BayStat - A Model for Chesapeake Bay Sustainability

Martin O’Malley, Maryland’s governor, delivered the keynote address
at the ESRI FedUC yesterday and added to his unique portfolio of GIS
accomplishments. O’Malley discussed BayStat, a performance measurement model for the Chesapeake Bay that supports the conservation of this estuarine environment. By determining the causes of pollution in the Bay, the model hopes to preserve this sensitive environment by increasing the planting of cover crops,  reducing pollution from urban areas and implementing best farming practices.

O’Malley has already been instrumental in implementing CITYSTAT (see my interview with O’Malley from last year) while he was mayor of Baltimore and now STATESTAT as governor as well as supporting the mapping of ecologically sensitive areas in the state with his "greenprint" mapping initiative.

Notes on ArcGIS Server 9.3, 9.3.1 & 9.4

Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI, laid out the current vision for the company’s software architecture, as he usually does to open major user conferences. He explained the that four pillars of the ArcGIS solution suit include software product for desktops, server, mobile platforms, and online. “We employ a strategy similar to Microsoft; we have software and services and they are integrated as a single complete system,” said Dangermond. Recapping advancements since the last FedUC, Dangermond explained that many users were happy to deploy some of the advancements featured in ArcGIS server 9.3, which included improvements for desktop applications, cataloging, metadata, open standards, and especially in spatial analysis such as geospatial regression, Gaussian geostatistical simulations and improved proximity analysis. Many small improvement, such as in cartographic labeling often go unnoticed because they are “small things.” ESRI is extending the Geodatabase to support 3D models and most recently have been developing a set of 3D analytical tools that have not been exposed at the user interface (UI) level but will be in ArcGIS 9.4.

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ESRI FedUC-Robust Attendance; Company Fairing Well in Downturn

There was robust attendance today at the opening plenary sessions at the ESRI Federal User’s Group (FedUC) meeting at the Washington Convention Center, Washington DC. The hall which holds approximately 2000 people was packed. Two prevailing sentiments as to why:

1. Federal budgets for the current fiscal year are set and the economic situation has not really affected federal department budgets yet.

2. Money will be tight later in the year and trips to San Diego for the International User’s Conference (UC) will be harder to justify.

Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI, made mention that the company posted a 9% gain in 2008 and that although things were "slowing down" business was still good. In addition, he stated that the company’s financials were sound and the company has no debt.