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AGI NEWS REGIONS GIGATEWAY® COMMITTEES FEATURES and SIGs AGI Chair Spencer Chainey AGI Cymru; GPS/GIS technology GIgateway® – the first year; Crime and Disorder SIG, BigBarn; Plotting the Renaissance; describes new developments; A use in public transport in FAQs about GIgateway®; Neighbourhood watch;Standards a response to ‘ A question of day in the lives of the Information Northern Ireland; Addressing GIgateway® is flourishing Committee; Health SIG; Utilitiesand counties’; AGI Council policy Services Coordinator and the Northern Ireland Telecommunications SIG; Property SIG statement Information and Web Officer

6 7 8 9 10 JUNE 2003 volume 13 PEOPLE EVENTS EDUCATION BENEFITS & INDUSTRY number 2 Richard Green strengthens Events Slot; Information MEMBERSHIP NEWS AGI Student Website prize 2003; Infotech’s Board; leading GI Management Awards; ‘Talking to A full listing of the benefits of Five pages of news and University’s satellite data archive figures receive fellowships; new the Top’ – VIP Session at AGI AGI membership; Why Bristol announcements from round the GI given new status; Intergraph’s staff at SIA; Conference Water are AGI members industry Team Geomedia Registered Research Laboratory Program

AGI Conference ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ S-CAT award contracts for Geographical Update AGI Conference Information Services and Systems 16th – 18th September We are pleased to announce that OGCbuying.solutions, an Executive Agency of the Earls Court 1 Office of Government Commerce, has appointed a number of AGI Sponsor and The full AGI Conference Corporate members as qualified suppliers under Category 15 of the S-CAT Programme has now been framework, the provision of Geographical Information Services and Systems. confirmed.

AGI members receive a Geographic Information is being increasingly recognised within senior government significant discount on the circles as being a key enabler for e-Government, and recent announcements cost of a delegate pass and a concerning the signing of the three year Pan-Government Agreement for Ordnance further 10% Early Bird Survey data combined with the simplification of the procurement process under S- discount is available up until CAT will make it easier for more Government organisations to realise its benefit. the 25th of July – so book early! S-CAT is a catalogue-based procurement facility originally established by CCTA to Corporate and Sponsor provide public sector organisations with a simplified means of procuring, and members also benefit from contracting for, a wide range of IT and business related services. The S-CAT receiving a number of free scheme provides the following benefits to Government: and discounted conference passes – so be sure to check ● Compliance with EC procurement regulations

your allocation! ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ● Ability to call-off urgent requirements quickly

The full conference ● Very competitive fees available to all users programme and details of ● Choice of approved suppliers and consultants how to book your place at the conference can be viewed ● Easy ordering based on standardised procedures on the AGI Conference and ● Sound contractual protection GeoSolutions website www.geosolutions-expo.com ● Internet catalogue

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The successful Corporate and Sponsor members are listed below in alphabetical order and the Individual Service offering are indicated AGI NEWS as follows:

● Strategic and Technical Consultancy – 15a

● Evaluation, Analysis and Management of Geospatial Data – 15b

● GIS Application and Software Development – 15c New developments ● Provision of Software Value Added Services – 15d Spencer Chainey, AGI Chair ● Data Capture Services – 15e

● Training (Geographical Services) – 15f

● Recruitment (Geographical Services) – 15g

● Webmap Authoring – 15h

● Aerial Map Services – 15i

● Map-making and Reproduction (to support policy and service delivery) – 15j

Company Service Offerings 15a 15b 15c 15d 15e 15f 15g 15h 15i 15j Anite ■ – ■ ––––––– APIC – ■■■– ■ –––– Babtie Group ■■■– ■■–––■ BKS Services Limited ––––■ –––■■ Cadcorp – ■■■–––■ –– Deloitte Consulting Ltd ■■■■– ■ – ■ –– Dotted Eyes ■■■■– ■ – ■ – ■ ESRI (UK) Ltd ■ – ■■– ■■■■– Ewan Group PLC ––■ ––––■ –– ––––––––■ – Getmapping Plc Recent months have seen some excellent IBM ■■■■–––■ –– Informed Solutions ■■■■– ■ – ■ ––activity in several areas that will help Infotech ■■■– ■■––––maximise the use of the geographic Infoterra Ltd ■■■■■■■■■■information across the whole of the Intergraph ■■■■■■■■■– industry and into new markets. These have Landmark Information ■■■■■––■ – ■ Group Limited included: Laser-scan Limited ■■■■– ■ – ■ ––● the development of the Government ––■ – ■ Lovell Johns Ltd ■■■■■ Services Catalogue (S-CAT) category Mason Land Surveys Ltd –––■■■––■ – for GI Services and Systems Mott Macdonald Vega ■■■■■––■ – ■ Consortium ● the AGI’s newly formed Special Interest Oasis Recuitment Group ■ –––––■ ––– Groups for Property, Utilities and – ■■– ■ –––– Oracle ■ Energy, and Scisys ■■■■–––■ –– ● Tenet ITMapping Ltd ––■■–––■ –– the signing of the Pan-Government Terraquest Group Plc ■■■– ■■■––■ Agreement for Ordnance Survey base The GeoInformation Group ■■––■■––■■ mapping products. WA Atkins Planning and ■■■■■■– ■ ––However, it has also been a period of Management Consultants Ltd frustration and concern for others due to Information from S-CAT website 4 June 2003 inactivity, or with issues in the way For a full list of successful supplier and further information about S- geographic information is being exploited. Examples include: Cat please visit their website: http://www.s-cat.gov.uk/whatsnew.asp#61 ● the delay in the publishing of the Sallie Payne Ordnance Survey Framework Deputy Director AGI document that was originally promised [email protected] for submission in December 2002, and 2 ○○○○○

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after receiving several complaints the Figure 1: Wandsworth population profile. Office of Fair Trading has launched an Source: ONS 2001 Census investigation into alleged anti- competitive behaviour by the Environment Agency because of the way the agency sells environmental information for property searches (for more details see the national press articles published between the 11th – 15th of May). The AGI continues to act in its members’ interests, focusing on the generic benefits and issues that concern the industry. This has recently included a Sponsor Members Forum on the Government’s ‘Wider Markets Initiative’ that acted as an informal meeting with key people from government to explain and discuss with the AGI’s sponsor members the government’s policy for selling services to wider markets and its implications (more details about the government’s Wider Markets Initiative can be sourced from: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/ED8AB/ New_WM_Guidance.pdf.

The AGI has also recently written to Andrew Bennett MP (Chair Urban Affairs Sub-Committee), expressing that, until the Ordnance Survey Framework Document has been published, uncertainty over the operating framework of Ordnance Survey, and hence some uncertainty in the Geographic Information Industry, remains. Watch this space for developments! Census and Neighbourhood Figure 2: Local authorities thematically mapped in relation to the number of hours worked Statistics July 2003 sees the planned release of the full A new feature recently added to the Census This feature is in addition to the catalogue of 2001 Census statistics from website is an interactive map that generates Neighbourhood Statistics Service and the Output Areas (representing approximately thematic maps for statistics of interest. interactive mapping facility it provides for 100 households) to wards and above. Local This allows users to zoom into a particular sourcing data (see authority profiles from the 2001 Census area and view statistics for selected local www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk). It can already be sourced from authorities. Figure 2 shows local is heartening to think that much of what www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/ with authorities thematically mapped in relation we are now able to do with this type of population profiles like the one shown for to the number of hours worked. I think data refers back to the excellent work of the London Borough of Wandsworth I’ll be moving to the Isle of Wight! the Cabinet Office’s Social Exclusion Unit (Figure 1 above) also available. Policy Action Team 18 on Better 3 ○○○○○

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Information. I know that many AGI This Directive is of significant importance procurement of base mapping data it would members gave input to this. to the development and exploitation of be in the interest of those negotiating on geographic information in the UK, so the behalf of local government to consider the In anticipation of the release of full 2001 AGI Council has formed a policy impact of the PAI costs that are being Census data the AGI is currently planning statement describing its position: placed on these users. The Local a programme of seminars for the Autumn Government Ordnance Survey Liaison to be held in a number of locations in “In accordance with its mission statement, Officers (OSLOs) have been consulted on England and Wales. These seminars will AGI recognises that Public Sector Geographic the procurement by the IDeA in the form aim to raise awareness of the data that is Information is the largest segment of Public of a questionnaire asking what datasets they available from the Census, how it can be Sector Information available in the UK. As would like to include, and I’m sure they sourced, how the geography of the Census such AGI supports the objective of ensuring will be discussing the procurement during has been defined, plus the development of that it is widely available for re-use by the round of OSLO meetings in June. The new data that will emerge over the next public sector bodies, private industry as well LOGGIC group of the IDeA (which two years from the Neighbourhood as the citizen so that it can be developed for consists of OSLO representatives from the full benefit of the UK economy and the Statistics Service. Local Government) will be negotiating the Information Society across the EU. European Commission re-use of future procurement package, and through groups in the AGI that include the Local public sector information. AGI supports the aim of ensuring that citizens and organisations should be able to Government SIG and the Crime and The European Commission is currently in access and reuse Government information Disorder SIG, the AGI is pressing hard to the process of submitting its draft directive more easily and at a fair price so as to allow ensure that the wider GI community gives to establish a European Union framework the development of innovative products and input to the procurement process. (and legal instrument) for the exploitation services which will boost the Knowledge of public sector information for a second AGI Events Economy.” reading to the European Parliament. Chris The AGI is very pleased to announce that Corbin provided a useful update on the Local Government Mapping it will be recruiting a full-time events progress of this directive through the EC in Service Agreement Procurement officer in July to manage our developing the last edition of the AGI Newsletter events programme. The AGI has been At the time of press, an OJEC notice for (Spring 2003). The proposed directive for extremely fortunate in recent years to “Local Government Mapping Service the reuse of public sector information aims benefit from the generosity of Shell and Agreement Procurement” was imminent. to ensure that: Ordnance Survey who have provided This notice is seeking to procure map data ● the same basic conditions apply to all seconded staff to help manage the AGI for local government (including the local players in the European information events programme. These secondments authorities, police service, fire service, and market have given the AGI the opportunity to National Park Authority). The current ● more transparency is achieved on the explore the feasibility of developing the Service Level Agreement with the conditions for reuse, and events manager role into a full-time post Ordnance Survey is due to expire in April ● unjustified market distortions are within the AGI Team. On behalf of the 2004. Whilst Ordnance Survey do produce removed. AGI I would like to thank Shell and many excellent mapping products, this The proposed directive offers legal Ordnance Survey for their highly valued procurement could easily be read by many certainty for the market players and support. as effectively a renegotiation of the establishes deadlines for changes, while procurement of the existing Ordnance leaving the Member States to choose the Spencer Chainey Survey SLA. precise way in which its provisions would AGI Chair be adapted to local circumstance. The Positional Accuracy Improvement issues are [email protected] terms of access to Public Sector seriously affecting the local authority Information are left to the Member States community and could cost them in total to implement. between £60M – £100M to implement corrections to their data. In any

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A day in the life of the Information Services Coordinator . . . by Louise Scofield

The purpose of my role as Information Services Ordnance Survey NIMSA Contracts Manager) with these Coordinator is to “Provide support and co-ordination for figures every quarter. the successful delivery of the AGI Services Programme, A further 20% of my time is allocated to co-ordinating ensuring all information is available in order to deliver the the outreach and promotional programme, in work according to the contract with Ordnance Survey.” accordance with AGI standards and procedures, So, what does this actually entail in terms of defined liaising with the AGI Events Manager. I am responsibilities? At the moment, the AGI Services responsible for the research and booking of all conference Programme consists of managing the GIgateway® project, and exhibition stands throughout the year. GIgateway® is but the scope for developing future services also falls exhibiting at 10 venues around the country during 2003. within the remit of the information services team. In addition to this, I have also spent time with the AGI’s Events Manager, Angela, on deciding which AGI events Approximately 20% of my time is devoted to maintaining GIgateway® should be present at, so I will hopefully get to the Services Team’s administrative systems, meet many of you over the next few months! including the management of data. Maintaining the administrative systems doesn’t take a huge amount of my This leads neatly on to the 10% of my time that is allocated time up as I tend to file pretty much everything as I go to co-ordinating the design and production of along. This part of my job is straightforward as, having promotional literature. So far, I have organised the taken over the responsibility from seconded Ordnance design and delivery of a large GIgateway® display for use Survey staff last year, I was able to set up my own systems. at exhibitions, as well as overseeing the design of a colour Once GIgateway® adds new datasets to the service and we advertisement and new promotional leaflets. I am currently succeed in encouraging organisations to contribute their writing a Marketing Plan and Branding Guidelines to metadata to the service, the data management part of my ensure consistency in the future. role will become more significant. The advent of a new The Co-ordination of research projects is designated membership database will see a GIgateway® contact to take up approximately 5% of my time. I did a great deal specific element which I’ll be responsible for maintaining, of research into web design companies and worked hard along with the AGI Team Administrator, Caroline. on the resultant tender process when we decided to re- About 15% of my time is spent managing the day to day brand askGIraffe. The same is true for the design and financial administration of the service, liaising with acquisition of suitable marketing materials and exhibition the AGI Financial Controller. This is a very noticeable stand furniture. part of my workload. It often takes up only a small amount A further 25% of my time is spent assisting the Web and of time per day as I input invoice details into the relevant Information Officer with web updates. A large part of spread sheets as and when they are passed to me. When my time since joining the AGI just over a year ago has been processing these invoices I have to calculate and record spent writing content for GIgateway® and liaising with the amount of GIgateway® funds that should be allocated Romina on how this content fits into the web design. For to shared invoices. It’s important that the financial figures several months this work completed dominated my day to are up to date, not only so that the team knows how much day tasks. There is still some work to be done on the money has been spent but because we are also content of GIgateway®. Once complete it will be my job to contractually obliged to provide the ODPM (through our

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ensure that content is kept thoroughly up to date on an ongoing basis. A day in the Finally, I am responsible for responding to general life of the enquiries and requests for information. Emails generated from the GIgateway® website come Information automatically to my inbox where I deal with them as and when they appear. So far these have normally been and Web requests for our metadata access tool which helps users to compile metadata to current standards. Officer As with most jobs, there are bits and pieces of work which by Romina Ercolanoni arise all the time but are not necessarily mentioned in the job specification for my role. It is often these things which take up quite a bit of time. My job varies quite a bit on a The day in the life of the Information and Web Officer is more daily basis but a typical recent day might consist of the like a month in the life of the Information and Web Officer. following: This is not only because of the amount of tasks and duties I undertake but also because there are some tasks which have to ● Receiving invoices and expenses sheets, extracting the relevant figures from these and inputting them into the be done on a weekly or monthly basis. I want to mention them, main financial spreadsheet we have. Details for every as they are important for providing a better service to visitors of invoice also go into my own set of financial notes so I the AGI and GIgateway web sites. can keep track of each purchase. Invoices are Though I have a working plan on a daily basis I often need to photocopied and then filed. change my priorities. Case studies, contact details or articles, all ● Booking exhibition space at a forthcoming conference. important items of information, need to be put on the web site This would include ordering the right stand furniture, to keep information up to date. Though it is not very easy with electrical and catering requirements, ISDN line, courier, accommodation and travel, as well as writing the the current web site, I am trying to make information easily necessary entry to appear in the conference handbook. accessible and increase the user-friendliness of the web site. The majority of updates are currently in the ‘GI Life’ section. ● Liaising with a marketing materials salesperson about what they can offer by way of exhibition stand display One part of the web site, which needs regular updating, is the materials. log in area of the member’s only section. This is generally done ● FTPing web traffic statistics and analysing them via a on a monthly basis but it sometimes needs to be done more piece of software. Extracting useful information from frequently if a member has a problem and requires support with these and presenting them in a useful report format for their login. In general this is updated within two working days. the GIgateway Advisory Group to read. As you can probably tell, my role is varied and busy which Another working area on the AGI web site, which needs regular is just the way I like it – that way I never have the maintaining, is the AGI web site statistics. A full report is opportunity to get bored! created on a monthly basis and primarily used for internal use. Currently the AGI web site has about 4000 visitors per week. Louise Scofield, Information Services Coordinator The Events Manager supports me by maintaining and updating [email protected] the events section of the AGI website and she also ensures that presentations from past events are added to the website. In the last couple of weeks the Team Administrator and the Information Services Coordinator have taken on some tasks of updating the GIgateway website, I am advising and supporting them. 6 ○○○○○

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As well as working on the currentAGI web site I’m working on image. The other sections which I am currently working on and the GIgateway web site and developing the new AGI web site. I which I am redeveloping are the events section and the member’s am uploading articles on the ‘More Information’ section of the only section. Both sections will be dynamic and contain more GIgateway website. This is done in collaboration with the content. Information Services Coordinator. For updates please visit the Apart from this I am also responsible for certain IT issues (e.g. ‘More Information’ section on the GIgateway web site. Hardware, Software and IT structure maintenance) at the AGI The third web site I am working on is the new AGI website. offices in collaboration with the Technical Officer. These pages will contain information which is easy accessible, the Romina Ercolanoni pages will be easy to navigate and will be user-friendly. One of the Information and Web Officer main focuses of the restructuring of the web site is to create [email protected] templates for the Regional Groups and Special Interest Groups to

build their own part of the web site and to maintain a corporate

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who is involved, who should be The final version has been agreed on. involved, and what should happen The document is now ready for REGIONS next for joining up Welsh data. The translation and details on the launch day was a great success, with lots of will be announced shortly. positive feedback. Upcoming Events AGI Cymru Earth Imagery for Remote The 2003 Winter Conference Sensing and GIS, The Wales Winter Conference will be AGI Cymru have had an active start to Glamorgan University, April held on Tuesday 9th December. The the year with plenty of activities and conference organising team has events. 2003 This day was well attended by both begun to put together an exciting The steering group wish to note their delegates and vendors. The morning programme for the day. More thanks and appreciation to Dave sessions were based around information will be announced in the Kidner, University of Glamorgan, who presentations from organisations coming months. stepped down from the group in April developing the technologies used for due to health reasons. Dave has been remote sensing, and the data Regional Welsh Events heavily involved for a number of providers. The afternoon sessions The steering group are looking into years, and his contribution will be split into two streams and focussed setting up regional meetings in Wales greatly missed. on the applications of earth imagery for AGI members. There is one for remote sensing and GIS. meeting under discussion for the Events held Glamorgan University put on a superb north Wales area. Please get in touch Joining up Welsh data by three-course lunch for all the if you are interested in us organising delegates. one in your area, or want to know Geography, more about the north Wales meeting. Royal Welsh Showground, Builth GI Strategy for Wales Wells, March 2003 The steering group has been working Katie Medcalf Building on lessons learnt from hard on compiling the GI Strategy for Chair, AGI Cymru projects like MAGIC and the Wales, based on the draft consultation [email protected] Community Scotland project, the day document published at the 2002 involved identifying what is Winter Conference and feedback happening in Wales at the moment, received since.

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installation of GIS based AVL equipment. Following GPS/GIS Technology Use the introduction of phase one of the project, it is envisaged that RTI will be rolled-out across in Public Transport in additional urban service routes – particularly urban Quality Bus Corridors (QBCs). Eventually, Northern Ireland interurban express services serving selected Translink, the main integrated public transport principal settlements across Northern Ireland will operator (which is wholly publicly owed), is benefit too. Additional enhancements to the responsible for both bus and rail operations in existing phase are expected later this year, such Northern Ireland. In recent years, the company has as real-time Internet and SMS text services. This developed a corporate GIS function to meet a will greatly improve service status information range of growing Operational, Marketing, delivery to passengers and the general public Infrastructural, Strategic Service Planning/Review alike. and Government Policy needs. This function has grown with the investment in the use of GPS To meet growing, and future demands for spatially technology. referenced information in Operational systems (Schedules, Call Centre & Journey Planner, RTI, In conjunction with the Department for Regional Ticketing etc.), Translink’s GIS Unit (GISTRAN) is Development (DRD), Translink has embarked on a involved in a new project, entitled Corporate number of major projects utilising GPS and other Positional Database (CPD), to collate public innovative technologies. GPS and new ticketing transport infrastructure and asset information equipment that facilitates the use of smartcard across all of Northern Ireland. The project is technology have been installed across the entire currently involved in surveying and auditing all bus bus and rail fleet at a cost of £6 million and aims stops using D-GPS and field GIS equipment, and to bring about major improvements in the service aims to extend the survey to enable the collation provided to the general public. The main feature of data on the railway related network of the new machinery is the use of GPS which infrastructure, such as signals and level crossings. updates the ticket machine with the vehicle/train In addition to Operational system needs, it is location. This information is printed on each ticket envisaged that such information will be used in issued. Major operational benefits will be gained the development of public transport network too with the introduction of a Ticketing accessibility models - for example, to review Management Information System (MIS) providing levels of social inclusion and public transport data on patronage, service schedule adherence provision, as well as provide a useful data source etc. for infrastructural asset management.

Allied to the introduction of GPS across the entire Dr Conor G Smyth fleet, work is now nearing completion on a £1.6 AGINI Management Committee Member million joint project between DRD Roads Service, Operations Information Systems Co-ordinator and Translink, to provide bus priority and real time GISTRAN Unit information (RTI) to passengers using some Belfast Translink urban area services. The system will allow [email protected] Translink to use ITS/GPS technology to further www.translink.co.uk enhance the already excellent information and travel services provided to passengers. The system will also improve operational fleet control with the

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Addressing Northern Ireland GIGATEWAY Pointer is the new address database being developed for Northern Ireland with the joint support of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI), the Valuation & Lands Agency (VLA) and Royal Mail. For the first time there will be a common standard address for every property in Northern Ireland. Each property will have a unique reference number and geo-spatial coordinates linking it to OSNI mapping. Pointer will provide an GIgateway® – important tool for private and public sector organisations alike. It will allow quick and accurate sharing and analysis of data and it will support a host of value added applications. The First Year Pointer has been created through a process of complex data matching and intensive Dr Robert Barr, GIgateway® ground validation is now underway across Northern Ireland in order to maximise the Advisory Group member accuracy of the dataset. It is expected that Pointer products and services will be available The GIgateway® service is run by the in late Summer 2003. AGI as a NIMSA (National Interest Mapping Services Agreement) funded A Technical Address Model Specification (TAMS) has been published, on the Pointer activity, administered by Ordnance website (http://www.pointer-ni.gov.uk), which specifies the fields held in the Pointer Survey on behalf of the NIMSA review database. The TAMS was originally developed to support and accommodate the group. GIgateway® is the successor to matching of diverse address datasets from Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, the askGIraffe and has an even longer Valuation & Lands Agency and Royal Mail. As such, it allowed room for flexibility on ancestry in the metadata activities of the definition of address objects such as locality and thoroughfare. This automated data the NGDF (National Geospatial Data matching process has now been completed, and as a result, the TAMS is being revised to Framework) board and the SINES bring these definitions fully into line with conventional addressing terminology, service previously administered by including BS7666-3:2000. Ordnance Survey.

The TAMS is not however a specification for any of the address dataset products which So much for the birth certificate! But will be generated from the Pointer database. For example, the current TAMS specifies a what is GIgateway®? How has it relationship between Primary Addressable Objects and Secondary Addressable Objects changed under AGI management and what is its role now and in the future? which does not reflect the real world, and is only enforced to maintain the integrity of the database. This relationship will not be reflected in any dataset product which is GIgateway® is a metadata service, a consistent with BS7666-3:2000. While BS7666-3:2000 is applicable, in principle, to service that helps the potential users addresses in Northern Ireland, it may in the future require modification to accommodate of geographic information discover local requirements. For example, a number of Councils in Northern Ireland have what datasets are available and from adopted a policy of neither naming streets nor numbering properties in rural areas, which whom, what the characteristics of makes the representation of these addresses in a BS7666-3:2000 dataset somewhat those datasets are, how they may be problematic. The Pointer project team will therefore be contributing to the ongoing obtained and what conditions are review of BS7666-3:2000. attached to that use, such as costs and restrictions. A dataset which is consistent with BS7666-3:2000 will be one of the core datasets which The concept of metadata is now will be derived from Pointer. This dataset will be generated using appropriate business widely accepted by information rules for the formation of an address which is consistent with the British Standard . scientists (practitioners of the science These rules will be developed later this year, in consultation with the IST/36 committee. that is emerging from the scholarly In addition, Pointer has been allocated a set of UPRNs from the national hub, which will professions of the librarian and the archivist) as an essential way of be allocated to all addresses within the dataset. This will ensure consistency of UPRNs organising access to the rapidly across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. expanding universe of data, If you have any questions on the Pointer project, please contact the Project Manager – information and knowledge that has Gareth McGrath – on 028 90255749 or email [email protected] escaped from the confines of library

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shelves and exploded into geographic data resources for a portal to these). A preoccupation cyberspace. The skill of cataloguing government use in the United States, with publicising askGIraffe and, has expanded into the science of are being documented, shared, and bringing on new data suppliers, had describing and accessing information. procured with a minimum of waste. masked the fact that the incremental It is interesting that, until quite development of the old system had GIgateway® is currently the only recently, if one searched the World led to a service that was unreliable Wide Web for references to metadata, government funded geographic and difficult to maintain. metadata service being supported in most of what was to be found related The AGI had some transitional help to geographic information. This is the United Kingdom. While, originally, the production and exchange of from previous askGIraffe staff, but because geographical information in metadata was seen as a priority by essentially an entirely new team was every form, from the map sheet to the data suppliers such as Ordnance recruited. The new team found satellite image, has been particularly Survey and the Office for National themselves having to work on many challenging to catalogue. Not only are fronts. They had to get up to speed in datasets limited in their scope by Statistics, the more general case for metadata has been taken up by the order to solve many of the place and time, but the number of outstanding technical problems; they ways in which they can be described office of the eEnvoy. The importance of data resources across government had to acquaint themselves with the sometimes exceeds the amount of has been recognised and standards developing international standards information that they contain. for metadata (based on international for metadata and the impact of XML The challenge of cataloguing standards) are being incorporated based systems for data exchange and geographic data is not the only into the electronic Government they had to re-design and re-brand reason for geographic metadata to Interoperability Framework (eGif). By the service. All of this has been have become so important. working with the eEnvoy’s office the achieved in a very short space of time Geographic information is typically current GIgateway® team is ensuring and the Advisory Group has been very expensive to capture and store. For that their service not only complies impressed by the progress the team this reason any avoidance of with the emerging standard, but that has made and the speed with which duplicated efforts in assembling, and they are becoming recognised as the the much more descriptive maintaining, geographic datasets has centre of excellence for handling ‘GIgateway®’ identity has come to be huge potential dividends in saved geographic Metadata. recognised as well as the growing time and cost. number of users of the web portal. When the AGI took over the metadata This is why creating geographic service it was branded, somewhat However, the progress that has been metadata and making it available is so quaintly, ‘askGIraffe’. While this made raises new challenges. The valuable. Indeed, some of the greatest branding allowed for cute logos and a greatest of these is to plan, and fund efforts to persuade, encourage, or high degree of public recognition, the sustainably, the future role of even force data providers, to deposit new team felt that the name was not GIgateway®. By establishing itself as a metadata have come from sufficiently indicative of what the technically effective service with wide governments. In the United States a service was about. As part of a re- recognition, GIgateway® could federal circular from the Office of design of the gateway website, the become a key part of Britain’s Management and Budget (A-130) new name was adopted. This change National Spatial Data Infrastructure. instructs all government departments was not merely cosmetic. While the However the future nature of that to record their data holdings by website needed a new and cleaner infrastructure is far from clear. It compiling metadata, which complies design, there were a number of appears likely that we can look with national and international technical problems with the old site, forward to a mixed economy in the standards. The metadata is deposited the metadata database, and, in provision of geographic information. in a central clearinghouse, which, in particular links to some of the data Data products will be available from a turn, must be searched before any nodes (organisations that maintain wide range of sources, at different federal funds can be used to purchase their own metadata database are prices. These will include the private new data. This simple directive is termed nodes, and GIgateway® acts as sector producing data for profit; doing much to ensure that

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government agencies that will need street names; boundary data; height Advisory Group, the Council of the to recover their costs and provide the data or aerial imagery; is available AGI and the NIMSA review board, Treasury with a return on capital from multiple sources with a which currently funds the service invested; other government agencies complicated lineage. These have no through Ordnance Survey, to which may only need to recover the official definitive version. determine what it should be doing direct costs of disseminating data; now and in the future. The United Kingdom, while a member and yet others that can provide data of the United Nations Group of With no obvious competitor, with a at no cost. Experts on Geographic Names, has much improved technical base, with This mixed market in data leads to a no body that is officially tasked with highly skilled and well informed staff, variety of motivations and demands standardising the names of with a direct route into organisations from data suppliers on a service such geographic features within the that define and promulgate as GIgateway®. The most commercial country. Several bodies have standards, both nationally and may be happy to have their datasets assembled national gazetteers or internationally, GIgateway® is well described and listed as part of a thesauri, but none have definitive placed to provide the essential route general marketing effort. They may status. This problem has been map for the UK’s National Spatial Data be prepared to pay part of their recognised in the office of the e- Infrastructure. However, if it emerges advertising budget for being listed. envoy where it was initially assumed that there is no consistent policy for However, the smaller the returns on that adding geographic thesauri to defining the scope; the funding; and data, the less likely it is that data other definitive lists of terms used in the maintenance of such an producers would be willing to pay for the description of government infrastructure, there is no obvious listings. At the other end of the scale, datasets would be straightforward, role, or funding source, for some government departments may but it has now been recognised that GIgateway®. In such circumstances produce datasets which they are not this is a non-trivial problem. GIgateway® may be sustainable by interested in marketing, but which fees levied on those organisations Such issues create difficulties for should be listed either to comply with depositing data and using GIgateway®. The questions of: which freedom of information regulations, GIgateway® as advertising and datasets should be covered by the or guidelines on intra-governmental cataloguing body. This appears likely service and which should not? Who in data sharing. Such departments may to be more sustainable than any the long term should pay for the need to be paid, or assisted, to system that would turn access to service? What elements in data and produce metadata. GIgateway® into a paid for service. datasets are ‘definitive’ and which are However, for GIgateway® to achieve Other aspects of metadata may prove not? and whether the service should its full potential as a one-stop shop controversial. One of the objectives of only provide access to metadata (and for information about geographic the askGIraffe service was to compile at what level, for instance discovery information in the United Kingdom the definitive set of datasets that level or feature level) or whether, in and if it is to play its role in the AGI’s could be said to make up the United some circumstance, should it provide mission of maximising the use of Kingdom Standard Geographic Base access to the underlying data? remain geographic information to benefit (UKSGB). However there is no as issues that both GIgateway® and citizens, good governance and authority in the United Kingdom that its Advisory Group need to consider. commerce, GIgateway® needs to can declare a dataset to be a It is the view of some in the AGI that become embedded in a more definitive source. Some, such as the an independent national geographic coherent approach to national Postcode Address File from Royal commission should be established to geographic information policy than Mail, are self evidently definitive resolve such issues; such a we have now. sources; because only Royal Mail has commission would then be able to the right to create, define or cancel a advise more clearly on the scope and Dr Robert Barr postcode. Other geographical funding of the GIgateway® service. School of Geography information, such as non-postal However without such a body University of Manchester addresses and their components; GIgateway® needs to rely on its [email protected]

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What if we have additional services ‘in (NGDF). The major difference is that Frequently Asked the public interest’ that we would like GIgateway® is now provided under the to propose be funded under the NIMSA umbrella of AGI with a Services Team of AGI employees. This team is committed to Questions About program? providing a robust service that could AGI, or anyone for that matter, can potentially provide universal access to the GIgateway® propose additional services. The NIMSA UK’s geospatial data. Review Group must first be approached What is GIgateway®? with this proposal and then must agree Tell me about this Services Team. on an appropriate level of contribution. It The GIgateway® Team is comprised of GIgateway® is an information service 4.5 full-time staff members who come which provides access to geospatial is then up to Ordnance Survey to decide from many scholarly disciplines, not metadata in the United Kingdom. how this activity can be undertaken in the most cost effective manner (in house, necessarily in the area of Geospatial How is it funded? contracted out or a mix of both). Information. They also are an international group and some of the GIgateway® is funded through the Office energy the team brings to AGI’s office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s National Surely, AGI has a special inroad to arises from this multicultural foundation. Interest Mapping Services Agreement NIMSA funding. Look at GIgateway® The team is also responsible for the (NIMSA). and the impact it is having on AGI’s London Information Service and the AGI services. AGI web site. You can meet the team on So what is NIMSA? Wrong assumption! AGI is well placed to the GIgateway® website at: It is a contractual agreement between deliver additional services since it is the http://www.GIgateway.org.uk/aboutus/ ODPM and Ordnance Survey to provide professional organisation representing aboutus.asp funds for specific mapping related the geospatial community. But there is activities that cannot be justified on no ‘special relationship’ which makes If AGI were to provide additional purely commercial grounds. AGI the oiled avenue to NIMSA funds. AGI NIMSA services, how would the Where does AGI (the Association for Council would need to decide whether or not the proposal is congruent with AGI’s Services Team be affected? Geographic Information) fit in then? mission and then the NIMSA Review AGI would have to decide whether such AGI’s operational capital is Geographic Group would have its say (see the additional services could be delivered by Information. GIgateway®’s sole purpose question above). the existing Services Team, by other AGI is to provide access to geographic staff or by new staff brought in information; it therefore seemed a What about Ordnance Survey? specifically to carry out this work. natural placement. Ordnance Survey and Any additional services funded via NIMSA AGI contracted for GIgateway® to be would need to be delivered under contract So what is planned for GIgateway® in under the auspices of AGI. to Ordnance Survey. It simply seems to be this coming year? good practice that proposals be created How are GIgateway®’s goals and Although the Operating Plan and attendant jointly with Ordnance Survey. Only if it budget is still being discussed, there will objectives determined and carried were not possible to agree on such a be some major thrusts evidenced in this forward? proposal would AGI consider making an coming year. Firstly, there is the GIgateway® and Ordnance Survey propose approach independently to ODPM. development and implementation of our a service plan for the year. It is discussed new metadata creation tool which will with the NIMSA Review Group which Why haven’t I heard about assist metadata creators in contributing comprises representatives from both GIgateway® until recently? their metadata to GIgateway®. The ODPM and Ordnance Survey. A budget Probably because it was previously overarching goal is to add quality content becomes operational when a funding encumbered with the moniker of and additional nodes to GIgateway®. structure is attached to the operating plan askGIraffe. askGIraffe was re-focussed in Secondly, this will be accompanied by a and all parties have agreed on the delivery the summer of 2002 into its current training program that will allow all of the agreed objectives. GIgateway® presence. organisations who are creating geospatial datasets to become expert in metadata Can GIgateway® be changed or What are the differences between creation and maintenance. expanded to include additional services? GIgateway® and askGIraffe therefore? Are there any further questions Changes to the Operating Plan can Not much in terms of overall mission. forthcoming from these Most Frequently always be proposed to the NIMSA Review Both services were tasked to provide a Asked Questions? Please don’t hesitate to Group. However, major changes in single query, Internet based geospatial drop a note to the GIgateway® team or direction would most likely be better metadata searching service for the United give them a call. served by definition under a separate Kingdom. It was originally spelled out in Judith A. Jerome proposal for this activity. GIgateway®’s the now historical program called the deliverables are well defined and specific. National Geospatial Data Framework Information Services Manager

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UK. We will hopefully have the tool road ready for its first GIgateway® is flourishing viewing at GeoSolutions 2003. On April 1 the GIgateway® team began a new financial year with GIgateway®’s Spatial Search alternative optimism and renewed energy. Finally, we are beginning to The datalocator is a GIgateway® service that allows access to evidence developments which will see GIgateway® become the geographic discovery metadata. Although the datalocator search port of entry to the UK’s geospatial information. This new year interface offers many different search options for querying saw the publication of the first ever GIgateway® Annual Report GIgateway®, there is none more compelling for the geospatial which reviewed the previous and discussed in great detail the community than a geographic search. GIgateway® is now transition from askGIraffe to GIgateway®. You can find the planning to reintroduce the geographic search option in its Annual Report on the GIgateway® website at: primary datalocator service. The geographic search option will http://www.gigateway.org.uk/aboutus/aboutus.asp work in conjunction with the existing other search options. The Since its unveiling at GeoSolutions 2002, GIgateway® has also aim of the geographic search is to search for metadata which has seen increasingly more visitors. The following chart succinctly been given a specific geographic indicator like a postcode, illustrates this phenomenon. administrative area and/or place name. It should be noted that one of the ways this will be achieved is through access to Ordnance Survey’s data via the Pan Government Agreement. A Tale of Two New Nodes GIgateway® is pleased to announce two new, fully searchable Visits to GIgateway® metadata nodes, the British Atmospheric Data Collection (BADC) and the NERC Earth Observation Data Centre (NEODC). They contribute very valuable meta-information to the already existing metadata.

In addition, all nine GIgateway® nodes will become searchable via The GIgateway® Metadata Creation Tool the NERC metadata gateways in the near future. GIgateway® is also exploring potential for co-operation with other data centres in Our most recent initiative at GIgateway® is the commissioning the UK and overseas, so keep an eye on datalocator in the coming of a robust and fully functional metadata creation tool. This will months for signs of further development. be developed in three stages: ● The first stage will be the core application, java-based, which If you are interested in finding out how to get your metadata onto will be a metadata schema parser. Based upon the GIgateway® GIgateway® or even wish to see your organisation take Discovery Metadata Specifications, this application will read responsibility for a fully functioning datalocator node, please feel the XML schema and dynamically create a graphical user free to contact the GIgateway® Services team at: interface form from the contents of that schema. This http://www.gigateway.co.uk/aboutus/aboutus.asp application will be easily morphed to accommodate ISO 19115/19139 when it is fully complete. GIgateway® Finds a New Home! GIgateway®’s gateway will be moving. We are pleased to ● The second stage will be a platform independent database announce that this summer GIgateway® begins a new connection. This will allow the contents of the metadata file to collaboration with EDINA, the UK National Data Centre based be exported to an external database. at the University of Edinburgh. The gateway itself which is ● The third stage will be the development of a dynamic data powered by Blue Angel’s MetaStar software will be securely entry form which will dynamically create java server pages for installed at EDINA and the expert staff at EDINA, well online data entry and validation. experienced in issues involving Z39.50, will be monitoring its We are fully cognizant of the fact that without this necessary and functionality. This new relationship paves the way for additional fundamental tool, geospatial metadata will never be a reality in the

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productive relationships between GIgateway® and the higher SIGS AND education community. COMMITTEES EDINA is the developer of Digimap which won AGI’s Award for Technological Progress in 2000. EDINA created a premier, internationally-lauded service called Digimap, a web based service Crime and Disorder SIG to access maps and data. This edition’s column reports on a number of interesting From the GIgateway® Metadata Specification and successful developments in crime mapping and to ISO 19115/19139 analysis. The SIG is also keen to collect case studies on work that AGI members are doing in helping to reduce Under the expert guidance of Rob Walker, AGI Council member crime and disorder. Tell the world what you are up to! For and GIgateway® Advisory Group member, we offer the reference you can see two examples of case studies following recommendations that will bring old metadata into full published on the SIGs home page at www.agi.org.uk/ compliance with the new standard. public/sigs/crime-sig.htm. If you would like to submit a ● Replacing the data capture period with a single field that may case study then please contact Helen Cook from the SIG’s be either an instant or a range. Management Committee ([email protected]) who ● Changing the domain of the bounding rectangle to be will give you further details. latitude/longitude. The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science’s 1st ● Changing the name of element keywords to topic category. ● Modifying the domain for National Extent to use a code for National Crime Mapping Conference At the end of March the Jill Dando Institute (University the country as defined in ISO 3166 Codes for the representation College London), in association with the AGI, the Home of names of countries and their subdivisions. Office, the Police Information Technology Organisation ● Modifying the domain for Spatial Reference System to use a (PITO) and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) code as defined by EuroGeographics. hosted the UK’s first National Crime Mapping Conference in ● Modifying the Level of Spatial Detail to be Spatial Resolution London. Over 280 delegates attended the conference, and as defined in ISO 19115. from the feedback gathered the vast majority felt that the ● Dropping the element Dataset Association. conference was a resounding success. ● Changing Contact Name or Title to Contact Title. Speakers at the conference included: ● Separating full postal address of supplier into two elements ● Peter Neyroud (Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police) “Name of supplier” and “Postal address of supplier”. described the pioneering work in Thames Valley in ● Changing the data type for Sample to free text identifying a implementing the COMPSTAT processes that have been

browse graphic. successful in the US. To see a police officer link video ● Replacing code lists with comparable code lists from into their presentation was quite impressive (!), but ISO19115. more impressive was to hear about how they are ● Adding new metadata elements for dataset reference date, beginning to realise the opportunities that mapping dataset language and (if required) vertical extent. crime can bring to support their efforts in the process The new metadata creation tool will be able to handle these for organising operational policing. changes very easily when the ISO XML schema (19139) is fully ● Nancy LaVigne (US Urban Institute and founding Director developed. Stay tuned for further developments. of the US Crime Mapping Research Centre) gave an insightful view to developments in crime mapping in the

The GIgateway® team wishes you all a relaxing and sunny summer. United States. Of particular interest were her views on the Judith A. Jerome pitfalls, vices and myths in crime mapping that offered Information Services Manager valuable lessons for the UK delegates to learn from. [email protected] ● Neil Trainor (Geographic Profiler, National Crime and Operations Faculty) described how geographic profiling

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is being used as an effective tool to support USA National Institute of Justice Crime Mapping investigations on serious crime serial offenders. Research Conference, 2004. David Smith (Assistant Information Commissioner, ● The US National Institute of Justice have recently Information Commissioner’s Office) covered many of the announced that their next Crime Mapping Research issues and solutions to barriers that many crime Conference will be held in Boston on March 31 - April 3, mappers face with Data Protection. 2004. Visit the Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety ● Gloria Laycock (Director of the Jill Dando Institute of programme’s homepage at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps Crime Science) explained that life of the crime mapper for more details. should be beyond ‘blobology’ where the output is not just a pretty gallery of maps, but uses a multi-disciplinary Project DRAGON in Wales. scientific approach to get ahead of crime and reduce it Crime and disorder reduction in Wales takes a giant step forward in May 2003 with the launch of two Intranet ● Spencer Chainey (AGI Chair and Chair of the Crime and Disorder SIG) described certain new perspectives and Operational Field Trials of Project DRAGON. Project directions in crime mapping, demonstrating how DRAGON is the new information infrastructure for crime pedestrian modeling could be used to measure and and disorder reduction in Wales. It is funded by the Welsh identify street crime risks, and how new techniques that Assembly Government in association with the Home Office. can measure emerging trends of crime need to be more The first Intranet Operational Field Trial is currently routinely embedded into crime mapping software underway at Gwent Police. Timely crime and disorder data solutions. such as Incident Calls, Volume Crime, Deliberate Arson, The conference also included three very informative de-personalised Young Offenders details are presented to workshops hosted by PITO, the Home Office and NCIS that operational frontline police officers with minimum delay gave delegates the opportunity to engage with senior using the Force’s Intranet facilities. A similar system is also decision-makers on barriers, issues and new on trial at the South Wales Fire Service. The Field Trials developments that were presented to them in their work signifies the beginning of a new era of inter-agency co- place. The conference finished with a lively panel session, operation and multi-agency joined-up working. chaired by Nick Ross, with Phillip Webb (Chief Executive of Project DRAGON also took part in two major events: the PITO), Ellie Roy (Crime Reduction Director for London), First National Grass Fire Conference held in Aberdare, and Nick Tofiluk (Assistant Chief Constable, West Midlands South Wales, and; Location 2003 at Telford. The First Police) contributing to a discussion on ‘the way ahead’ for National Grass Fire Conference aimed to address the crime mapping. A result from the panel was the setting up problems of grass fire. The Conference was attended by of a working group that includes these senior over 150 delegates from across the country. Further representatives, JDI, AGI and the CDRP community to details can be obtained by contacting SDO Vince define a way forward for raising awareness of the benefits Armstrong of the South Wales Fire Service that crime mapping bring to supporting crime reduction. ([email protected]).

The conference also hosted a successful exhibition that The next Module to be released by Project DRAGON will be included Infoshare, MapInfo, Innogistic, Infotech, ESRI, the Anti-Social Behaviour Module for the Crime & Disorder

Cadcorp, I2, Leica Geosytems, Discovery Software and Reduction/Community Safety Partnerships. The target

RIEGL. release date is the last quarter of 2003. Interested parties Abstracts and presentations from the conference are should contact Paul Pan, Principal Investigator, Welsh available from the JDI website at http://www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk/ Assembly Government for further details news_events/conferences/index.php. ([email protected]). 2nd JDI National Crime Mapping Conference Spencer Chainey Next year’s conference will be held on the 9th- 10th AGI Crime and Disorder SIG Chair March at University College London. More details about Director of GIS, The Jill Dando Institute of Crime the conference and a call for papers will be published Science, UCL. during the Summer. [email protected]

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was active or not. It is also a Neighbourhood Watch successful and efficient way to Standards Forest Heath District Council present the information to the public Deborah Smart, Forest Heath District and to the police officers responsible Committee Council’s GIS Administration and for the areas. BS 7666 Development Officer, outlines how a The Benefits The high-level review of BS 7666 Spatial data-sets Geographic Information System is for geographical referencing, has concluded that it The project has enabled the being utilised by Neighbourhood has been very successful in the context of the production of map based intelligence Watch. The use of GIS technology in National Street Gazetteer and the National Land in the field of Neighbourhood Watch this field is innovative and is believed and Property Gazetteer and the business case for management and marketing. The to be the first of its kind. the current standard remains largely unchanged. maps have been used to promote the It now needs to be seen in a changed business The History initiative to the public and inform and standards context. A clearer overall strategic direction will lead to a full review and revision. Neighbourhood Watch is about a stakeholders of the existence and No change will be made without clear community working together to spread of Watches. Leafleting of the communication and education. reduce crime. Watch schemes provide community to become involved is now targeted to specific areas. The next stage is to carry out a consultation an invaluable additional resource to with the wider user community at an AGI statutory authorities and complement The information relating to seminar (to be held with the Address greatly the work of other Neighbourhood Watch Areas is now Geography SIG in July). Then an action plan organisations. As part of the stored within SIA’s dataMAP GIS will be produced in preparation for the next Community Safety initiative in the enabling lists as well as maps to be detailed review with: ● District (a partnership between the produced when necessary. It has examination of the case for other parts, Suffolk Constabulary and Forest Heath proved a far more valuable tool to ● revision of all parts as a unified set, fitting District Council), a project to promote Officers to have computerised digital within the International Standard (ISO and increase Neighbourhood Watch maps delineating the Watch Areas, 19112), areas was designed. rather than lists of the streets covered. ● development of guidance notes and codes of practice, Substantial cost savings have been The Objectives ● development of a user education and achieved by holding the information ● To utilise existing GIS facilities and awareness programme. in one place, then distributing it from knowledge at Forest Heath to a single source to the many people BS 8766 support the work of the Community involved. It was possible through A first draft has been produced for the Watch Liaison Clerk. partnership working with the police to proposed standard for recording names of ● To develop digital maps of the people and organisations. Input has been utilise a GIS resource already Neighbourhood Watch Areas in received from a range of interested parties. A purchased by the district council to order to promote the initiative to formal draft for public comment will be provide this service, rather than the public and help encourage new published in the summer. This will be purchasing a separate system. Watch areas. presented at an AGI seminar. ● To provide knowledge leading to Future Developments International standards more accurate targeting of areas of Due to the demand for the The long-awaited geographic information the district that do not have Watch information to be distributed to the metadata standard, ISO 19115, has now been Areas. Public and Police Officers, phase 2 of published. Like all standards, it can be purchased from AGI. Two further ● To communicate existing Watch the project will now be developed to developments are now underway: Areas to Police Officers working disseminate the information ● a metadata implementation specification with the community. electronically, through the SIA which will provide XML schemas; dataMAP Web Browser. The Solution ● an extension for metadata for imagery and GIS provides an effective method of For further information please contact gridded data. storing relevant information about Victoria Park, Marketing Executive, Rob Walker Chairman, Standards Committee the area covered by a Watch and if it [email protected] [email protected]

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health content of NeSS currently and looked examining low birth weight issues in North Health SIG to the future to outline a promising Wales. programme of work. As with most NeSS Review of “UK Geohealth: New The penultimate presentation was given by domains, access to small area health data will Data, New Challenges” David Greeno from the Department of benefit from the availability of robust th Health. David gave us an insight into the May 13 2003, Unipart georeferenced routine databases, such as varied use of GIS within DH, covering areas Conference Centre, Oxford. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Gillian such as dentistry, cancer waiting times and Sallie Payne, Deputy Director of the AGI reminded the audience that both the DH and prison health issues. welcomed the delegates and gave an NeSS are always willing to listen to the ideas, introduction to the Association for comments and suggestions from the health Finally, Peter Rieks outlined the current needs Geographic Information. This is always a community regarding the services and data on of the NHS in terms of software and valuable addition to any SIG event, reminding offer. geographic information, going on to describe audiences of the National GI context SIGs through a few case studies how his To finish the morning session, Pauline Otreba should aim to work in. organisation had approached the growing described the coronary heart disease project market of health GIS. Ralph Smith, chair of the health SIG, chaired she was involved in as part of the SE Public the morning session. Marshall Fairbairn from Health Observatory. Pauline has usefully used A lively session of debate and comment was Ordnance Survey (OS) was introduced as the both locally resourced mortality data and enjoyed at the end of the meeting which first speaker. The notion of an agreement invaluable national datasets available from usefully identified areas for the health SIG to between the NHS and OS is one which is Neighbourhood Statistics. By visualising these lead on. A representative collection of health always debated within the health SIG. data using mapping techniques the spatial GIS case studies, to inform the OS/NHS Marshall updated the audience on a distribution of the disease could be explored negotiations, as well as raising awareness, was burgeoning framework agreement for the and described to other health professionals. seen as worthwhile to collate. Also, using the NHS. The NHS Information Authority are AGI health SIG as a focus for health GIS in After a delicious lunch and an opportunity to taking it forward on behalf of the GI users in PCTs was seen as a practical way forward. meet fellow health GIS practitioners, the NHS, and are in the process of Aphrodite Niggebrugge and Julian Flowers constructing a business case. There is a will The AGI Health SIG Management Committee from the Eastern Region Public Health for the agreement to become a reality in all will be taking these issues forward in the Observatory (erpho) presented. The chair for organisations involved, with Marshall hoping coming months. As always, members of the the afternoon session, John Maslen of that something will be available this year. AGI who are interested in getting involved in Geowise, introduced Julian who gave a very the running of the SIG are encouraged to get The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has a useful summary of the role of PHOs in in touch. On behalf of the SIG, the chair Geography, GIS and Mapping Unit and the England with Aphrodite homing in on GI would like to express thanks to the AGI Team valuable work done by this unit was presented specific work done in the Eastern region. for organising the event, with special thanks to by John Masters and Michael Neutze. John Building on a strong link with GI research at all the speakers. gave a very useful outline of geographic University of East Anglia, erpho provide products and services, many of which are strong GI support to the Public Health The kind support of exhibitors for the day – invaluable for those working in health GIS. function in the region. Active, Mapinfo and Geowise was also Michael gave a fascinating preview of the appreciated. Continuing the theme of the NHS/ Academic latest technology ONS are using to enable the link, Ronan Foley and Joan Ashdown-Lambert Copies of all the presentations will be available visualisation of area based data. Equally described their respective studies. Ronan from the members section of the AGI website. applicable to aggregated health data, Michael (University of Brighton), in collaboration with looked at the latest census data and how it can Ralph Smith Brighton & Hove City PCT, had put many be mapped using efficient web programming AGI Health SIG Chair GIS techniques to good practise in looking at [email protected] techniques. The Department of Health (DH) GP surgery re-location planning. Similarly are responsible for progressing the health Joan (Staffordshire University) utilised section of the ONS Neighbourhood Statistics mapping and spatial analysis techniques when Service (NeSS). Gillian Goddard reviewed the

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Utilities and Telecommunications SIG Property SIG Inaugural meeting The emerging Property SIG plans to On Wednesday 14th May 2003, the AGI hosted the first meeting of the Utilities launch formally with a reception and members’ meeting at and Telecommunications Special Interest Group. The event attracted over 60 GeoSolutions2003, the annual AGI industry professionals from the water, electricity, mobile telecommunications conference in London 16-18 and fixed line telecommunications sectors, including a significant number of September. There is a special session non AGI members. for papers on the property industry The agenda started with a presentation by Sallie Payne (AGI) on the and acting SIG Chair, Duncan Jones of background and organisation of the AGI, and the role of special interest CB Hillier Parker [email protected], will groups within the AGI. John Alderson (Informed Solutions) followed with an present his paper in this session on overview of business issues facing the utilities and telecommunications how a wholly owned subsidiary of the sectors and how GI could help address a number of these issues. The final world’s largest property consultancy session before lunch, presented by Ian Drury (BT), was a case study on the uses GIS/GI to make business use of GI within various parts of BT’s business. Ian received a large number of decisions on a day to day basis. He will questions from delegates interested to learn more about the systems used by look at the subject of implementing a BT, and the approaches BT have used to deploy these systems into the corporate GIS in a property company enterprise, including GI technology on 30,000 ruggedised mobile devices. and the issues that affect it. Following lunch, where delegates had the opportunity to discuss matters of The Property SIG is preparing its common interest informally, John Cima (WRc) presented some of his findings Terms of Reference and looking for from business analysis on enterprise asset management and provided an update volunteers to stand for its Management Committee. Its interim on recent thinking concerning the integration of asset records with other key committee has been discussing with operational systems in utility and telecommunications businesses. Peter Angel RICS and the Society of Property (Ordnance Survey) and Peter Mahan (United Utilities) completed a double act to Researchers (SPR) how to collaborate update delegates on the Ordnance Survey Positional Accuracy Improvement with similar SIGs in these programme, including the processes that United Utilities are using to deal with organisations, which have rather any requirements for them to update network data to align with changes in base different cultures and aims than AGI. mapping. Both presenters received a considerable number of questions from Acting Secretary Tony Vickers, is a delegates clearly interested in how the Ordnance Survey Positional Accuracy researcher on the mapping of Improvement programme may affect the data holding of their organisations and property values. He puts the situation strategies for managing any required data maintenance. regarding GI and the property industry like this: To better understand delegates’ opinions and expectations on the role of the “Whereas twenty years ago we had Utilities and Telecommunications Special Interest Group an interactive discussion hundreds of organisations in all on the remit of the SIG was held at the end of the meeting. Delegates expressed sectors wanting OS digital map data, their opinions on a wide range of issues from the focus of the SIG to the today we’ve got hundreds of frequency and format of SIG meetings. The general feeling was that there was a organisations wanting map-based need for the SIG and that it should focus on key GI related technical and business information about property – which issues faced by the utilities and telecommunications sectors. isn’t yet available nation-wide. But A significant number of volunteers came forward to help with the management just as we had a step change in the nineties with widespread use of of the SIG and it was widely felt that the SIG should capitalise on the success of ‘spaghetti’ map data as soon as OS this initial meeting by confirming the date of the next meeting, which will take completed national coverage, so we’ll place in October 2003. get a huge change in property industry David Halsey practice as soon as land registers are Informed Solutions complete. That could be less than ten [email protected] years away – much less if the AGI

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works harder with RICS and SPR to raise awareness of what the benefits of BigBarn, the creation GI/GIS to the property industry are. FEATURES The GI/GIS industry needs to adopt the of a virtual on-line best practice from overseas parcel based land mapping applications and farmers market adapt them to the peculiarities of UK land information data sets.” BigBarn was a concept created by Anthony Davison, who is from a fourth The first seminar organised by the AGI generation farming family. His main objective was to create a website in which Property SIG is planned for Tuesday local food producers can trade with consumers in a virtual online farmers 1st July at City University, London on market. Research has shown that consumers want to buy local produce, which “GIS in Property Tax Assessment”. The is seen as both safe – because its origins can be tracked – and also better subject is chosen because in other quality. However, local producers are scattered and usually lacking funds for countries it is the link between public marketing, making them hard to find. BigBarn intends to solve this dilemma. land registers and property tax assessment lists that drives the The BigBarn website, powered by software from SIA Limited, harnesses the industry’s use of GI. Northern latest technology to create a virtual marketplace. It allows visitors to:

Ireland’s Valuation & Lands Agency ● Gain access to over 5,000 independent food producers and gain information (VLA) is about to call for tenders on on their goods and services the reassessment of the province’s ● Buy local, which means fresh, direct from the producer, rather than goods residential properties (they still have that have been imported, warehoused and distributed the ‘old’ rating system there), having declared it will use computer aided ● Pay less for better quality mass assessment (CAMA) techniques ● Find specialists who deliver throughout the UK similar to the US, South Africa and ● Gain information on nutrition, recipes, crops and plants Denmark. Most of these countries now routinely use GIS in CAMA. And the The website’s unique mapping technology makes it easier to find the freshest Inland Revenue are talking to local produce as locally as possible. Simply by entering the first four characters of a government about how to use GIS to postcode, anyone can check which producers are within reach. The software help make the new 2005 business rate allows customers to see a map of the required area. By clicking on different revaluation more understandable to icons that represent producers and the type of goods they sell, a window will taxpayers: their Valuation Office open to display relevant information for specific producers. Agency (VOA) are determined to cut the cost and number of appeals, using BigBarn has now been trading for 3 years specialising in developing technology GIS if possible. to promote the direct trade between producers and consumers of local food This seminar will include speakers and drink. They now include over 5,000 producers on the website as icons and from the US who lead the way in receive over 12,000 hits per day. CAMA/GIS, also from Northern Ireland BigBarn customers greatly benefit from the project’s innovative and user- and from the VOA, as well as researchers and others with friendly construction. So far over 7,000 consumers have registered their email experience of Denmark and South addresses and postcodes to help BigBarn persuade producers to team up and Africa. Map-based land registers and offer a wider range of goods in their local area. The delivery of BigBarn’s property tax lists are essential information is in a pictorial, easy-to-read format, meeting the needs of its two building blocks for anyone in groups of customers: producers and consumers. business or government wanting to buy, sell, manage or invest in The innovative mapping technology incorporated within the web site gives property. They’re coming to the UK BigBarn a distinct competitive advantage. and we need to plan for that now. Anthony Davison Tony Vickers, Modern Maps Director of BigBarn [email protected] www.bigbarn.co.uk 19 ○○○○○

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According to Richard McCrea of Information Systems Belfast Plotting the Renaissance (ISB - the IT department for Belfast City Council), the numerous Belfast City Council uses mapping software to uses for mapping software have delivered significant Return on improve services to citizens Investment (ROI). Belfast is undergoing a renaissance having experienced record “Belfast City Council’s use of GIS has increased significantly as increases in growth and prosperity in recent years. Since 1999, this more departments become aware of what this kind of technology City has received over £250 million of investment, creating new can do for them. Long lists of figures can be meaningless to the jobs and attracting ever-increasing numbers of young people to the untrained eye while the presentation of information through maps City. Entrusted with providing vital services to this ever-changing grabs the attention, is easy to read and speeds up the decision- region is Belfast City Council. making process.” As the largest of the 26 District Councils in Northern Ireland, Potential future uses of GIS within Belfast City Council include Belfast City Council is responsible for providing a varied range of developing mapping software for mobile devices and a vehicle essential services from waste management and building control to tracking system. support for the arts, tourism and economic development. For more information, please email: [email protected] Employing over 2,400, Belfast City Council has 102 operational centres. A response to “A question of counties” To an organisation of this size with such wide-ranging responsibilities, information is key. Belfast City Council recognised We read with interest Andrew Pearce’s article ‘A at a comparatively early stage the benefits of using location-based question of counties’ in the March 2003 edition of mapping software to create, maintain, analyse and share important GEOgraphic information and thought readers might like to understand our position. data. This has had the effect of not only accelerating the decision- making process but also improving service delivery. We have a statutory obligation to record and depict administrative and electoral boundary information In 1997, the Council invested in mapping software from arising from the ‘Ordnance Survey 1841 Act of MapInfo. At that time, the Council chose MapInfo Professional, Parliament’. which was supplied by specialist MapInfo Premier Partner, CDR Group. Data, which previously could not be easily extracted, In producing our products we seek to avoid creating could now be visualised, assessed and acted upon more quickly. confusion for map users and so Ordnance Survey depicts only the current administrative boundary Since then, a number of different departments within the Council structure and the corresponding electoral boundaries. have benefited from the functionality of the software. One Like most map detail boundaries are subject to example is the management of leisure and recreational facilities for considerable change. If we take ‘snapshots’ of the City. Elsewhere, Belfast City Council has placed Geographic Counties, over time, a diverging picture is revealed. Information Systems (GIS) at the heart of its reactive plans in the This divergence has become quite pronounced in event of emergencies, such as a chemical explosion. Using the recent years and a widely different picture can be seen software, it has developed a strategy for identifying nearest for ‘Current Administrative’, Historic Administrative, available resources such as hospitals and centres where shelter could Geographic or Ceremonial & Preserved Counties. be provided or used as food distribution points. We do not ‘refuse to acknowledge the lieutenancy’ but The latest GIS project undertaken by the Council is the it is true that we no longer refer to lieutenancy development of an Intranet site using MapInfo’s MapXtreme® Java boundaries because it is the administrative boundaries Edition. This site, which is called Discover Belfast, enables Council which most map users require. employees to securely access new maps and aerial photography Dave Lovell online. To date over 25 percent of Council employees have Ordnance Survey [email protected] successfully used Discover Belfast to increase their efficiency.

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AGI Council Policy on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the re-use and commercial exploitation of Public Sector Documents1 (PSI)

Background This will lead to growth and increased Aim of the Proposed Directive Public administrations regularly and competitiveness of the digital content The Proposed Directive aims to systematically collect basic data and industry and bring benefits to ensure that in relation to the reuse of information in the performance of consumers. The sheer size of the public sector information the same their governmental functions. These economic value of public sector basic conditions apply to all players in collections have value beyond their information in the EU shows the the European information market, use by governments, and their wider potential of this area. The PIRA that more transparency is achieved on availability would be beneficial to the International report on ‘Commercial the conditions for reuse and that citizen, the public sector and private exploitation of Europe’s public sector unjustified market distortions are industry. Public organisations should information’ (September 2000) removed. The Proposed Directive allow these basic information estimated the value of this information offers legal certainty for the market materials to be used by the citizen, to be around 68 billion euros. An players and establishes deadlines for the public and the private sectors and improved use of the economic potential changes, while leaving the Member also by the information industry to be of public sector information will lead to States to choose the precise way in exploited through electronic increased activity and job-creation in which its provisions would be adapted information services. the digital content industries, PIRA to local circumstance. The terms of estimated the potential to be around access to Public Sector Information Improved possibilities to re-use 272 billion euros. are left to the Member States to public sector information based on a implement. harmonised legal framework will PIRA also recognises that foster investment and innovation in geographical information comprises Principles behind the Proposed the largest proportion of PSI in the information market through Directive increased certainty and transparency. Europe (see below): The Proposed Directive is guided by compliance with EU competition EU Economic Value of PSI policy to ensure the existence of a by Sector 1999 (Million Euro) workable single market. Additionally it sets out some basic principles for the establishment of an internal EU market for PSI based on:

1 Availability (Article 4) 2 Principles for charging (Article 6) 3 Non-discrimination (Article 7) 4 Transparency (Article 8) 5 Facilitating re-use (Article 9) 6 Fair trading (Article 10) 7 Prohibition of exclusive 1 ‘ Document’ means: arrangements (Article 10) a) any content whatever its medium (written on paper or stored in electronic form or as a sound, visual or audiovisual recording) b) any part of such a content

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Members States to stimulate public Pricing AGI policy statement on the Reuse The Proposed Directive also adopts sector bodies to adopt the marginal of Public Sector Information the principles of subsidiarity and costs for reproduction and proportionality and so deliberately dissemination approach where In accordance with its mission limits itself to the minimum possible, it leaves it to the Member statement, AGI recognises that Public harmonisation that is needed to States and public sector bodies Sector Geographic Information is the pursue the establishment of a involved, including a reasonable return largest segment of PSI available in the European information service, based on investment. The only restriction UK. As such AGI supports the objective on public sector information. It leaves imposed is an upper limit in cases of ensuring that it is widely available for a considerable margin for manoeuvre where the public sector bodies make re-use by public sector bodies, private for Member States whilst helping to unreasonable profits on the basis of industry as well as the citizen so that it ease or overcome the main barriers their information resources.’ can be developed for the full benefit of for industry by setting the basic According to these principles of the UK economy and the Information principles outlined above. subsidiarity, Member States are free to Society across the EU.

From the Explanatory Memorandum to choose the precise way in which the AGI supports the aim of ensuring that the Proposed Directive (Brussels, provisions of the Directive are adopted citizens and organisations should be 5.6.2002 COM (2002) 207 final, 2002/ to local circumstances. able to access and reuse Government

0123 (COD). ‘The present proposal ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ information more easily and at a fair takes into account that certain public AGI mission price so as to allow the development of sector bodies depend on the sales of ‘To maximise the use of geographic innovative products and services which their information resources to finance information for the benefit of the will boost the Knowledge Economy. parts of these operations. It does not citizen, good governance and

impose any radical change as to the commerce’. Gayle Gander, AGI Council Member charging policies. Although it incites ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ [email protected]

PEOPLE Richard Green Strengthens Infotech’s Board

Infotech Europe is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard training and support. The company has an in-depth domain expertise in Green to its board as Non-Executive Director. Utilities, Telco’s, Transportation and Local Government. Richard joins Infotech with vast managerial, acquisition and strategic Richard will be utilising his vast management experience to assist in the development experience coming from a background in Utilities & Telco’s. development of Infotech’s corporate strategy as it continues to grow to A founder of Smallworld, Richard held the position of General Manager become a leader in offshore business process outsourcing. of the Communication Division where he was responsible for Commenting on his appointment John Renard, Managing Director said developing overseas operations and oversaw the opening of worldwide “There is tremendous opportunity for us to continue to grow our existing offices. Richard successfully grew the division’s turnover from $7million GIS and IT services business. Richard’s considerable strategic development to $42 million in just 18 months. experience especially in the Utilities & Telco market will prove invaluable Following the acquisition of Smallworld by General Electric, Richard to Infotech during this stage. I am delighted he accepted.” continued to grow the business through the acquisition of service Richard Green commented, “As more and more large scale companies. In 2002, he founded Ten Sails, a business development organisations recognise the need for outsourced services the market company, with the key executives who grew Smallworld from its becomes very interesting. Infotech, with its strong on and offshore conception to global leader in the Utilities & Telco sector. service offering is ideally place to capitalise on this trend. My role will Infotech is a leading end-to-end global GIS services provider. It offers prove very fascinating and challenging as Infotech moves forward.” fully integrated GIS services for the enterprise including consultancy, For further information contact Freyja Ellis, Marketing Manager, data management, application development, system implementation, [email protected]

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Leading GI figures receive fellowships from UCL (University College London)

Vanessa Lawrence Director General and CEO of Ordnance Survey and Dr Roger Tomlinson – the ‘father’ of GIS – were among those receiving fellowships from University College London. The awards were presented at UCL on Wednesday 14 May 2003.

Vanessa Lawrence has been elected as an Honorary Fellow of the College in recognition of her exceptional service to the College, her promotion of geographic information science and her support for Geomatic Engineering and GIS at UCL.

Ms Lawrence has been external examiner for the University’s MSc in Geographic Information Science since 2000 and has taken a keen interest in the development of Vanessa Lawrence and Dr Roger Tomlinson an undergraduate degree in Geomatic Engineering at UCL. earlier. It is therefore timely and appropriate for the She has a long association with the College, and besides College to award a Fellowship to this pioneer in the field external examining, has given many lectures and talks to who also obtained one of the first UK Doctorates in GIS at students and staff. UCL in 1974. Dr Roger Tomlinson has been elected as a Fellow of the For further information please contact; Wendy Tester, UCL College - a position reserved for former Students of UCL, Business: Tel: 020 7679 6252 Email: [email protected] who have attained distinction in the arts, literature, science or public life. Roger Tomlinson completed his PhD at UCL in 1974. The work was derived from his experience New Staff at SIA in creating the Canada Geographic Information System as SIA Limited, suppliers of dataMAP GIS the basis for the Canada Land Inventory. The System was developed during the 1960s for the Canadian Department software solutions, are pleased to announce of Forestry and Rural Development and is widely that two new members of staff haveEVENTS joined recognised as the world’s first integrated geographical the company: Victoria Park, Marketing information system. Executive and Jane Rogers, Accounts Manager. Victoria has a background in marketing at During the past thirty years, Dr Tomlinson has been consultant to many public bodies and private companies international level, and previously worked at especially in Canada, the United States and Australia. This an American financial management has been a period of enormous growth in the consultancy. development and application of automated GIS, largely by Jane is a chartered accountant, and has Dr Tomlinson thirty years ago, and based on the previously worked in consultancy and foundations he laid. management roles at Coopers & Lybrand

UCL is now an internationally recognised centre for the Deloitte development and application of GIS, especially since the For further information, please contact establishment of the interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Victoria Park, Marketing Executive, Spatial Analysis (CASA) in 1995/6. Significantly, Dr [email protected] Tomlinson advocated such a development twenty years

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July is going to be a very busy month, pitches are outside. Winners will be starting with a half day Property announced in the next newsletter. EVENTS Seminar on 1st July at City August is as usual a quiet month but University, London. This is the first September sees the AGI Annual meeting of the AGI Property SIG since Conference at GeoSolutions 2003, for its conception in January and is a joint further information see the website event for AGI, RICS and SPR. We will www.geosolutions-expo.com Events Slot bring together the relevant people Quarter 4 is starting to fill up with Quarter 2 has been quite busy, ending from each organisation to discuss” GI some proposed seminars in October, with a very hectic June. It started with a in Property Tax Assessment”. There is on topics like the Census, Utilities, Remote Sensing Seminar organised by an excellent line up of speakers Energy and Crime. This leads us AGI Cymru with the help of Glamorgan including one from Ohio and one straight into November and the AGI University. This was extremely well from Denmark. The cost of this event AGM, Annual Lecture and Awards attended. Thanks to Glamorgan who is AGI Members £32.50 + VAT, Non- Dinner. This will take place on 13th took on a lot of the work! At the end of AGI Members £42.25 + VAT. November at Church House April we then had the second The next day we have the Golf Day at Conference Centre. Look out for Environment SIG Site visit to DEFRA. Pyrford Golf Club where the sun will information on entering for the May was also busy with an excellent hopefully shine! We have a full quota Awards and how to book a table at Health Seminar in Oxford, followed the of teams and some excellent prizes the dinner. November will also see an next day by the Inaugural meeting of lined up thanks to our sponsors of AGI Northern Ireland event and the the Utilities SIG. Both had an excellent the event, including Ordnance Survey, Annual AGI Scotland Event on line up of speakers. The next week we ESRI UK, The Property Forum, 26th November in Glagsow. had the Education lecture attended by Property Intelligence Plc, Intelligent Suddenly it is the end of the year and 100 people and also the presentation Addressing, Leica Geosystems Ltd and we are looking at the AGI Cymru of the new AGI Award, AGI Website Katalysis. Look out for details of the Winter Meeting. This is to be held Prize. Congratulations to Andy Smith winners in the next newsletter. on 9th December in Cardiff. PHEW! from UCL / CASA for winning this award. At the end of the month we The next week the Address To Register for any of these events were in Northern Ireland for a “GI and Geography SIG have a seminar contact Claire at the AGI by email: th Local Government Seminar”. planned for the 7 July. IST/36 have [email protected] now approved the review carried out June was extremely busy and started by Les Rackham of BS7666. The Please note that venues are booked in with a re-run of the EU Policy event, Address Geography SIG will hold a advance and have a limited number of this time in Edinburgh. The following morning session discussing this and seats. We are trying to make all week it was the Environment SIG then have a SIG meeting in the members aware of events in advance seminar in Keyworth, kindly hosted by afternoon. This meeting will be held as much as possible so you can help the BGS. On the 16th we had an at UCL in London. Please keep an eye plan. Please remember that we operate evening kick-off meeting of an AGI on the AGI website and all Event a “first come first served” policy on ALL North West group. Scotland had their emails for more details as they events with no exceptions. Please first site visit of the year to Dumfries become available. book early to avoid disappointment. and Galloway Constabulary. We held a th We will be sending out regular emails GI Framework workshop at the end of On 17 July, AGI Cymru are off keeping you up-to-date as we June organised by the Local again, this time with a “Freedom of confirm events throughout the year, Government SIG with input from IGGI Information Workshop” to be held but please feel free to contact me if and I&DeA. We finished this quarter in Mid Wales. This event is still in the you have any events in mind! We are on a high with the National Pub Quiz. planning stages so again please keep also hoping to start an evening See our next Newsletter for details of an eye out for more details on the lecture programme this year so if you our local and national winners!! web and via email. have any ideas get them in now To help you plan you next few What a sporty month July is, as we months, below is some information finish off the with the AGI 6-A-side Angela McMahon th about events in Quarter 3 and 4. football competition on 25 July. Events Manager Please keep an eye on the website as Again all spaces for this are now full. [email protected] details are constantly being updated. Fingers crossed for the weather as the

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Information Management ‘Talking to the Top’ Awards 2003 VIP session at the AGI Conference 2003 The AGI is supporting the GIS Project Category of Once again, this year AGI, in conjunction with IGGI, will be the Information Management Awards 2003. The running a seminar for senior decision-makers in Central and Local Call For Entries is detailed below: Government. For the third year running, this “invitation only” event will take place in parallel with the main AGI Conference. The Information Management Awards, now in their Planning for this year’s event is already well advanced with eighth year, are the premier industry recognition confirmation received from speakers on the use of GI in: policy of excellence and innovation in the management making; transport; the fight against terrorism, and Regional of information, and a showcase for successful Observatories. ebusiness projects and products that have delivered real and sustained business benefits. It The factor, which has proved successful previously in gathering up is a unique opportunity to gain independent to 70 senior people together, and looks likely to be so again this endorsement and public acknowledgement of your year, is for delegates to receive a personal invitation from a senior ebusiness success stories. government official. This year’s invitation will be signed at Permanent Secretary level. The fourteen categories include CRM, B2B Commerce, Business Intelligence, Supply Chain, On the day, in order to ensure a warm welcome is given and Information Security, Document Management, relevant issues are discussed, delegates will be hosted in groups of Content Management, Knowledge Management three or four by AGI members. Lunch is provided and kindly and GIS. funded by IGGI. Following lunch, VIP Delegates are encouraged to visit the exhibition where ideas prompted in the morning can Finalists are guaranteed extensive media be tested out with the wider range of exhibitors available to them. exposure and the category. Winning entries will be extensively written up by the media partners. AGI and IGGI both view this event as an important, maybe unique, opportunity to convey the benefits of GI to senior The IM2003 Awards dinner and presentations will influencers in both sectors. In so doing, we stimulate awareness of be held on 4 December at the Grosvenor House, industry issues and hope to create opportunities for members with when the attendance is expected to exceed 1200. products and services to sell. If your organisation has implemented an Dave Lovell ebusiness project or launched a new product that Chair of IGGI Communication and Promotion merits wider exposure, you are invited to enter Working Group the 2003 Awards. The closing date is 12 [email protected] September 2003.

For more information on the Awards, to view the categories, and to download your entry form: www.elanconf.co.uk/im2003 or telephone Lisa Di Bernardo on +44(0)1707 373701, or email: [email protected]

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BENEFITS & Benefits of membership MEMBERSHIP

AGI individual members colleagues, corporate or sponsor ● The first invitation to exhibit (including students and non- membership needs to be taken at AGI events practising members) receive: out. ● The first opportunity to Access to the members-only ● In addition AGI Corporate sponsor AGI events and area of the web site members (including sole traders, activities ● Free quarterly AGI Newsletter health and police authorities, ● Their name on AGI’s official

● Discounts on AGI publications education establishments, letterhead voluntary sector organisations ● 15% discount on all Wiley and ● A mention in AGI publications and local authorities) receive: Sons publications and the Newsletter

● Discounts on all British, ● With the exception of the AGI ● 20 additional names on the European and International Newsletter and the annual AGI database and to receive standards and other BSi conference, all staff are the AGI Newsletter entitled to the benefits publications ● One mailing per year to the available to individual ● Free subscription to GI News AGI membership database members ● 50% discount on subscription ● One advert/link per year on an ● Multiple discounts to AGI to Geo:Connexions Europe e-mail to the AGI membership meetings and seminars ● Discounts to attend AGI ● Invitations to Sponsor member ● The right to use the AGI logo meetings and seminars forums and meetings with key ● Discounted optional entry in industry figures ● Discount to attend the AGI the AGI Source Book annual conference ● The opportunity to comment ● Free copy of the AGI Source on AGI policy as it develops ● The opportunity to stand for Book AGI Council or the Executive ● The opportunity to host Board of AGI Cymru, Northern ● 5% discount on a stand at meetings Geosolutions 2003 Ireland and Scotland ● 10% discount on a stand at

● The opportunity to serve on ● 5 discounted places at the AGI Geosolutions 2003 plus 2 free one of the sub-committees annual conference or 10 discounted places at the Conference ● The opportunity to join one of ● 20% first year discount on a the Special Interest Groups subscription to GEOUK ● If not exhibiting, 4 free or 15 discounted places at the ● The opportunity to participate ● 10 additional names on the annual AGI conference in the AGI CPD programme AGI database and to receive the AGI Newsletter ● Membership of the Thistle Hotel Advantage Scheme In addition AGI Sponsor These benefits are limited to the members receive all of the individual member. In order to above and: extend these benefits to ● A hot link from the AGI web site

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Why Bristol Water are AGI Members Bristol Water has been a corporate member of AGI for many We are also very pleased and interested in the newly formed years. During this period we have found AGI to be an excellent Utilities SIG and will be following its progress. I am sure GI centre for all GI related matters. It uniquely brings various world professional are glad that AGI exists and are interested in its leading experts and organisations together via its many activities in one way or another. committees, Special Interest Groups, publications and seminars. Henry Ditoos-Nahapatian AGI is able to provide access to sources of information that would Bristol Water

be hard to get to otherwise. [email protected]

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ INDUSTRY Industry News includes a selection of Press Releases that we feel are of interest to AGI Members and the wider GI Community. If you would like to submit a press release please send it to me NEWS [email protected]. Not all press releases sent are included but I try and ensure that over the months

different companies are represented in this section to provide a fair and unbiased picture.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ This is a statutory requirement under the For further information, contact: West Devon crime 1998 Crime & Disorder Act. Such Chris Holcroft, partnerships are known to the Tel: 01438 747996 Government as Crime and Disorder e-mail: [email protected] reduction project Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), Cadcorp SIS – Spatial Information System although many are known locally as from British GIS company Cadcorp is Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs). Infotech Yacht Wins being used as the GIS engine for Project These partnerships jointly create a three Round Britain Race Jupiter, a regional government funded year strategy to tackle crime in a ‘joined- pilot IT project tackling crime and up’ fashion never previously pursued. In the early hours of May 1st (00.24BST) disorder being conducted by West Devon West Devon CSP is special because it is Infotech co-sponsored yacht “LogicaCMG” Community Safety Partnership. now the pilot site of Project Jupiter in crossed the finish line to become the victors, GIS has a lot to offer the partner Devon. The principle is simple enough. pipping Spirit of Southampton to the post, organisations involved in reducing crime As many partners as possible provide in the inaugural Round Britain Challenge, and disorder. It is a powerful tool to information in the form of sets of data in which has captured people’s hearts the length integrate, analyse and output a wide various geographical formats. The data and breadth of the country and across the range of valuable crime and socio- will have been ‘cleansed’ using Privacy economic data in a highly effective, Enhancing Technology (PET) by the world. visual manner. Results of this analysis partners providing it in order to protect John Renard, Infotech’s Managing Director can be used to best target crime the rights of individuals. The data is all congratulated the team “This has been an reduction resources to those areas that loaded onto a computer and the exhibit high and/or consistent levels of appropriate software is used to integrate, exciting race and Infotech is proud to be a crime and anti-social behaviour. analyse and output the results in various part of such a challenging experience. We On a tactical level, a sudden surge in ways. The data sets will all be were able to monitor the progress of the incidents in a particular area would lead geographically referenced in Cadcorp SIS race, from all our offices through the daily to the cross-referencing of a variety of so that colour overlays, graphs etc can press releases and on-line at the Round be used to map the information. data. Formal data exchange protocols Britain Challenge website exist between partners to allow analysis Dave Anning says: “We know that the use (www.roundbritainchallenge.com). This is in greater depth, whilst ensuring that the of GIS in this project is really only the first time many of the crew members rights of individuals are protected. limited by our imagination. Furthermore have sailed let alone raced, and it is great to West Devon Borough Council is a user of we can look to using GIS as part of our see their teamwork, efforts and dedication Cadcorp SIS for a variety of council regular project reporting. Thinking related applications. One such area is for ahead, use of GIS on the Web could be rewarded.” invaluable in distributing very visual the Borough to work in partnership with For further information please contact, Devon County Council and the Devon & analytical results. With appropriate Freyja Ellis, Marketing Manager, Cornwall Constabulary in addressing access controls, partners throughout the [email protected] matters relating to crime and disorder. Borough could access and use this data”.

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ESRI (UK) are part of winning consortium to Landmark Government Develop eGovernment UK Multi-Modal Transport Wins English Nature Portal for the UK Department of Transport ESRI (UK) is pleased to announce that it is a member of the consortium Mapping Contract led by SchlumbergerSema, and including Atkins, BBC Technology and Real Time Engineering Ltd, to deliver the Transport Direct portal. English Nature, the Government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and The Transport Direct portal is one of the most comprehensive services of geology throughout England, has just awarded its kind providing travellers with easy-to-access travel information for the Landmark Government, the public sector arm of entire journey whether it be by train, bus, tube, tram, air or car. It will enable travellers to easily view their travel options, plan journeys, Landmark Information Group Limited compare costs, predict journey times and keep up to date with “real (www.landmarkinfo.co.uk), a contract to digitise time” travel conditions. It will also provide links to ticketing service the boundaries of statutory designated wildlife providers. sites and related features in England. “This is another example of UK e-Government taking advantage of Using English Nature’s existing digital boundaries, excellence in GI based solutions and services to deliver real benefit to which are captured against 1:10,000 Ordnance citizens and business alike,” commented Nick Chapallaz ESRI (UK)’s Survey (OS) raster mapping, and combining them Government Strategy Manager. “We are very excited about being part of with original paper designation maps, the new this consortium and look forward to the successful delivery of this digitised boundaries will be snapped to OS portal.” MasterMap features. The objective of the project, Under the initial three-year contract worth £15 million, which should be completed by November 2003, is SchlumbergerSema is responsible for overall project management. ESRI the provision of a series of vector-based GIS site (UK) consultancy services will deliver the mapping software and solutions boundary data as part of English Nature’s Nature using ArcGIS Desktop products, ArcIMS and ArcSDE. Atkins will On-line project. The end result will be a complete provide the journey planning software, BBC Technology will design the set of digital boundary data for Sites of Special user front-end, and Real Time will supply air information solutions. Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserves “We have been highly impressed by the professionalism, experience and (NNR), Local Nature Reserves (LNR) Special Areas expertise of the consortium,” commented Nick Illsley, chief executive of of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas Transport Direct. “The success of the portal relies on the consortium to (SPA), Ramsar sites, management agreements and collate and interpret many sources of data, whilst presenting the English Nature site units. The data will form the information in an easy-to-use format. We believe that the consortium we core of English Nature’s “SuperSite” GIS database, have selected will deliver a world-class travel portal that will make life easier for the UK travelling public.” and will replace the data currently available to the GIS community via the English Nature website. “The Transport Direct portal takes us one step closer to meeting the challenge of delivering a fully integrated transport system in the UK”, Nature On-line will make all sorts of information commented Dominic Arcari, director for transport, SchlumbergerSema. about nature available via the internet for use by a “Drawing on our extensive understanding of the transport industry and wide range of interest groups, such as naturalists, our experience in managing large scale projects, we will work with the teachers and walkers. consortium members to ensure Transport Direct achieve their target of delivering a ‘one stop information shop’ by the end of this year.” For further information please contact Heidi Acton, Marketing Manager Government, The first version of Transport Direct will be available via the Internet by [email protected] the end of 2003. Ultimately it will also be possible to access travel information via digital TV, mobile phones and kiosks in the High Street.

For further information please contact Rosie Wolfe-Barry, [email protected], or visit the web-site www.esriuk.com

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Historical Aerial Photography used Getmapping for ecological management Announces The Countryside Services department of Hampshire County Council are using CR Historic aerial photography, published by GeoInformation Historic, to Imagery for OS monitor, assess and manage areas of special interest within the county. Hampshire County Council acquired historical aerial photography for an area MasterMap of woodland just outside Winchester. The imagery was originally purchased Getmapping is offering its ground- to interpret historical forest cover, however since the imagery has been in breaking aerial photographic map of the place within the department the Countryside team have also used the UK as a digital layer for use with Ordnance photography in a number of different ways. Survey MasterMap. Getmapping has also Phil Allen, Countryside Manager outlined some of the ways in which the announced that its super-high resolution imagery has already provided benefit. “Ecological systems require stability. 10cm data covering key UK cities and Historical imagery enables us to determine the size and extent of an area as it was over 60 years ago, and therefore allows a gentle reversion from what is towns will also be available as a digital essentially a modern aberration, back to the traditional management extent layer for use with MasterMap for those that existed for often hundreds of years prior to the major changes heralded requiring extra detail on the ground. by the Second World War. It also provides us with evidence when faced with Ordnance Survey’s own MasterMap public opposition to positive ecological management. Specifically the imagery imagery layer, due for completion in 2004 provided us with valuable information, supporting a plan to remove trees and and offering 25cm resolution, is being scrub to reconstitute downland habitat and protect archaeological features. created from digital aerial photography Historical imagery proved that the landscape was traditionally open grazing, licensed by Getmapping and other aerial and that the trees were much younger than claimed.” photography suppliers. The use of Historic imagery by Hampshire County Council follows the recent announcement by the GeoInformation Group (the parent company of Getmapping is currently flying the GeoInformation Historic) of the first ever historic image database covering remainder of Scotland, which will see the England. completion of the Millennium Map of For further information please visit the GeoInformation Historic website Britain and forms part of the MasterMap www.historicairphotos.com Imagery Layer. ”The MasterMap Imagery Layer is an important addition to the wide range of imagery already available to users” HMLR Prices Down! said Tristram Cary, Managing Director of NLIS Searchflow significantly reduces the cost of doing HMLR Getmapping “and we are pleased to be a searches online major supplier to OS for this new data As a service provider of online conveyancing searches NLIS Searchflow set.” understands that many professional conveyancers already appreciate the ease of placing their searches through Searchflow’s online facility. Although For further information please visit the there is no subscription or licence charge for using the NLIS Searchflow Getmapping website website NLIS Searchflow does make a small per search charge. www.getmapping.com Whilst many professionals already use NLIS Searchflow for all of their HMLR requirements, the company says that due to recent changes in their operational processes - which have helped to further improve the efficiency of the system - they are now able to offer significantly reduced charges for HMLR searches. For further Information please visit the Searchflow or NLIS websites: Web site: www.searchflow.co.uk NLIS Web site: www.nlis.org.uk

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Steering a Clear Path Richards Gray help home Through the Property buyers to “Know your Paper Chase Neighbour” Developing the new high speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link AGI sponsor member Richards Gray has joined forces with on- (CTRL) has involved the acquisition of 6,500 properties line local neighbourhood information provider upmystreet and and 12,500 property interests along the 109km route, aerial photographic company Getmapping to launch Know your representing the UK’s largest compulsory purchase project of the 20th Century. “We had to deliver to the Secretary of Neighbour, a comprehensive guide which will advise property State a lease for the linear interests. To try to pull all that buyers on details of their prospective neighbours and together without some form of integrated systems support neighbourhood. would have been a nightmare” said Stephen Jordan, Managing Director of Union Property. The principal service provided by Know your Neighbour will be a With that in mind Union Property set about market testing to search engine providing general information on current planning find an off-the-shelf package to manage the process. applications and the past planning history of properties Despite extensive market testing they found that while immediately adjacent to that being sought by a potential individual products provided part of the answer no single purchaser. package offered a complete solution. Given the need to provide a watertight process driven system, Union Rail Whilst a seller is now legally obliged to divulge any such partnered with Intergraph to set about developing ‘Land information about their own property, there is no such obligation Terrier’, a total solution based on standard, open to do so about those properties which border it, with the obvious technologies and data. “The component parts are all off-the- potential for future problems, which Know your Neighbour will shelf; Land Terrier is the glue that binds them. You may think help to eliminate. there’s nothing revolutionary in that, but when we were looking, nobody had that application” says Jordan. The report also includes local information on the property sector, Partnering with Intergraph, the project team has created a education, health and crime. The four sectors cover various topics: robust yet highly flexible solution, summarised neatly by Doug Geden, Union Property’s Referencing Manager, ● Property – including information on properties, price history, “Different organisations will be able to use Land Terrier in council tax and home improvements different ways. We developed it as a generic tool for an ● Education – details and standards of local primary and organisation that has significant issues with property, be secondary schools they buying and selling lots of land, trying to capture what ● they own in terms of a static data set or granting leases. Health – availability and details of local doctors and hospitals ● All the tools are there”. Law & order – local crime and police performance figures Costing £28, it will be marketed nationwide through estate agents Alongside the software, Union Property has developed procedures for integrating Land Terrier into any large and legal practices, with which Richards Gary have well- project and they see many applications beyond the CTRL, established relationships. Jordan says, “Nobody had done anything of the scale that we were confronting, nobody had to pull it all together Richards Gray managing director Mike Richards said: “ This is a like we did. Now that we’ve invented the wheel, there are a service that our clients have been seeking for some time and is a number of other large projects that may or may not come classic case of prevention being better than the cure. It will provide forward, and we’re happy to share our experience with property buyers with peace of mind, while helping to eliminate them”. Interestingly, 20% of property titles in the UK, with very costly potential problems”. an estimated value of £500bn, are not listed with the Land Registry. For further information please contact Jonathan Stebbings, For further information please contact, Ralph Diment, Richards Gray, Tel: 0118 934 7804 Product Marketing Manager, [email protected]

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the profile of geographical data as a supported by the Association for e-champions key public sector decision-making Geographic Information (AGI). tool. For more information from Ordnance launch three-year Vanessa Lawrence, Ordnance Survey’s Survey, please contact: Scott Sinclair, Director General and Chief Executive, Chief Press Officer, agreement says: “We are providing a key [email protected]

Minister praises new deal to join geographical framework for the For more information from the Office up government nation to join up information and of the Deputy Prime Minister or IGGI enhance decision making. The please contact: Louise Deeley, IGGI Over 500 government departments, agreement marks a significant step Secretariat, agencies and regional offices will towards even more efficient and [email protected] benefit from a new agreement integrated government. It will extending access to Ordnance encourage wider use of digital map For more information from AGI please Survey’s most detailed and up to date products for government business contact Sallie Payne, [email protected] digital mapping. The initiative will and administration.” help the drive towards meeting Among the innovative applications government targets for e-delivery of developed during last year’s pilot, services and information by 2005. Locating its Ordnance Survey mapping data has The Pan-government agreement was supported: customers... formally launched in London by the Environment Agency’s work in Vanessa Lawrence of Ordnance Survey ● Ewan Optimal Solutions are pleased flood defence, pollution prevention and Phillip Ward of the Office of the to announce the award of an Intranet and water quality improvement; Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), both Mapping solution by the Roads of whom are official government e- ● the MAGIC web site, developed by Service, an agency within the champions. The new three-year deal Defra, which enables ready access Department of Regional builds on the success of last year’s to rural information for its partners Development in Northern Ireland. pilot scheme, which saw the number and the citizen; The system, based upon the EosXtra of civil service organisations using ● the Communities Plan, the evidence software component, will provide a Ordnance Survey data rise from 54 to base for the government’s action corporate mapping, gazetteer and red- 144. plan for developing sustainable lining facility to all desktops in the “The Pan-government agreement is a communities; and Roads Service. highly significant achievement,” says ● the delivery of the 2001 Census Tony McNulty MP, the ODPM Minister results and the Neighbourhood The system will also be integrated responsible for Ordnance Survey. Statistics Service that helps target with the Northern Ireland Citizen “The pilot demonstrated the benefits investment into deprived Interaction Centre to allow operators of geographic information in neighbourhoods. to identify the locations of defects or developing policy, improving data Because local government enjoys faults being reported in relation to management and delivering effective similar arrangements with Ordnance service queries. Using the EosXtra services. The new agreement secures Survey, the announcement will make it software component has enabled the these benefits for a full three years easier to share information solution to be delivered in a very and will help the ODPM in the delivery throughout all levels of the public short timescale, providing a ‘quick- of the Communities Plan.” sector. win’ for the Roads Service. It has been estimated that 80% of all The new agreement has been information collected in Britain For further information please negotiated by Ordnance Survey and already has a geographical identity. contact Nigel Mason, the Intra-governmental Group on Today’s agreement will help to raise [email protected] Geographic Information (IGGI) and is

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funding agency awarded it AGI Student Website Prize 2003 £71,000 over two years to New for 2003, and due to cover its running costs and demand from our Education EDUCATION ensure that the information Sector, AGI has created a new award called the AGI Student that it collects can be made Website Prize. This prize is University’s satellite available to the academic awarded to the best Website on community free of charge. a geographic theme, created as data archive given an individual piece of work by The archive holds data a student. During judging prestigious new preference was given to sites collected daily from permanent that related to spatial data status Global Positioning Systems handling and geographic information science, and to sites that An archive at The University of receivers at 50 remote stations include significant amounts of original material. Nottingham that stores satellite throughout the British Isles, The winner of this prize was Andy Smith from UCL / CASA for his virtual tour of the Woodberry Down Regeneration Area. The data and makes it available to including those owned by the Woodberry Down Regeneration Team (WDRT) is part of Hackney academics investigating Department for Environment, Council and is working towards the long-term improvement of all homes in the blocks of the Woodberry Down estate and Hill anything from changes in Food and Rural Affairs, the Court, Holmleigh Road, Lordship North, Sandford Court estates. coastal erosion and sea levels to Environment Agency, the Met As part of his prize Andy will have his website linked from the weather prediction and the Office, Ordnance Survey, the new AGI website. If you want to have a quick look now please stability of structures like National Physical Laboratory, go to: www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/woodberry/virtual.htm bridges and dams has been the NERC Space Geodesy Andy was presented with the other part of his prize, by Spencer Chainey, Chair of AGI, at the AGI Education Lecture on 22nd May given a prestigious new status. facility and the University of at UCL. The British Isles GPS archive Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The judges were impressed with Andy’s work and felt that this Facility (BIGF) has been in The facility is currently was the site that most fully lives up to its GIS description. It formed part of a larger site dealing with the renewal of inner operation since1998 and is developing a website at city council estates and provided simple-to-use links between hosted by the University’s www.bigf.ac.uk on which aerial images of the different residential areas with ground level photographs. The aerial images pan, zoom to and highlight the Institute of Engineering academics can fill in an online selected areas in a smooth and pleasing way. This is an Surveying and Space Geodesy form and then download the example of GIS aiding the planning process and especially the within the School of Civil information straight on to their role of the local community. As such is a simple example of what is possible. Engineering. own computers. Many Congratulations to Andy! It has recently become a The advantage of a single Angela McMahon prestigious Natural central archive to enable the Events Manager

Environment Research Council sharing of this information is [email protected]

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ (NERC) facility, after the that academics working in this ○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ field will no longer have to use Intergraph’s Team GeoMedia Registered Research precious grant funding to set up their own stations and Laboratory Program Boasts More Than 80 purchase expensive equipment, Members Internationally Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions invite you to join such as GPS receivers, just to the growing list of prestigious universities and become a Team the association for obtain data to use in their GeoMedia Registered Research Laboratory (RRL) member. The geographic information studies but will have almost program provides universities and non-commercial research instant access to data routinely laboratories with comprehensive development support and Block C, 4th Floor software. The program promotes research capabilities to the GIS collected on which they can Morelands community on Team GeoMedia’s Online Research Library - and ○○○○○○○○○○ base their calculations. there is no financial fee for joining the program. ○○○○○○○○○ 5 – 23 Old Street London EC1V 9HL For more information please Intergraph’s list of Team GeoMedia Registered Research Tel 020 7253 5211 contact Dr David Baker at the Laboratory program members is continually growing, with more than 80 universities enrolled in he program internationally. For Fax 020 7251 4505 Institute of Engineering and more information on the Team GeoMedia Online Research email [email protected] Space Geodesy on 0115 846 Library please visit the website http:// Web: www.agi.org.uk 6025. www.teamgeomedia.com/orl/. 32