Spatial Media LBSzone Alert, Aug 13 - ESRI User Conference, NAVTEQ, Nokia making news

Another LBSZone Alert has been released… enjoy this edition for the latest developments in Location-based services. This edition recaps some of teh cool, LBS technologies seen at the 2008 ESRI User Conferene, San Diego, CA.

Hello from the Spatial Media LBSzone… Welcome, I hope you managed ok last week while I was away in San Diego taking in the International ESRI User Conference. As usual, the week was very busy, full of new application news, and very informative. Oh, and there was loads of mobile, location-aware technology and solutions on display. ESRI was pushing [hard] their new ArcGIS mobile solutions (think integration of the Geodatabase in the field), and their flagship, mobile mapping solution, ArcPad, was featured in many presentations and demonstrated in many booths – naturally, many supporting hardware providers were also showing off their goodies (Trimble, Magellan, and even Blackberry). The thought of ArcPad users moving away from SHP files and connecting with the Geodatabase is likely the greatest innovation in ArcPad (see details of 7.2 below), and Blackberry devices using a solution from Freeance (Freeance Mobile) is HUGE in my opinion as it just seems natural for many enterprise users of the popular Blackberry platform to be able to access their corporate GIS in a mobile scenario – wait til the Blackberry Bold is out! My favorite rugged devices seen last week have to be the Trimble GeoXT (a true rugged work horse), and the pocket-size Magellan MobileMapper. One of the coolest mobile apps I’ve seen in a long time has to be Capturx from Adapx. Simply put, this solution allows for simple, rapid data capture in the field using a special pen to mark up paper maps. Then the user synchs the data directly into ArcGIS – this is geodatabase synch at it’s finest! After a week of drinking ESRI Kool-Aid, there’s still no doubt in my mind that as ESRI’s vision of helping it’s users to share their work, the Server and mobile solutions will be key in their success and continued, dominant market share.

Read More in this weekly update at http://www.lbszone.com/newsletter/aug132008.html

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