Wednesday, November 4. 2009

Aussie Ipernica/NearMap Challenge Google/Bing Maps

That's how the Ipernica, which acquired NearMap last year, is describing its launch as a new media property. The technology (proprietary) sounds a lot like Pictometry (the sensor pod attaches to small aircraft and takes oblique and ortho shots, with quick processing on the ground).

The NearMap portal is expected to launch before the end of the year and will include monthly coverage of Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane that has been built up over the past year.

The business model, per CEO Graham Griffith: "There are multiple revenue streams but the main one is licensing the service to local, state and Federal Governments, It will be free to consumers." He tosses around how great an NSDI would be. The future? Coverage of 700 cities worldwide; Australia is a just a pilot project.

I don't buy the competition with Google/Bing Maps since those (while the tech is licensable) drive ad revenue, not data licensing. And, while MS does own some of its data and uses and sells the UltraCam that collects it, neither company is yet focussed on a data licensing model. Further, many government entities use Google and Microsoft's public APIs for free.

- ITWire

Friday, October 30. 2009

Podcast: A Hallway Conversation with Philip O'Doherty, CEO, eSpatial

Adena Schutzberg interviewed eSpatial CEO Philip O'Doherty about Web GIS, its implementation challenges, editing capabilities ("CAD-lite") and future. This is the second in a series of interviews with geospatial insiders and outsiders.

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Wednesday, October 28. 2009

TomTom Shares Drop on Price Drop/Income Drop in Q3

I'll let the Wall Street Journal put it succinctly:

Shares in Dutch navigation equipment maker TomTom NV (TOM2.AE) Wednesday dropped as much as 13.5% after the company posted a 47% drop in third quarter net profit due to a steeper-than-expected price decline for its key navigation products.

Average selling prices for PNDs dropped by 27% compared to last year and 12% compared to the second quarter. The total number of devices sold was actually up 2%. Execs explained the price drop as anticipating promotions for later in the year (holidays).

Still the company is ahead of schedule in cutting costs EUR90 over last year.

- Q3 Results

Tuesday, October 27. 2009

Podcast: The State of Augmented Reality

What is augmented reality and how does it relate to geospatial technology? Is it "just cool" or are there real uses for it? Further, is there any money it? Our editors offer up definitions, uses and suggestions for geospatial companies waiting on the sidelines.

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Tuesday, October 13. 2009

Bentley Systems' CEO Comments on Economic Outlook

At a press conference today, concurrent with the BE Inspired Awards Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bentley Systems CEO, Greg Bentley, commented on his observations of the economic climate for his company and whether stimulus money provided by countries worldwide was having a positive impact for his business. "Stimulus is helping…but, infrastructure professionals are having a hard time. We are not seeing any upturn. Remember, infrasturure isn't for stimulus but it is for sustaining, said Bentley. 'Projects that are shovel-ready have already had their design work."

Bentley's remarks were based on the fact that the company can track software usage and that those usage levels were down at this time.

Podcast: Google Maps Changes US Base Data, Adds Parcels and Crowdsourcing

This past week Google prompted a flurry of discussion by announcing some changes to its data and functionality in Google Maps. There’s new data and new feedback tools and some anxiety in the geospatial world. Our editors separate fact from fiction and offer our take on the implications of these changes.

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