Pictometry: One Third of U.S. Counties Use Us

I found the reference to one third of US counites using oblique imagery in a local news story on a new user in Minnesota:

The aerial oblique imagery services were purchased at a cost of $127,719 from Rochester, New York headquartered, Pictometry, using non-tax levy recorder fee and 911-funds budgeted prior to the new year. According to information from the company, one-third of U.S. counties now utilize the oblique imagery.

The company website puts it this way:

As a result, nearly one third of counties in the United States now rely on Pictometry solutions to ensure fair and equitable assessments and improve their internal work processes for claims communications with residents and more.

- Granite Falls Advocate Tribune (MN)

PIctometry Announces Education Program

While the announcement is on the Pictometry website (undated), it's also published on the GeoTech Center website dated November 15. The details of what is delivered and any fees are not shared, but the nature of organizations that can take part are:

Programs can include the following:

• GIS programs  (see map for locations of institutions offering GIS degrees and certificates)
• Public Safety (police, fire, EMS, 9-1-1)
• Property Assessment programs
• Planning & Environmental Health
• Architecture and Civil Engineering
• Emergency Management
• Homeland Security
• Professional training institutes (e.g. National Fire Training Academy)

New York City’s Web Zoning App and other Government GIS News

Zoning, building and property information for a specific property in New York City is now available through the Zoning and Land Use web-based GIS application called ZoLa.

Not sure why it's called an app instead of a website, which it is. It didn't behave well in Safari.

- GovTech

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority asks the public to take an online survey to state preferences on color, icon and name displays for the Metrorail map.

I'm not sure at all I like the idea of surveying for map design.

- WUSA 9

In Newnan Georgia, two roads are getting their names changed in part to keep trucks away from railroad tracks. The businesses on the new street need more time to prepare so the change was moved to Jan  2012 from Oct 2011. Of course there is the question of when the GPS devices (mis)directing the trucks will get the new street names. Here's one impediment that will perhaps be cleared:

As it turns out, "we actually had one of the GPS companies contact us about updating the data on roads," [County Admin] Gay said. The county has a standard price, of $1,500, for GIS data. Gay suggested the county consider waiving the fee. "I think it would help the industries that are located in that area."

It turns out:

Navteq bought the county's road centerline data in 2008, and looked into buying it again this summer, [GIS person] Sisson said. "When I told them the price... they told me they would be back" in touch, she said. But, so far, they have not.

- Times Herald

Porter County Indiana is upgrading GIS and related technologies to better serve "customers" (aka constituents aka citizens).

Taxpayers can get an aerial view of their property, and the GIS now lets the user see his or her parcel number, taxing unit, legal drains or ditches, congressional and state districts, township voting district and location of polling place.

Previously, users had to navigate a series of inquiries on their web browsers, but now can access the information just by entering a name or address.

The tech: ArcGIS Server 10, Silverlight via Sidwell. And, the county will upgrade (?) from LiDAR to Pictometry (?) to produce maps (?):

More GIS enhancements will be added, with help from other departments. The system uses LIDAR imaging to produce maps, but might soon be replaced by the new Pictometry software acquired this month [$138,000 for two years] by the assessor’s office. Wichlinski and County Assessor Jon Snyder said it uses sharper, more precise images.

- Post Tribune

Most Interesting Press Releases of Last Week - Census, HUST, Pictometry

Census Director Robert Groves haf named 10 new members and a chairwoman to the Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC provides advice on the design and implementation of Census Bureau programs. Cool. Every one of them was an academic, save one. 

Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Environmental Systems Research Institute in Redlands, Calif. ESRI is a privately held geographic information systems software company.

- press release

A press release from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, a private university (not to be confused with Penn State Harrisburg) teaches geotechnologies. In fact it boasts the only four-year degree program in Geospatial Technology in the central pennsylvania region. Cool. Interesting? The title of the press release announcing this fact was:

Geospatial Technology Job Market Predicted to Grow by 35 Percent

The source of that statement? "... a recent lecture by Dr. Christopher Sutton,  professor of geography at Western Illinois University" (cited in APB a few weeks ago). The source of that statistic? It's not clear, but according to the local paper and the press release what Sutton said was: "It's estimated that the geospatial job market right now is growing by 35 percent annually." I found the state cited by the Dept of Labor which cites GITA. The date of that statistic? The DOL page is 2004 updated 2010. The GITA page has no date and no source for the statistic.

- press release

Pictometry announced a new corporate identity. I was not really sure what that meant, so first I looked up corporate identity. I found this from Wikipedia: 

In marketing, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives. It is usually visibly manifested by way of branding and the use of trademarks.

That's pretty much what I expected. The new look, with a NBC Peacock-like graphic is "signaling the Company's transition from an image capture provider to an image analytics and complete solutions maker." The company tagline is (and I guess was): The Aerial Oblique Photography Company. Perhaps that will change in time, too.

- press release

Pictometry CEO Explains Vision for Insurance Play

Pictometry CEO Richard M. Hurwitz. who took the reigns a little less than a year ago, addresses the company plans in an interview with the local paper including discussion of last month's acquisition of Indiana-based GeoEstimater (press release).

Pictometry is spending a lot of time moving from a visualization tool where we can look at that unique data to a company providing solutions. (With the GeoEstimator acquisition), Pictometry is now delivering answers to a targeted customer base. The insurance industry is prepared to go 100 percent toward remote measurement of roofs. We're in all the Lowe's stores around the country. If you want to repair your roof, you can walk into Lowe's, order a report and there are all the metrics for you to buy all the right materials at the right price.

- (Rochester NY) Democrat and Chronicle