the Carlson EMEA team are four industry experts who formerly worked for the European Topcon Sokkia group. Bech has been handling Carlson’s European and Canadian sales for the past four years and is a specialist in Carlson desktop solutions and Latova is the director of Data Collection Product Design for Carlson.

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Professional Land Surveyor News: Carlson’s New SurvPC Data Collection Software Provides SurvCE Power on a Windows® PC

If you currently use a Windows PC, such as a ruggedized laptop and Carlson SurvCE, or are considering switching to or adding either to your surveyor’s toolbox, here’s a good piece of news: Carlson has just released Carlson SurvPC, a full-screen version of Carlson’s popular data collection software, Carlson SurvCE. Carlson says that SurvPC can be used on any standard Windows PC computers, including ruggedized laptops. Carlson SurvPC is a new release following their recent release of SurvCE, version 2.5, which is a free upgrade for those utilizing version 2.0 and forward.

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Professional Land Surveyor News: Leica XPro 4.3 – HiRes Ortho Processing Reduces Flight Lines and Increases Productivity

Today, Leica Geosystems announced that their leading line sensor workflow, the Leica XPro, has been updated with new features.  Leica XPro  4.3 – HiRes Ortho Processing provides advanced ground processing from data download to image generation and users of the new version XPro 4.3 can now take advantage of the Leica HiRes orthophoto processing. Leica says that this will increases orthophoto productivity by reducing the number of flight lines.

About Leica Geosystems

Leica Geosystems has a long history of almost 200 years of land surveying and measuring solutions. You’ve got to love a company, like Leica Geosystems, whose moto is “When it has to be right.“ Professionals from around the globe utilize Leica Geosystems products and services to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems, part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden, is based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland. They report having over 3,500 employees, tens of thousands of customers located in 28 countries, and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world.

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Professional Land Surveyor News

Professional Land Surveyor News: Topcon DL-500 Digital Level Series With First ‘Wave-and-Read’ Technology

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) announced this week that they’ve released their new DL-500 digital levels series, which uses digital ‘Wave-and-Read’ Technology for the very first time. Of course we’ve had optical ‘Wave-and-Read’ technology for eons – it’s called an instrument person looking through the level while reading the rod and having the rod person “rock” the rod slowly towards and then away from the instrument to obtain the lowest, and accurate, reading. Much along these same time-honored lines, where the rod reading becomes the minimum value when vertically, the DL-500 tracks the waved rod and automatically reads the least value.

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National web mapping for the higher and further education sector

Inspiring learning – Cadcorp software enables greater sharing of map data to UK education sector

Digital mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) software developer Cadcorp and the EDINA National Data Centre have announced that the latest version of the EDINA Digimap service has gone live.

Launched in 2000, the EDINA Digimap service specialises in the delivery of a number of geographical data resources over the internet to over 150 academic institutions.  National digital map data ranging from Ordnance Survey® (OS) products to geology, marine and historical maps can be accessed by staff and students free at point of use. Based on Cadcorp’s web mapping software GeognoSIS, the service also utilises a number of licences of Map Modeller, Cadcorp’s high-end desktop GIS system.

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Professional Land Surveyor News: First China-Made Unmanned Aerial Photography Systems Delivered

People’s Daily Online reports that on April 15 the first batch of 17 light, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography systems was delivered in Beijing, China to the surveying and mapping departments of 16 provinces and municipalities.

Chinese surveying and mapping departments have begun to extensively apply UAV aerial photography systems for the first time. Previously, the use of UAV aerial photography was employed during disaster relief efforts, like in the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake.

China sees UAVs as providing the following:

• Improving emergency support service capacity relating to surveying and mapping.
• Allows for rapidly taking HD photos within small areas that are hard for general aerial flights.
• Play an important role in developing a Digital China.
• Facilitate monitoring of geographic information.
• Improving social-management efficiency (I’m not sure what this means? Sounds scary, though it probably refers to managing development).

“Xu Deming, vice-minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources and director general of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM), said that acting as a powerful supplement to traditional aerial photography, the UAV aerial photography system is characterized by its flexibility, high efficiency, accuracy, low cost and wide application scope.”

Professional Land Surveyor Source – People’s Daily Online

China Has a Plan

SBSM plans on increasing its use of these light, fixed-wing UAV aerial photography systems throughout China this year. The UAV systems, according to SBSM, provide for easy and efficient methods of surveying and mapping to obtain the following types information and data:

• Development of digital cities.
• National emergency disaster relief.
• National land-monitoring.
• Development of new rural areas.

Professional Land Surveyor Source

• People’s Daily Online