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Listen to Peter Lyon on Newstalk's "Down to Business" Programme

Joanne McLaughlin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:05:39 GMT

Peter Lyon, Operations Director, ESRI UK and Ireland appeared on Newstalk's "Down to Business-Executive Chair" slot last Saturday July 24th.

Down To Business with Mark Mortell is Ireland’s premier business radio show covering all enterprise-related topics including personal finance, business news and consumer affairs and airs every Saturday afternoon.

Presented in an informal manner, the show is a jargon-free zone and is accessible, informative radio for anyone interested in money and finance from a young parent to a top company executive.

Each week they interview leading company executives to find out what makes them tick. Saturday's show featured this interview with Peter to find out more on Esri Ireland, the company ethos and it's growth strategy over the coming years.

Click this link and go to 40 minutes on the interview reel to hear Peter's interview.

Esri Map Book Encapsulates 25 Years of GIS Development

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:35:01 GMT

Esri has published volume 25 of its popular Map Book series. This commemorative edition includes a “then and now” section that compares similar maps from the 25-year period, making it of particular interest to cartographers, geographic information system (GIS) professionals, and geography students.

“This year’s map book marks a milestone,” says Jack Dangermond, Esri president. “For a quarter of a century, this publication has chronicled the rapid evolution of GIS and celebrated the achievements of GIS users in a wide range of industries. This volume republishes a selection of maps printed in early editions of Esri Map Book. It is shown with similar maps made with current ArcGIS software and illustrates how far we’ve come.”

Including more than 100 full-color maps, the annual Esri Map Book showcases the most creative and compelling and best-designed maps presented at the annual Esri International User Conference Map Gallery exhibition. Each map includes a description indicating how it was produced and used.

A remarkable GIS legacy...Muiris de Buitleir retires

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:08:50 GMT

Download the full article here: A Remarkable Legacy in GIS

Muiris de Buitleir pioneered the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Ireland’s public sector. On the occasion of his retirement, his colleagues and associates pay tribute to his achievements and leadership.

A land surveyor by training, Muiris became fascinated with computers in the early 1980s. It was a natural progression for him to then combine his love of surveying with his growing interest in technology.

When ESRI Inc launched the world’s first commercial GIS software, Muiris was quick to recognise the potential of this ground-breaking technology. A GIS enables organisations to consolidate a vast amount of spatially referenced information, analyse it and display it clearly on interactive maps. In 1988, he became one of the first people in Ireland to invest in ESRI GIS software.

“At a time when GIS was still in its infancy, Muiris had the vision to recognise the value that GIS could add for Heritage Services,” says Jack Dangermond, ESRI President. “He was instrumental in introducing GIS into Ireland’s public sector.”

In his early career, Muiris worked in the National Parks and Monuments Service of the Office of Public Works. Following a succession of public sector reorganisations, the name of the department changed many times, but Muiris remained steadily committed to his work conserving Ireland’s natural, archaeological and architectural heritage. In the years leading up to his retirement in July 2010, he held the position of Departmental GIS Manager in the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG).

For a long time, Muiris was the only person in the public sector in Ireland with a GIS-specific job title. “This was extremely important for the industry as a whole and for graduates in particular,” says Paul Synnott of ESRI Ireland. “By defining this role and excelling in it, Muiris succeeded in raising the profile of GIS as a profession. His example helped to create career opportunities in GIS across the public sector in Ireland.”

One of his biggest accomplishments during his career was the creation of a GIS to maintain, manage and integrate three sets of data from Heritage Services: archaeological surveys, natural heritage data and the architectural inventory. This web-based infrastructure gives users around the world easy, free access to data about all aspects of Ireland’s heritage via an interactive map. “It is a priceless national archive that is accessible to everyone – professionals and amateurs alike,” says Frank Pendergast, who uses the system to support his academic research.

Willie Cumming, one of Muiris’ colleagues at the DEHLG, adds: “This incredible system would not have happened without the work that Muiris did. It is his legacy.”

Under Muiris’ leadership and guidance, GIS has evolved from a stand-alone desktop solution into a true enterprise application that is crucial for Heritage Services. “GIS now underpins all of the work we undertake,” says Rob Ovington, a GIS coordinator at the DEHLG. Paul McDonald, principal of DEHLG’s ICT unit, concurs: “GIS has become business critical – and this criticality is going to increase in the future.”

Over the years, Muiris’ influence has spread far beyond the DEHLG. He has sat on a number of interdepartmental committees and been actively involved in several industry bodies. In particular, he has played a key role in steering Ireland’s compliance with the European Union’s INSPIRE Directive, which aims to create a common spatial data infrastructure for the whole of Europe.

“Muiris has had a huge influence, at a high level, on the strategic development of GIS within central and local government in Ireland,” says Paul Walsh, who has worked alongside Muiris for over ten years. “He has brought GIS to the attention of a wider community, by highlighting how DEHLG benefits from its use.”

Muiris was also a founding member of Ireland’s Organisation of Geographic Information (IRLOGI) and held the position of treasurer for many years. “His was always a balanced voice, and he contributed a perspective based on experience,” says Bruce McCormack, current president of IRLOGI and a colleague at DEHLG. “He was always very focused on delivering value and addressing the needs of members.”

In addition to his work in Heritage Services, Muiris has played a key role in helping to educate the next generation of GIS users in Ireland. He has been associated with the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) since the early 1970s, when he began to provide opportunities for the institute’s students to gain work experience. Kevin Mooney was one such student and first met Muiris on a work placement in 1974. Now a lecturer at DIT Bolton Street, Kevin says: “Muiris has been very supportive of the DIT and its students over more than thirty years.”

As well as providing work experience and employment for students, Muiris has acted as an external examiner for DIT, helped to interview staff and advised the institute on the content of new GIS-related courses. Frank Prendergast is head of the department for spatial information sciences at DIT. Speaking on behalf of all of his colleagues in the institute, he says: “We would like to acknowledge Muiris’ support and express our eternal gratitude to Muiris for his dedication and willingness over many years.”

As Muiris retires from DEHLG, his colleagues and associates are sad to see him go. Reputedly the best-dressed surveyor in Ireland, he is known to enjoy fine wines, sailing, dancing, foreign languages, exotic hats and Irish music. Expressing the sentiments of many, Bruce McCormack says: “We’re going to miss him. He’ll leave a hole in the department that will be difficult to fill.”

First All-Ireland Digital Address Code System Launched 12th July

Mary Hopkins/Judy Hopkins Hopkins Communications Cork Ireland — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:57:40 GMT

View images of Loc8 launch

Loc8 Code, a revolutionary new all-Ireland digital address code, providing precise address information was launched on the 12th July at the The Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin. This new digital address code system will be of immense benefit to all businesses and individuals who need to receive and deliver products and services on the island of Ireland.

There is research to show that the system can also deliver considerable savings in transport costs, for those using the system, because of the precision of the address when used in conjunction with a satellite navigation device.

TV personality, adventurer and worldwide traveler Charley Boorman spoke at the launch today. The innovative business initiative, which has the support of Enterprise Ireland, and references map data from Ordnance Survey Ireland and Land & Property Services Northern Ireland (the official mapping agency of Northern Ireland), has been developed by Cork-based company Loc8 Code Ltd. in collaboration with Garmin Europe, a global leader in navigation and communications. Loc8 Code will employ up to 20 people, to ensure an effective and efficient roll out of the system.

Gary Delaney, CEO of Loc8 Code Ltd speaking at the launch said, ‘The Loc8 Codes will improve destination and address searches across the whole island of Ireland and enable consumers to generate their own codes, thereby pinpointing the specific location of their individual private residences and commercial properties to within +/- 6 metres. Consumers will then communicate their Loc8 Code to businesses such as multi-drop vehicles, web retailers and emergency services who, through the use of Garmin sat nav’s, will find their location more rapidly.

The system, which is a smarter form of postcode, will therefore enhance and expedite the reaching of destinations, with monetary savings and several benefits in terms of lifestyles, time-management and, ultimately, our carbon footprint. A Loc8 Code is an add-on to traditional addresses and those addresses which are language independent. It is a more precise way to pinpoint any delivery point or address. Businesses and individuals can engage with the system on a voluntary basis and early indications are that we will massive participation right across the island’. The service is free to end users when they log on to Loc8 Code’s website, ie. consumers taking delivery of goods or availing of services.

Mr. Delaney went on to say that research carried out in the UK by Newcastle University, entitled ‘The Wayfinder Report’, indicated that up to 14% in fuel savings can be gleaned through the use of such a precise system. Delaney added that, because Ireland’s population is mostly rurally-based, the savings could reach 20% in this country.

Clive Taylor, Garmin’s Director of Product and Marketing added:

‘Reducing the stress of navigation or travel is key to Garmin’s ethos and the last few kilometers of a journey are often the most stressful. With Loc8 code now available on our sat nav’s, our customers now have a more precise solution when traveling around Ireland. This, coupled with immediate savings in terms of journey times, fuel and money, represents a significant step forward in satellite navigation in Ireland which our customers can benefit from.’

It is anticipated that Loc8 Codes will be widely available throughout Ireland by Quarter 3, 2010. Additionally, Loc8 Codes have exposed the potential to uniquely identify the exact location of events, landmarks and other points of interest, revolutionising the way people describe and navigate to destinations across the whole of Ireland. This development has the potential to facilitate concert-goers and festival-lovers as they navigate their way to the country’s top attractions.

The system, which, according to the recent Irish Government’s Oireachtas Report could be suitable for adoption as the NATIONAL postcode, is very simple to use, and works through the input of address information of any location into the Loc8 Code website (www.loc8code.com), and the site then generates a unique navigation code and assigns it to the individual location. It will be suitable to anyone who relies upon navigating to or finding the location of an individual location; whether a private consumer or delivery business. Not only can the code be used in a SatNav or GPS enabled mobile device, but also it can be used in conjunction with a web address to map a location easily – www.loc8code.com/W8L-82-4YK will show the Loc8 Code on a map.

The potential applications for Loc8 Codes are numerous – from issuing specific directions for navigation with a sat nav to providing the most detailed address of a private residence or business. In the first instance, consumers will be able to address any confusion when spelling an address or keying it into a sat nav. A shortened version of the code can be used for Social Networking purposes.

Charley Boorman, actor and adventurer (son of the Irish film Director John Boorman who lives in Wicklow) commenting on the effectiveness of the code said: ‘It makes absolute sense to streamline the means by which people can locate and reach their desired destination. Driving and travelling should be fun and safe, but reaching a destination on time and in good form is very important. Loc8 Codes will take the hassle out of finding your way – so at last we can locate and navigate easily and accurately with a Loc8 Code!’

An adventurer, travel writer and actor, who took part in the BBC2 UK programme By Any Means, which brought him all around the world starting in his home town in County Wicklow and ending in Sydney, Australia and several other extraordinary expeditions, Boorman was chosen to launch Loc8codes because of his unique ability to find his way all over the world, completing journeys "by any means" and giving such great pleasure and insights into the wonders of the world through his tv, literary and social genius.

The event attracted several business leaders, including those in the transport and tourism categories, along with several celebrities and members of the media from all over Ireland.

View images of Loc8 launch.

There's a M'App for That -Check out our Blog for the latest on the ArcGIS for iPhone App

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:39:11 GMT

For the past six week Eamonn Doyle, CTO ESRI Ireland has been beta testing the ArcGIS for iPhone App and is finding it hard to contain his excitement.

Find out more about it in the ESRI Ireland Blog - "The power of seeing your own Map on a device as beautiful and accessible as an iPhone is indisputable. People crowd around, they look over your shoulder, they want to touch it – it is the ultimate evolution of the Map as a document that can be available any time anywhere on any device".

ESRI Ireland Blog - There's a M'App for that.

Register your Place - What's New in ArcGIS 10 Desktop?

Joanne McLaughlin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:36:27 GMT

ESRI Ireland in association with ESRI UK are running a number of free webinars over the summer months focusing on ArcGIS10

The next in the ArcGIS 10 webinar series takes place on Thursday 29th July and focuses on "What’s new in ArcGIS Desktop 10"?

To Register visit our Events Section to secure your place. The Webinar kick off time is 10.00am finishing at 10.45am

ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.0 (Beta) Available for Download

ESRI Inc — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:11:33 GMT

Esri's new ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.0 (beta) can now be downloaded at no cost on theArcGIS Viewer for Flex Resource Center Web page.

The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex is a ready-to-use, configurable Web mapping application built on the ArcGIS API for Flex 2.0. Users can easily customise the look and feel of the viewer, add their own logo and branding, and extend functionality with downloadable widgets—all without the need for any programming knowledge or skills.

"The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex allows nondevelopers to set up and deploy a fast, modern-looking Web mapping application very quickly," says Derek Law, product manager for the viewer. "Mapping content from ArcGIS Online is already preloaded in the application, including worldwide street, imagery, and topographic maps, as well as a set of sample ArcGIS Server map services, a traffic camera feed, and a time slider widget to help you understand how you might customise your application."

To customize the viewer, users simply edit XML files in a text editor to change the appearance, functionality, and map content. Advanced users can develop custom functionality via widgets on top of the core viewer framework.

The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex is a client-side application designed to support existing business workflows that require mapping visualisation, editing, and analysis. The viewer simplifies access to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Server services and accelerates Web mapping application deployment.

"Mobile advances sound hope for aid agencies" - Russ Johnson of Esri featured in Irish Times Article

John Collins, The Irish Times. — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:17 GMT

Russ Johnson, ESRI’s Director for Public safety and Homeland security was interviewed by John Colllins of the Irish Times, Friday 2nd July and was one of the contributors to an article about mobile technologies and how they can help in disater management.

In companies where staff are located in different offices around the country or even the globe, providing support to remote workers can be a major hassle. New technologies are a life-saver on the ground in the wake of disasters such as that in Haiti - this article written by John Collins features quotes from Russ and his take on how agencies can benefit in emergency planning through the use of GIS.

Read the full article here online or in The Irish Times 02.07.10

ArcPad 10 Makes Data Collection Easier

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:26:43 GMT

ArcPad 10, now available, extends basemap support via ArcGIS Online and greatly improves performance. ArcPad is a feature-rich mobile GIS application for field mapping and data collection.

The new version of ArcPad includes support for ArcGIS Online Map Services. Users can now access ArcGIS Online basemaps, such as World Street Map, World Topographic Map, and World Imagery, as well as Microsoft Bing Maps, and use them in their ArcPad projects.

The ArcPad Data Manager extension for ArcGIS now lets users customize an ArcPad project without the need for coding or scripting. Users save time because data forms are automatically generated and populated for related tables. Also, users have greater control over using photos in ArcPad projects, and hyperlinked photos are now integrated in the checkout and check-in process. Other improvements and new features in ArcPad 10 include:

Improved performance—Performance has been increased with better allocation of memory and a new quick draw tool. Enhancements have also been made to the Esri StreetMap extension to ensure the maximum amount of memory is available to both ArcPad and StreetMap
Dynamic QuickCapture toolbar—ArcPad 10 includes a dynamic toolbar that automatically builds the tools and forms you need to edit your data. With a simple tap of the stylus you can add data to the data layer of your choice. The customized QuickCapture toolbar can be used across all of the user's ArcPad projects.
Better camera and photo experience—A new camera module, DirectShow, works for a greater number and range of hardware devices. The camera's user experience is the same on all mobile devices. Along with improved photo management (within the ArcPad Data Manager extension for ArcGIS Desktop), users are able to incorporate photos into their ArcPad projects much faster and more easily.

For more information on what's new in ArcPad or to evaluate ArcPad, visit www.esri.com/arcpad

ArcGIS Provides Foundation for Global Agricultural Programs

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:05:38 GMT

Esri announces that the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has signed a site license providing its 15 research centers throughout the world with access to ArcGIS software. CGIAR works in collaboration with hundreds of government, civil society, and private organizations to reduce poverty and hunger, improve human health and nutrition, and create greater ecosystem resilience. Esri's geographic information system (GIS) technology will be implemented in the centers to foster programs for sustainable agricultural growth benefiting the poor.

"This site license agreement will ensure that scientists in every center have access to the GIS technology they need to continue their important work including the creation of data collections on population, poverty, climate, soils, crops, livestock, transportation, and biodiversity," says Enrica Porcari, chief information officer of CGIAR. "The centers will provide spatial applications that help users more readily see and understand interrelationships between such subjects as urban and rural markets, crop production, deforestation, and soil erosion."

"The new agreement with Esri represents a major advance in the ability of CGIAR and its partners to build and share location-specific agricultural and natural resource knowledge products to help overcome poverty and hunger," says Stanley Wood, coordinator of the Consortium for Spatial Information (CSI) of CGIAR and International Food Relief Program (IFPRI) senior research fellow.

"Esri is pleased to work closely with CGIAR as it strives to provide food security for every nation," says John Steffenson, manager of the Esri federal civilian and global affairs team in Washington, D.C. "We strongly support the critical research of these centers as they improve agricultural production, sustainability, and resilience globally."

Esri's ArcGIS will provide the platform for collaborative efforts in GIS-based agricultural research at global, regional, and local levels in every center. This will allow CGIAR to continue creating online applications such as the Amazon Initiative which allows dynamic queries about biomass and deforestation in the Amazon. More than 10 CGIAR datasets and applications are also available as services from ArcGIS.com, a hosted Web site available for anyone to create, find, and use maps, applications, and tools.

For more information on Esri's agriculture solutions, visit www.esri.com/agriculture.

ArcGIS for iPhone now available for Download from iTunes

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:06:21 GMT

ESRI has expanded its mobile GIS platform to support the iPhone. ArcGIS for iPhone includes both a free downloadable application from Apple's App Store and an API for iPhone developers to build focused mapping solutions.

ArcGIS for iPhone leverages capabilities from ArcGIS Online to provide a seamless and easy user experience. Users can navigate maps and discover assets from Web services, as well as capture new data from the field and send information back to the server.

This allows ArcGIS Server customers to leverage their GIS investment in the iPhone by using the device to access their own corporate data. ArcGIS for iPhone also promotes collaboration and information sharing between multiple users in the field. For example, field users can create and share status updates with others to communicate and work more efficiently.

Check out more information by visiting iTunes here

ArGIS 10 Webinar now available for Download

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:18:27 GMT

ArcGIS 10 is a major release that will dramatically transform how people use and apply GIS. This webinar provides a high level overview of the changes that deliver new key capabilities to explain the benefits that ArcGIS 10 will provide. It also includes key information on the different and new ways to to access and authorise the software.

You can listen to this webinar now by clicking here or visiting our Recorded Webinars Section.

ESRI Provides Road Map to Meet INSPIRE Timeline

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:10:25 GMT

Solutions to help European Union (EU) member states follow Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) initiative time frames will be presented by ESRI and its European business partners at the INSPIRE Conference 2010 in Krakow, Poland, June 22–25. ESRI's ArcGIS software, including the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension, will be demonstrated.

The software provides the capability to create metadata for country geospatial information as required by the winter 2010 deadline. "Implementing a national SDI that's compliant with INSPIRE requires a modern GIS [geographic information system] that quickly incorporates changes and facilitates collaboration," says Mark Cygan, map, chart, data production, and SDI industry manager, ESRI. "Such an ambitious initiative has to be approached by extending and adapting existing infrastructures every time new INSPIRE rules and guidelines become available. ESRI and our partners understand that a system should evolve smoothly from existing solutions to a fully operational, INSPIRE-compliant SDI."

ESRI, con terra GmbH, and interactive instruments GmbH will be presenting a preconference workshop and paper presentation at the INSPIRE Conference, describing a road map to meet the INSPIRE objectives. The workshop, “How to become an INSPIRE node and fully exploit the investments made? Solution Patterns for data & service providers and for consumers: end users & developers”, will be held Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Participating organizations will gain an understanding of how to transform, publish, and download existing data sources in an INSPIRE-compliant manner.

ESRI's vision for INSPIRE will be presented during the conference in the paper “SDI Solutions for INSPIRE: Technologies Supporting a Framework of Cooperation”. The paper will be presented Wednesday, June 23, 16:40 p.m. and identify challenges and reflect on the technologies and solutions that underpin a successful SDI.

"We are pleased to team with knowledgeable partners who can provide a pathway for supporting the INSPIRE initiative, including nontechnical aspects such as capacity building and organizational setup," says Guenther Pichler, business development manager, Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) Group at ESRI. "Ubiquitous and interoperable access to spatial information from a wide range of sources is key for decision making. European governance will be more efficient and effective, specifically regarding the sustainable management of resources and the environment."

To learn more about ESRI's solution for INSPIRE, visit www.esri.com/esri-inspire.

Eamonn Doyle our CTO on Newstalk this morning

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:25:39 GMT

Eamonn Doyle, Chief Technology Officer was a guest on Conor Brophy's Business Breakfast, Newstalk this morning to discuss how GI and GIS is helping in terms of emergency management and clean up efforts following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

He also discussed how the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government along with Local Authorities are leveraging ESRI Technology in terms of Local and National Development Planning for more transparency in decision making now and in the future.

The state of Irish coastal and inland waterways was also discussed, with Eamonn giving examples of how the public can access up to date interactive web mapping applications to inform them on which beaches are safe to bathe in, along with a background to the Water Framework Directive and how this will help bring all Irish waterways in line with european standards

The full podcast of Eamonn's appearance on Newstalk is available here.

GIS-Opening the World to Everyone

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:24:38 GMT

Recently, Jack Dangermond, ESRI president, sat down with Mac Slocum of O’Reilly Media to shed some light on where GIS is headed next.

GIS - The Road Ahead - Jack Dangermond

We’re moving toward a world where geographic logic and thinking will be available to everyone via the Web. Geographic knowledge will become pervasive, and people will use it in every part of their work and their lives. They will interact with this data using maps.

This is already happening in the U.S. and other nations in the way constituents communicate with their government. GIS is providing citizens with unprecedented access to data about their communities as well as opportunities to voice their opinions and volunteer their own data.

This is the realisation of an evolution that started with GIS for researchers, to GIS for professionals, to GIS for knowledge workers, and now to GIS for everybody.

Watch the full interview with Jack and O'Reilly Media