January 2007

Welcome to The Sensor -- the newsletter of the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) bringing you the latest developments from Mississippi’s emerging geospatial industry cluster. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues. To subscribe, visit www.eigs.olemiss.edu

For further information, or to submit story ideas, please contact Lisa Stone - lstone@olemiss.edu 

Director's Cut

Every several months we like to include a feature in The Sensor that provides a flavor of how the use of geospatial technology is spreading across the local landscape in Mississippi. The start of a new year is a good time to look back and share a few “snippets” from news articles from around the state. You will find that the common link to all these local news stories is the recognition of the value of GIS and geospatial tools and the integration of these tools into everyday operations and processes.

• In the fall of 2005, the MS Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and GIS made the decision to begin acquisition of seamless, digital, color, statewide aerial imagery for distribution to all state agencies, counties and cities, and citizens of the state. (Mississippi Supervisor, December 2006)

• Amite County supervisors have decided to seek bids on a computer-based county map system. Currently, Amite County uses rug-sized aerial photography paper maps to distinguish property lines — mainly for taxing purposes. Tax assessor Jennifer Lindsey said the computer mapping system would not only include property lines, but also utility lines, land use, voting precincts and be able to aid in 911 emergency communications. Lindsey said since the state requires counties to update its aerial maps every 12 years, supervisors will have to choose to go with a new system or stay with the paper maps. Amite County's deadline will be approaching in a few years, she said. (Clarion Ledger, December 26, 2006)

• The remainder of the grant money (Department of Homeland Security Grant) will go towards purchasing GPS for the Deputy Sheriff’s cars. “We are required to give a GPS location for the scene of every automobile accident we work and the grant allowed us to purchase the equipment we need,” added Choctaw County Sheriff Doug McHan. (Choctaw Plaindealer, December 13, 2006.)

• Local governments were given the opportunity of participating in the collection of higher resolution photography at a discounted price. This imagery allows counties to view extreme details in urban areas. Three counties, Tippah, Lauderdale, and Clay elected to participate in the collection of this higher resolution data, and Tippah County is the first to receive their results. (Southern Sentinel, November 11, 2006)

• Scott Samson, Mississippi State University Extension GIS Systems, teaches Stone County officials and staff introductory techniques to apply mapping systems to the county. Using these techniques allows the county to produce maps to identify various service needs in the county. (Times of Stone County, November 9, 2006)

• The session will be project-based and will introduce the fundamental concepts of GIS desktop applications. The class will benefit tax assessors, planners, and appraisers; water, wastewater, engineering, and transportation; police departments; telecommunications, pipeline, and electric utility companies; hydrologists, biologists, and meteorologists; emergency and water resource mangers; and firefighters. (Desoto County Tribune, September 28, 2006)

• The Starkville Board of Alderman will hold a final public hearing on the proposed municipal government budget for 2006-07. Other items on the agenda include: A requested approval to hire the GIS Department at the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District to convert the existing water and sewer CAD drawings to ArcView GIS. (Starkville Daily News, September 12, 2006)

• The city [of D'Iberville] plans to institute a GIS that will inventory and monitor city resources and assets, assisting with the future planning and maintenance. (Bay Press, September 8, 2006)

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Loops of highly charged particles burst from an active region on the Sun’s surface in this image, taken on December 4, 2006. Among the first images taken by STEREO’s SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, the image shows the Sun’s roiling surface and atmosphere at temperatures around one million Kelvin (1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit).

The ultraviolet light in this range is not typically visible to the human eye, so it is represented here in blue.

Image from NASA's Earth Observatory

SEEN AND HEARD

“II think GIS provides a framework personally, and in our organizations and in society in general, to make a huge difference. As more geospatial data is captured and shared, the planet will be ‘wired up’ and the Web will expand its functionality to become a distributed platform for GIS or the GeoWeb. This will promote widespread collaboration and change the way people interact with geographic information. GIS on the Web will provide many additional possibilities for sharing, integrating, and leveraging the full stack of geographic knowledge – maps and data, models, analysis, globes, and metadata – that will create a whole new way of thinking about GIS at all scales. Through modeling the physical and cultural knowledge of the world, GIS will provide a new medium for understanding. It will foster a broad perspective and a sense of engagement."

- Jack Dangermond, ESRI President
during his address at the 2006 ESRI International User Conference
ArcUser Magazine, October-December 2006

DID YOU KNOW

Did you know the U.S. Census Bureau projected the Jan. 1, 2007, population at 300,888,812 — up 2,863,990 or 1 percent from New Year’s Day 2006. During the month of January, the United States is expected to register one birth every eight seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person every 27 seconds. The result is an increase in the total population of one person every 15 seconds. Source: SpatialNews.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 8 - 12, 2007
ESRI Federal User Conference
Washington, DC

January 17-18, 2007
Mississippi Business & Technology Expo
Jackson, MS

January 21 - 25, 2007
MAPPS Winter Meeting
Naples, Florida

January 31, 2007
Breakfast with an Innovator
Hattiesburg, MS

February 12 - 13, 2007
International LIDAR Mapping Forum 2007
Baltimore, MD

March 4 - 7, 2007
GITA Annual Conference
San Antonio, TX

March 28 - 31, 2007
9th Crime Mapping Research Conference
Pittsburgh, PA

LEGISLATIVE CORNER

The 2007 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature convened at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, January 2nd. Onlookers are predicting this session to be a little more interesting due to the fact that Mississippi lawmakers will be facing an election this year. Sine Die is scheduled for Sunday, April 1st, which will conclude the 90-day session.

 RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

ESRI has created a free, downloadable case study series that tells the stories of real-world users succeeding with geographic information system (GIS) technology in many disciplines such as agriculture, forestry, law enforcement, mining, and public works. These GIS Best Practices booklets are discipline-driven collections of previously published ESRI articles that highlight successful GIS projects suggest solutions for GIS challenges, and help GIS users develop their business cases. To date, ESRI has published more than a dozen GIS Best Practices booklets, in PDF format, on a variety of topics such as public works, law enforcement, forest assessment, and mining. More than 20 additional titles will become available throughout 2007. For a complete list of the currently available GIS Best Practices booklets, visit www.esri.com/bestpractices.

 Conference Spotlight

It is time again for the state's largest business-to-business networking event - the Mississippi Business & Technology EXPO. The event, presented by Comcast Business Class, will be held January 17-18, 2007, at the Trade Mart in Jackson. It is a special project of the Mississippi Business Journal.

Now in its 24th year, the EXPO will feature nearly 200 exhibits and is expected to attract thousands of attendees. In addition, the event will feature multiple awards programs, free seminars, door prizes, and more.

The EXPO's hours are Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 9:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., including a Business After Hours networking party with 25 popular restaurants with live music and cash bar beginning at 5 p.m., and on Thursday, January 18 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Be sure to visit the EIGS exhibit at Booth #604. The show is open to the public and general admission is free with a business card. For more information, call (601) 364-1000.

Attribution: The Mississippi Business Journal Online - Special Events

Global Perspectives

GIS mapping of 50,000-km of Indian national highway to be completed by 2009
December 2006 - The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) is hopeful of completing the GIS mapping of 50,000 km of India's national highways by mid-2009. “We are hoping to finish the GIS survey and mapping of 50,000 km of the 65,000 km of national highway in the country by mid-2009,” said Mr. B.M. Sharma, a scientist with CRRI, a premier institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. More information

New digital mapping website launched by Government of Bermuda
November 2006 – The Government of Bermuda has launched a new digital mapping website called Bermuda Maps (www.bermudamaps.bm). The site will allow people to see Bermuda from the air and to interact with map data. “People in Bermuda might not realise it, but they are most probably using GIS already,” said Designate Director of E-Government, David Astwood, in a Press release on the launch. “Bermuda has one of the highest rates of IT usage in the world. More information

'Malaria atlas' project launched
December 2006 - Researchers in Kenya and Britain say they are creating a global map to pinpoint locations where malaria is most likely to strike. They say it will help fight the mosquito-borne disease by enabling individual countries to work out infection rates and required drugs. The map should be complete within 18 months, the researchers say. Some 40% of the world's population, mostly in poor tropical nations, are at risk of malaria, studies suggest. Malaria is preventable and curable, but can be fatal if not treated promptly. More

More information access for fisherman, farmers
December 12 - Farmers and fishermen all over the country will soon have easier and improved access to relevant information in rural areas, with the newly formed Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) taking various steps to increase rural and coastal connectivity using Geographical Information System (GIS) methodology, said MoES Secretary PS Goel. More

Geospatial Techies: Students Get Partners for Mapping Project

From the 12/08/06 issue of The Panolian; By Rita Howell

An ongoing project of a handful of South Panola High School technology students has received a big boost this week when the school became one of six in Mississippi selected for the Geospatial High School Adoption Program. The students, all members of the Technology Student Association (TSA), will receive a new computer and software, technical support and training to expand their project: mapping all 67 bus routes for the South Panola School District. Using geographic information system (GIS) technology, they have been working on the project for three years, motivated by the high cost of diesel fuel, and the problem of air pollution. The idea, according to their advisor Donald Downs, is to develop more efficient routes to save time and fuel and cut down on pollution.

The school adoption program operates through the state Institutions of Higher Learning Geospatial Education Council and pairs South Panola with GIS technology experts at Northwest Community College and the University of Mississippi. (A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information.)
"South Panola is certainly to be commended," said Joyce Brasell of Batesville, statewide coordinator for the Geospatial Adoption Program. Brasell is director of Workforce Planning and Development for Northwest Community College and spoke to the Batesville Rotary Club on Tuesday, bringing with her Downs and his students. "Mr. Downs has done a wonderful job integrating GIS technology into everyday use," she told the group. The students provided a Powerpoint presentation describing their project and goals. "My goal for them for this year is to map every bus route," Downs said later. The group hopes to accomplish this by the end of school in May. The students would then compare the existing routes, look for redundancy and design new, more efficient routes, he said.
"The kids are so excited about this," he said. "The same ones have been working on this for three years." Working on the project are Caroline Flint, J. P. Wallace, Karlee Darby, Annah Bailey and Jenny Flint. The students have earned national TSA honors for their work and caught the attention of a geographic information systems expert who just happens to be from Batesville.

After reading about their work in The Panolian two years ago, former Batesville resident Zach Watts, now with NVision Solutions, working at NASA's Stennis Space Center on the Gulf Coast, called up and offered his help. Watts' company has agreed to supply a newly developed tracking device that can be placed on a schoolbus and followed on a computer screen to allow the students to collect data and closely monitor a bus's speed and position in real time. "We see all kinds of potential for use in the school district once we get the maps done," Downs said, explaining that the maps could help locate the residences of every child in the district. Also helping as advisors to the TSA group are teachers Dee Allen Willis and Ruth Redd.
 

International Trade Opportunities Topic of Discussion for
Mississippi Geospatial Companies

When it comes to international business, Mississippi is a great place to be. Known as the “Center of the Americas,” Mississippi’s proximity to major North and South American markets gives it a strategic edge. Foreign trade zones, excellent port facilities, superb distribution channels, and special international business programs make doing business even easier. In fact, Mississippi exported more than $4 billion in 2005.

On December 5, 2006, the Mississippi Development Authority’s International Trade Office and the U.S. Export Assistance Center were at NASA’s Stennis Space Center to interface and discuss the state’s international trade programs with EIGS geospatial industry cluster members. MDA’s International Trade Office representatives included Vickie Watters (Canada), Rose Boxx (Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), and Adam Murray (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East) who discussed international trade opportunities as they relate to Mississippi. Of special interest is a planned geospatial trade mission to Europe, May 27- June 2, 2007, to provide geospatial companies with a unique platform to identify and secure new business relationships and opportunities in Europe.

MDAs international trade specialists work with private-sector firms seeking to export, while investment project managers work with foreign investors interested in establishing a business in Mississippi. In addition to the staff in Jackson, the division maintains a network of foreign offices located in Santiago, Chile; London, England; Yokohama, Japan; and Singapore. The offices are available to private sector businesses for assistance and to support local economic developers.

The networking event also included Jessica Gordon with the U.S. Export Assistance Center (Jackson, MS) who discussed the programs available through their center. The Export Assistance Center is under the U.S. Commercial Service and is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Their mission is to promote the export of goods & services from the United States, particularly by small- and medium-sized businesses, represent U.S. business interests internationally, and help U.S. businesses find qualified international partners.

One of the attendees stated that, “The MDA presentation held at Stennis was very informative. All presenters were very professional and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. I was especially impressed with the vast amount of programs and services that MDA International Trade Office has in place to assist business in Mississippi. My company will definitely use their services in the near future.”

Conference Report

The Mississippi REALTOR Convention and EXPO was held on December 5-7, 2006, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions was a sponsor and exhibitor, represented by Marty Inman, Assistant Director. The attendance at this year’s event was significantly increased after last year’s conference had to be rescheduled because of Hurricane Katrina. The 2005 conference had around 500 in attendance; this conference had about 700 attendees. Many of the realtors that visited the booth remembered EIGS from last year’s conference and were interested in some of the specific capabilities of GIS in real estate. The ability to query the data to find certain homes and parcels was one of the main benefits that appealed to the realtors. The appraisers seemed to favor the seamless maps and the turn-around time on acquiring up-to-date aerial imagery. There was also interest in site selection applications from commercial realtors.

Partner News

Congratulations to the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University for being listed as “Some of the Best Remote Sensing Education and Training Programs”
in the November/December 2006 issue of Earth Imaging Journal:

• University of Mississippi, Institute for Advanced Education in Geospatial Sciences (IAEGS), www.geoworkforce.olemiss.edu/courselist.php

• Mississippi State University, Forestry Department, www.cfr.msstate.edu/forestry

The Winter 2006 issue of Pointe Innovation magazine is available and includes features on forensic science in Mississippi with an exclusive interview with forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee, the opening of the Jones County Junior College Advanced Technology Center and TVA’s Green Power Switch program. You’ll also find important information on new rules concerning e-Discovery in legal matters and a look at two companies who recently received funding through the Mississippi Angel Network. This issue of Pointe Innovation also includes a Q&A with Mississippi native and former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal John N. Palmer.

EIGS would like to congratulate the Mississippi Technology Alliance and the Mississippi Research Consortium for a highly successful Conference on High Technology. Held December 5-6, 2006, in Jackson at the Telecommunications Center, the 7th Annual Conference on High Technology featured more than a dozen speakers, ten sessions, 600 attendees from four states, and an exciting luncheon with dynamic keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start.

EIGS in the News

For state’s geospatial cluster, 2006 was outstanding year
Mississippi Business Journal, January 8-14, 2007

The year just ended was a very good one for Mississippi’s Geospatial Cluster: It was a year of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, awards, technology innovations and continued growth. Acting director Lisa Stone says much of the year’s successes was the group’s response to and recovery from the storm of 2005. “With so many of our members located in the hard hit Gulf Coast region – over half – for them to be able to rebound was remarkable,” she said. “We saw a lot of growth in individual companies and the cluster as a whole. Katrina was a proving ground for our technology. We had the chance to show people how useful these resources are.”

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