Auburn University Libraries -- Geographic Information System (GIS)

Geographic Information System (GIS)

The ArcGIS site license allows for ArcGIS to be loaded on any University-owned machine. For installation of the full version, including ArcInfo, for a campus computer utilized by a professor, AU employee, Graduate student doing research, contact your departmental IT coordinator to do the installation.

For undergraduates, ArcGIS should be loaded on all OIT lab machines. Professors may request 1-year student editions for their classes from ESRI. Please contact either Barbara Bishop or Christopher Mixon for the correct contact information. For undergraduates not in a GIS class there are a limited number of student edition copies available through the AU Libraries' Digital Resource Lab.

There are "free" online courses available through the ESRI Virtual Campus. For a listing and description of these courses to to the catalog. Once you have selected your course e-mail Barbara Bishop for the course code(s).

GIS NewsFeed

Learn to Use Geospatial Technology to Prevent and Respond to Disasters and Security Threats: New GIS Tutorial for Homeland Security from ESRI Press Provides Lessons Based on Real-World Scenario...

GPS2CAD-08 Reduces Survey costs: AMC, Inc. has just released GPS2CAD-08, a powerful Windows application that enables users to bridge...

Blog - O'reilly Announces the Open Web Foundation: The Open Web Foundation is an attempt to create a home for community-driven specifications....

Mapping 2008: Last chance to secure early bird booking incentive: With only two weeks until the early bird booking incentive closes has already received significant i...

New ArcGIS Extension from ITT Visual Information Solutions and ESRI Supports NITF: Enables Reading and Writing of NITF Data within the ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 Environment...

New ESRI Book Building a GIS: System Architecture Design Strategies for Managers Released: Author Dave Peters Shares a Sound Methodology for Infrastructure Planning...

ESRI Press Publishes Definitive Book on GIS and Return on Investment: Redlands, CaliforniaThe latest offering from ESRI Press, The Business Benefits of GIS: An ROI Appro...

Bluesky reaches landmark in Cumbria: Leicestershire, UK, 24 July 2008 - Aerial mapping company Bluesky is the supplier of choice of aeria...

Blog - Mobile Mapping Usage up thanks to iPhone, Nokia N95... no kidding!: It was only a matter of time, and a matter of getting devices into the hands of users, along with af...

FY09 CAP Grant Categories and Schedule Announced: The preliminary information about the 2009 National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreemen...

Tele Atlas and AtlasCT Team Up to Power Innovative Mobile Mapping Applications: Tele Atlas digital maps and rich POI content selected to help enrich LBS Applications...

Guy Carpenter Publishes Update on Tropical Cyclone Conditions In Western North Pacific: Study Produced by Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre at City University of Hong Kong Finds Threat in...

National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) reports on Governance of GIS: (Lexington, KY) The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is pleased t...

Autodesk Utility Design 2009 Software and Autodesk Topobase 2009 Software Help Utilities: Autodesk Utility Design 2009 Software and Autodesk Topobase 2009 Software Help Utilities Enhance Eff...

Learn to Create Mashups Using the New ArcGIS JavaScript APIs from ESRI: Redlands, CaliforniaESRI will offer a complimentary Web seminar this month on how to use the new Ar...

Trimble Introduces Blue Ox Integrated Transportation Management System for Forestry: System Integrates Rugged Mobile Computers, GPS, and Cellular Communications to Increase Efficiency, ...

SiRF Sets Date for Second Annual Location 2.0 Summit: Invites LBS App Developers to Submit Nominees for "Fast-Pitch" Presentations...

Freeway 2008 Drive Time Analysis Software Now Available from Spatial Insights: Spatial Insights, Inc. announces the release of Freeway 2008 and Freeway 2008 Premium, the industry...

Directions Magazine

The View from Here: Confidence, Hearsay and Easy-to-Use GIS: Why is GIS still so hard to use in 2008? Is it the software providers who are responsible or is it the users? It has something to do with confidence and hearsay, suggests Adena Schutzberg. The good news: she's optimistic about the future for GIS users.

Podcast: MISO and ESRI: Current Status and the Future: "MISO" stands for Microsoft, IBM, SAP and Oracle, the big enterprise players in the market today. All have a toe or more in GIS, but all also have a tie to ESRI. What's the state of those relationships and what new players also want and need to hook up with the big E? Our editors explore these questions and toss in a few other letters, G, A and B into the alphabet soup.

Online Registration - How Location Helps Strike the Right Balance for Retailers: Did you ever wonder how websites use those tidbits of information you may leave on their websites, such as a ZIP Code or your age range? This article from Nielsen Claritas explains how with just a bit of information, offered in response to a fair trade, retailers can understand and serve their online and off-line visitors better.

Webcasts of Geospatial Web Services 2008: The Geospatial Web Services workshop at Centre for Geospatial Science, University of Nottingham held June 16-17th, 2008 had an interesting twist: a live webcast. More than 300 viewers followed the presentations over two days. Organizer Dr. Suchith Anand of the University wants to share the content as he believes "technologies like webcasting and podcasting will help in widening participation of GIS research conferences and events for the benefit of the society at large."

Safe Software and WeoGeo Announce the Next Step in Geospatial Cloud Computing: Today Safe Software and WeoGeo will announce a partnership to bring spatial ETL (extract, transform and load) technology to the cloud. Adena Schutzberg is confident there will be more geospatial applications running the cloud in the near future.

Podcast: Interview with Safe Software and WeoGeo on Cloud Computing: Safe Software and WeoGeo are partnering to bring spatial ETL (extract, transform and load) technology to the cloud. Not sure what the cloud is? Not sure how geospatial technologies can take advantage of it? Safe's president Don Murray and WeoGeo's CEO Paul Bissett tackle these topics and prepare you for your future in the cloud.

July 2008: The Current Housing Market: The predominant development in 2008 is not growth, but decline - the fallout from the downturn in the housing market. There are still areas of growth, pockets of prosperity to report; however, there are few areas untouched by the decline of the housing market and the ensuing credit crunch. ESRI's chief demographer, Lynn Wombold, takes a close look at the current housing situation in the context of demographic factors.

Podcast: You are a Sensor: Clever researchers have determined that you, even without a portable device can be an effective geographic sensor. This week we explore examples of how individuals, sometimes along with their electronic gadgets, can act as effective sensors for disease or natural disaster. Our editors share some proven techniques and explore how this type of data collection might play out in the future.

What I Learned Moving to a Mac: When you attend a conference are you seeing more people with Macs? Unlike a few years ago when Mac users were either hip programmers or not so tech-savvy folks, more and more regular computer users are going Mac, both in and outside of geospatial. Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg joined the group back in March and thinks back on those three months to share what she's learned. While she appreciates what the Mac can do, the real revelation how her computer use has moved to the cloud.

GEOINT: The Relationship Between the Intelligence Community and Private Industry: Deciphering the military intel-speak at GEOINT 2007, which ran this week in San Antonio, Texas, was challenging. On one side was the military brass, who seemed impatient with the way business is done. The other side included commercial vendors who have the tools, data and supposedly the knowledge base. General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kept emphasizing that "we need to change the incentive structure." Joe Francica reports.

Microsoft Shares Details on SQL Server 2008 Spatial Support: Last month Microsoft announced that the next version of Microsoft's SQL Server, code-named Katmai, will include support for spatial data. Directions Magazine contacted Ed Katibah, spatial program manager for SQL Server, to get further information.

Product Review: DeLorme XMap 5.0 GIS Enterprise: DeLorme XMap 5.0 GIS Enterprise is one of the components of a three-tiered software solution suite from DeLorme that provides increasing levels of functionality for GIS professionals. DeLorme has taken the approach of providing scalable solutions with its software and data products so that users only purchase the required amount of software and data they need. Paul Amos reviews the product.

Has There Been Enough Response to the MAPPS Litigation?: In the past few weeks this and other publications, along with a few blogs, have discussed the not-as-yet-begun trial resulting from the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) et al. suing the United States regarding how the Brooks Act is implemented in federal law. Adena Schutzberg has wondered, and other people have asked her, why it seems so few people care about this litigation, which may have significant impact on who does what in the geospatial arena in the future. That's a good question.

Top Ten of 2006: For each of the last six years Adena Schutzberg has put together the top ten "things" of the past year. Some are events, some are non-events, some are products and some are people. It's her opportunity to look back and highlight topics worthy of attention as we head into the New Year.

Introduction to 2007: Change is inevitable when you work in a technology sector like ours. We felt the need for some "tweaking" with our Web presence, as editor-in-chief Joe Francica explains.

Product Overview: GeoIQ - Making Your Maps Smarter and Better Looking Too: GeoIQ is an open platform that allows you to create applications integrating your data and other folks' data using Google Maps and Microsoft Visual Earth APIs. This combination provides not only interesting visualizations, it also allows for fairly complex analysis in an easy-to-use interface. GeoIQ operates as a Web service; the API lets you configure its usage, the data sources and the level of analysis. Hal Reid provides an overview.

Tsunami Warning-You Are Located in the Threat Area: On October 15th of this year, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Big Island of Hawaii about six miles north of the Keahole-Kona Airport at 7:07 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Joe Francica happened to be on the Big Island at the time, approximately 15 miles from the epicenter of both quakes, and found himself "in the dark" about what was going on and how much danger he was in. Here he tracks the information flow and offers suggestions about how it could be improved.

Editorial: Becoming New Again: Last week Hal Reid attended a Webinar titled "Improving Business Decisions through Location Intelligence" which was presented by BusinessWeek Research Services and MapInfo. Here he offers his thoughts on how some things we thought were old are new again.

The View from Here: Adena Schutzberg considers three topics: navigating and why some signage is highly effective; we're still "talking among ourselves" instead of getting the word out about what we do to a wider audience; and the inherent value of including a "click to see the map" option.

NSGIC Trends: Last week's National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) annual meeting was a whirlwind tour of agencies, states, technologies, visions, suggestions, questions and proposals. Here are some of the key themes and ideas Adena Schutzberg came away with after four days of meetings in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Data, DataWho's Got the Data?: As GIS matured, the purchasing model changed from one where buyers acquired both the system and the geospatial data from the same vendor, to one where software vendors had "data partners." From there we are moving to a model where data are a commodity and perhaps someday nearly any vendor will be happy to sell/license/serve up any data in any format in any projection. Adena Schutzberg considers the ramifications.

Product Review - MapPoint 2006: MapPoint 2006 is the next version of Microsoft's desktop mapping software. It is really two separate products: a desktop mapping system and an in-vehicle navigation system. Depending on how you use it, you may see the improvements made from the previous version, MapPoint 2004, as valuable or not. Microsoft touts the vehicle navigation features of this version, and thus potential purchasers should consider whether the desktop mapping features are adequate for the type of analyses required. But the product lacks key features in desktop mapping and falls short of being a viable in-vehicle navigation system. Read more...

Product Overview Free Plug-in for MS Outlook from CMC International: This free plug-in from CMC International creates Google Maps of individual contact addresses from within Microsoft Outlook. (It has a catchy name, too: "Google Maps plug-in for Outlook.") What makes this product interesting is that it is an advertising vehicle that promotes ESRIs BusinessMAP. Providing free, useful products is nothing new to the advertising world, but this seems like a fairly new twist in the GIS industry.

Product Overview: Profi$ite Online Sales Forecasting: Sales forecasting models are among the most interesting applications of technology in retail development. The models quantify the nature and value of a location, summarize the locations surrounding market or trade area, and provide a view of the future. This product overview describes a new Web-based offering from Proxix, Profi$ite.

Product Overview - Ekahau: Editor Hal Reid interviewed Antti Korhonen, President and CEO of Ekahau, Inc. Hal discovered a series of products and technologies that address the where is it and where are they problem in elegant ways. Ekahaus products address the need to track assets and people.

Product Review Pharos Traveler GPS 525 Personal Navigation Device: For the past month, Hal Reid has been using the Pharos Traveler GPS 525 personal navigation PDA. It has been to Nashville, Auburn University (Alabama) twice, Georgia Tech (Atlanta), Ft. Steward (Georgia) and various other places around central Georgia. He now has to admit that although at first he questioned the validity of owning such a device, he is now a believer.

Alteryx A Visual Workflow Tool for Data Transformation: When it comes to data manipulation, most people still use Microsoft Excel. Everybody has it; most people can use it; therefore its limitations may be more readily accepted. SRC has developed a data manipulation product that is more focused on spatial data, large data sets and speed in creating data transforms. Hal Reid provides an overview.

Product Overview: Laser-Scan's Radius Studio: There is a perpetual quest to "catch the wave" when marketing a new product. The quest is to be on the leading edge of demand, riding the wave of acceptance that is just beginning to crest. Everyone tries to do this, but not everyone succeeds. The recent release of Radius Studio on January 25 could hit the wave just right.

Product Overview: Matrox DualHead2Go: Hal Reid, an admitted multiple screen junkie, describes his latest find, the Matrox DualHead2Go. It runs mutliple screens in a variety of configurations.

Product Review of District 8 from GfK Macon AG: District 8, a GIS package offered by the German based GfK Macon, is described on its Web site as a regional planning based GIS. Although regional planning may mean many things to an American audience, make no mistake, this product is squarely aimed at the business world. This article, by City of Lincoln, Oregon, GIS Coordinator Michael Bishopp, provides a review of the product.

Product Review: Terrain Navigator Pro version 7.01: Paul Amos first reviewed Terrain Navigator Pro 6.3 for Directions Magazine in July 2004. Here he offers an update for version 7.01. Terrain Navigator Pro is a software program that provides access to U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangle maps and USGS Digital Ortho Quarter Quads. The software allows the user seamless access to the topographic maps across the state or region purchased.

RouteMAP IMS 3.0: RouteMAP IMS 3.0 from ESRI is an out of the box solution for adding maps to existing web sites. Several things make this product unique. First, ESRI licenses users to install RouteMAP IMS on their server(s). Not only does this provide licensees the ability to selectively add mapping features it also gives web masters and developers the ability to seamlessly customize the look and feel of RouteMAP IMS so it matches the graphics of their site...Read more.

Product Review: MapInfo Professional Version 8.0: MapInfo Professional version 8.0 is the latest release of MapInfos flagship desktop location intelligence software product. Read Paul Amos' review of the latest version.

Navman Sport.Tool R300 GPS: GPS is becoming ubiquitous. Its in handheld games, phones, car navigation systems and many other everyday objects. One of the newer markets for GPS is for recreational and more competitive distance athletes. The latest entry into the space is from Navman, a division of Brunswick, a company known for its marine electronics instruments and car navigation devices. This article reviews the Navman Sport.Tool R300 GPS.

BusinessMAP Version 4: With Version 4, ESRI's BusinessMAP continues to provide good value and functionality in desktop mapping software. While the product primarily supports sales and marketing professionals with integrated links to personal information management software, BusinessMAP Version 4 continues its appeal to other professionals who simply need mapping software.

Product Overview: TerraSeer Space Time Intelligence System: As mapping systems move forward in technology, one advance quickly becomes the expected thing. If 3D is close, can 4D be far behind? Here's an overview of STIS (or Space Time Intelligence System, for long) that works in 4D. By Hal Reid, Senior Technical Editor.

Product Overview: NavPro an Online Map Service From Maps.com: One of the visions for GIS is that it becomes an innocuous part of everything we do. MapQuest, Google Maps and other have pushed that vision. Another approach is Maps.com, a full service mapping company. Their product range includes wall maps, customized maps, and a new subscription product, NavPro, that provides maps on the Web. Hal Reid describes NavPro.

Product Overview: Cubistix Front End: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is recognized as one of the most critical issues in contemporary business. CRM is both a business strategy and a technology. This article discusses a product from Cubistix that marries various Microsoft products (including MapPoint 2004) together to affordably address CRM/GIS needs.

Product Review: GeoExpress 5.0 with MrSID by LIZARDTECH: GeoExpress 5.0 with MrSID from LIZARDTECH is a digital image manipulation program for viewing, extracting, and compressing large raster files. GeoExpress includes the Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database, MrSID, a wavelet-based image encoder. What is a wavelet-based image encoder? Read more...

Looking for a Job in GIS? Maybe You Should Obtain a Security Clearance: In a story written by Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News and copyrighted by Knight Ridder News Service, Mr. Godinez suggests that in the Post 9/11 era there's a ferocious demand for technology workers with federal security clearance. A check of one of the geospatial industry's most recognizable employer's in the federal government, The National Geospatial-Intel

MapInfo Hiring for Retail Services; Intergraph Lays off 50, mostly from Mapping Division: MapInfo Corporation reported first quarter results yesterday and indicated that its services division revenue declined because staffing requirements did not meet demands for retail service accounts. Mark Cattini, president and CEO, said that steps were being taken to add staff in retail modeling services, but noted that a long training period would be necessary before the new hires could contribute to the bottom line. At the end of 2004, MapInfo employed 792 people worldwide, a nearly 100 person jump

Directions Launches PROFILES IN GIS: It is a pet peeve of mine that college, and especially high school educators lack the resources to expose their students to the job possibilities that exist in the workplace. Too often, we funnel students into curriculum that are simply common pathways to commonplace jobs. A career in GIS is certainly not a common path to take for lifelong professional growth. So how does a student find out about the kinds of jobs that exist? That's where you come in.

Good News, Bad News for Salaries, Outsourcing, and Home Businesses: On October 12th, TechWeb News reported that, "Offshore outsourcing is expected to grow nearly 20 percent annually through 2008, with the average enterprise sending 60 percent of its application work to low-wage countries by 2009, a ma

Should You Get 'GIS Certified': According to the GIS Certification Institute, "the purpose of the GIS Certification Institute is to provide those professionals who work in the field of geographic information systems with a formal process that will: Allow them to be recognized by their colleagues and peers for having demonstrated exemplary professional practice and integrity in the field Establish and maintain high standards of both professional practice an

Employment Picture Looks Promising: Although it is not the official end of summer it appears by the mess on my desk it that my summer is over. Fall tends to be an active hiring season and we are experiencing a healthy increase in recruitment demands. DeVry University, headquartered in Illinois, conducted a survey of employers recently. They report that more than 81 percent across a diverse r

Jobs for Geographers Who Don't Know GIS: I received the following letter this week that I thought I would share with readers. Perhaps some of you have the same question: I would like to see an article about how Geographers and others outside of the GIS field can successfully find employment in the field with little training. Other than simply stating that course work or certification needs to be required, which is obvious, what companies and/or government organizations in the field are even willing to discuss even entry level job opportunities with individuals that are not currently in the field, but are geogr

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Report on Geospatial Technologies: The U.S. Department of Labor issued a job growth profile of the Geospatial Technology sector this past May. In the report, they cited several reasons why this sector will experience higher than average job growth over the next several years: The worldwide market for geospatial technologies has enormous potential. Estimated at $5 Billion in 2001, the market is expected to have annual revenues of $30 Billion by 2005 Increasing demand for readily available, consistent, accurate, complete, and current geographic information and the widespread use of advanced techno

Jobs Its All Good News: Employers added jobs at a surprisingly rapid clip for the second straight month in April and the unemployment rate fell, a government report showed Friday, as the nation's labor market finally showed signs of sustained improvement. Payrolls grew by 288,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported, well above the 173,000 economists had forecast, according to a survey by Reuters. The number even topped the highest forecasts of about 250,000. The unemployment rate eased to 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent in March. The department also revised its reading on March job growth to 337,000 jo

Top 15 Interview Questions: Interviewing for a job can be one of the most uncomfortable events in your life. It is equally uncomfortable for many managers who must interview candidates for a position. Preparation can make the task easier. Here are some questions that are the most frequently asked, according to a ResumeDoctor.com survey of 2000 corporate recruiters. You should have answers prepared for these questions. Describe your ideal job and/or boss. Why are you looking for a job? Why are leaving your current position? Wha