USGS & OptIPortal, a Mega LCD Wall, Used in Obama Inauguration Security

With support of the USGS and the University of Illinois-Chicago’s (UIC) Electronic Visualization Lab (EVL), security planning for president-elect Obama’s inauguration included technology called OptIPortal, a multi-screen, tiled wall of LCD monitors (Image at right: John R. Evans, USGS information technology specialist, briefs outgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne (center) and Secretary-designee Ken Salazar (right).  See more information about OptIPortals.

See the UIC press release as well as more graphics of the OptiPortal display at the SAGE/EVL gallery. (graphics used with permission of UIC)

From the CAD Side

While I spent most of my day on things geospatial I still keep a foot in the CAD door. My first professional article was in a CAD magazine (CADence) and my first job was using CAD (AutoCAD 9).

Two articles of note:

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Intergraph to Layoff 200

Intergraph acknowledged that it is laying off 200 people. The news was sent to employees yesterday. In a statement issued by the company:

"As a result of the unprecedented macro economic climate, Intergraph is taking prudent and responsible actions to reduce costs, improve efficiency and manage risk to assure our company’s long term prosperity. Regrettably, one of the actions to be taken is a reduction in our global workforce. Effective Jan. 13, 2009, the company began a program to reduce its workforce by approximately five percent, affecting approximately 200 of Intergraph’s 4,000 worldwide employees."

This is a relatively modest layoff given the depth of the current recession. And given that Intergraph is well positioned to capture some of the major infrastructure projects that may result from the economic stimulus package being considered by the incoming U.S. administration, it appears that the company is being cautious so as to not let go key personnel.

Quote of the Week II

“Sit in an oil conference today and you will hear about digital technology and software: cloud computing, remote servers, bandwidth constraints, high-speed wireless, terabytes of storage, GPS, laser mapping, virtualization, 3D mapping, virtual-reality caves, satellite imaging, smart sensors, and robotics. You’d be hard-pressed to know whether it was a meeting for Google or Exxon.”

- Mark P. Mills writing in the Nov 2008 issue of The American Spectator. The article is titled: “Will Exxon Get Googled?”

Quote of the Week

“Compared to other providers, Real Time is able to offer map-based Web information at a much lower cost because DOT is providing GIS maps,” DiRuggiero said. “The maps are not tied to Google Earth or the like, and they can be changed as needed. There are no server fees or hit fees to access maps.”

-John DiRuggiero, New Mexico (corrected from Arizona, thanks sharp eyed Andy!) DOT’s Web master and information technology expert for ITS Operations describing how its website contractor Real Time Sites saves money on traffic mapping in New Mexico Business Weekly.  DOT paid Real Time $50,000 to design the original site, which launched in October 2007 and $80,000 for an update which launched December 19 “to offer motorists user-friendly access to real-time information on road conditions throughout New Mexico.”