Oracle Magazine [updated to no reg URL per comments - Adena] published an article that included a case study of the the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (COE) and how it is utilizing Oracle 11g Spatial. The corp is using Spatial to store permiting data as x-y pairs and exposing the data through a Web Feature Service (WFS).

I'm just glad Oracle Magazine has an article on spatial. Kudos.

Though it already has a boost toward $1 billion by creating a $400 million company first with the acquisitions of MapInfo and Group 1 Software, Pitney Bowes Software acquired two more companies this week: Encom, an Australian natural resources software provider and Acxiom France, a geomarketing and data analytics company but also a long time distributor of MapInfo software in that country.

Mike Hickey, PB Software president said this month that he intends to get to $1 Billion in five years by both organic revenue growth and by acquisition.

I would not have expected the Encom acquisition as it does not fit the software solution model for Pitney Bowes in the area of marketing services. An exploration and infrastructure software company, Encom will offer accretive revenue and I suppose the move was geographic in nature since it fits the Australian market. But it's a strange acquistion from the standpoint of PB's competitive position. Acxiom France fits the PB model much better and offers them a localized solution for francophone countries.