Geospatial Technology Update

ESRI and GIS Development will present free seminars to mapping agencies in Southeast Asia. The Geospatial Technology Update seminars will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Manila, Philippines; from January 2010. The seminars will outline technology trends in the geospatial community including how to take advantage of the Web 2.0 environment, the integration of topographic and remotely sensed data, and how to best offer published data via cloud computing.  

 Mapping agencies in Southeast Asia face many challenges including fulfilling the growing demand for geospatial services from traditional users, such as governmental agencies in charge of land valuation and building; new types of users, including private organizations; and nontraditional agencies such as emergency services. Ensuring geospatial data is up-to-date and available to these diverse stakeholders is important as countries take stock of their landholdings, face reconstruction after natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes, and manage surging development. Providing a best practice for technology and workflow adoption in this challenging geographic area is the goal of this seminar.

"It's difficult for users to keep pace with developments. Many times, they need to synchronise software from many vendors, ending up with a solution that doesn't function as well as it could," says Mark Cygan, map, chart, data production and SDI industry solution manager, ESRI. "This seminar is designed to help mapping agencies fine-tune their systems for the best performance as they deliver the geospatial data, services, and products that are fundamental to many functions in their countries."

"We are pleased to bring leading technology providers like ESRI to this event," says Sanjay Kumar, CEO, GIS Development. "A venue where local industry, government, and academia can see the latest technologies and speak directly to each provider is a valuable way for them to implement efficient, modern systems."

Mapping organisation staff members and managers and their affiliates, including national hydrographic and aeronautical agencies, are invited to attend the free, daylong program in their respective cities.