GIS Tech News (#48)

Oracle Open World reveals the database titan forging partnerships to handle the present and future needs for GIS data management.

Last week, CIOs and IT managers streamed into San Francisco’s Moscone Center for Oracle Open World, described by the organizers as “an event dedicated to helping enterprises understand and harness the power of information.” With hundreds of exhibit booths divided between Moscone West and Moscone South, finding one’s way to a meeting destination within the four-block radius that constituted the conference became an expedition unto itself. Computer terminals were linked to a searchable exhibitor list and booth numbers, but most attendees headed straight for the old-fashioned visual -- the maps mounted next to the exhibit halls -- for guidance.

At some point, Oracle came to recognize the importance of the spatial aspect of information technology. Now, when purchasing an Oracle Database edition, the customer gets Oracle Locator, described as a collection of features “to location-enable many business applications.” Furthermore, the customer can also get Oracle Spatial, an option that “includes full 3D and Web services support to manage all geospatial data including vector and raster data, topology, and network models.”

When a database giant like Oracle takes a decisive step toward the geospatial market, IT and GIS inch closer toward each other. Read more>>

Solutions for Sending Large Digital Files (Spatial Tech Column)

By James L. Sipes

In this day and age, patience is no longer considered a virtue, at least not when it comes to sharing digital information. When we hit send on an e-mail message, we expect it to be zapped across the country in the blink of an eye. E-mail works great for simple messages and text documents, but it's not a viable option for the large files typically associated with CAD, GIS, and imagery applications. These types of applications use high-resolution aerial imagery, detailed terrain models, and robust databases, and the increased detail and resolution produce larger file sizes than ever before. Read more>>

UPCOMING GIS EVENTS

Geodiffusion 2007
December 3-5, 2007
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The sixth edition's program will focus on products and solutions from PB MapInfo and Oracle. Geospatial data from global providers will also be part of the agenda. Read more

URISA Leadership Academy
December 5-7, 2007
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Leadership Academy is tailored to industry leaders and practitioners faced with unique challenges of GIS leadership and management and who want to make an impact leveraging the power of GIS. Read more

b-GIS@Asia
December 17-19, 2007
Trivandrum, Kerala, India
b-GIS@Asia is about discovering how GIS empowers organizations. It focuses on integrating GIS into key functional areas of government, NGO, academic, and business organizations. Read more

Cadalyst's complete list of upcoming events is always available on our Web site. Cadalyst's sister publication, Geospatial Solutions, also offers a full calendar of GIS-related events.