publication: 10 world · can make good use of data creating solutions for clients. it is a win-win...

Digital Magazine

The fast-changing technology world is shortening innovation life-span. Companies are moving towards greater collaboration, integration and solutions. A sneak peek into the exclusive survey on industry trends by Geospatial Media & Communications | P. 18

VIEWPOINTNational Geospatial Agencies and Economic Development | P. 38

SPECIAL FEATURENational Mapping Agencies are Reinventing Themselves | P. 28

BUSINESS

T H E M I S S I N G L I N K

R.N

.I No - U

PE

NG

/2010/34153; Registration no: U

P/G

BD

-136/2014-16 P

ublication: 10th of every m

onth I Posting: 15

th / 20th of every m

onth

Price: IN

R 150 / U

S$ 15 S

ubscriber’s copy. Not for S

alele

www.geospatialworld.net

Y O U R G E O S P A T I A L I N D U S T R Y M A G A Z I N E

SEPTEMBER 2015 » VOLUME 06» ISSUE 2 | ISSN 2277–3134

TM

WORLDGEOSPATIAL

Leica Viva GNSSPushing boundaries withunlimited technology

Leica Geosystems AGHeerbrugg, Switzerland

www.leica-geosystems.com

Leica Viva GNSS Unlimited

n Finest Swiss precision and passion for perfection

n Industry leading accuracy, reliability and position availability

n A safe and future-proof investment

n Beyond GNSS with solutions from a partner with global reach and local power

Visit www.leica-geosystems.com/viva-gnss

to learn more or download the Leica Viva GNSS

app available on the App Store.

FINALLY, A MAP THAT UNDERSTANDS YOU

INTRODUCING THE HEXAGON SMART M.APP®

Hexagon Smart M.Apps are streamlined and lightweight market applications that solve unique business problems. Each Hexagon Smart M.App combines multi-source content, sophisticated analytics, and tailored workflows, fused together into a dynamic user experience.

Launching:

© 2015 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved.

REGISTER!hxgnlive.com

[email protected]

hexagongeospatial.com/smartmapp

IN-2015-GW-ad-Hexagon-Smart-M.App.indd 1 30.7.15 10:37:02

COMPREHENSIVE PROPERTY RIGHTS REGISTRATION AND RECORD MANAGEMENT

© 2015, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Trimble, the Globe & Triangle logo and landfolio are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited, registered in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. GEO-053 (02/15)

LANDFOLIO PROVIDES GOVERNMENTS WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO SECURE THE LAND RIGHTS OF THEIR CITIZENS

Many factors can affect an individual’s land rights, so a comprehensive solution to equitably and securely manage all land records is essential to protect these rights. Trimble has developed, landfolio®, a complete land administration solution that automates and manages the core elements of land records management and rights registration/recordation.

landfolio provides governments with the tools needed to secure land rights of their citizens. It improves customer service with secure, efficient, and accurate transactions. landfolio automates the internal procedures of cadastre and land registry offices to enhance and streamline processes and minimize errors. Because landfolio offers both an integrated information database and workflows, governments are able to share data between departments, make decisions from a standardized data set and improve business processes and potential revenue generation. It is essential that important public records are protected—with landfolio, files are stored digitally, eliminating paper records which are easily compromised by natural disasters, misfiling, and loss.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT LANDFOLIO CAN DO FOR YOU, EMAIL [email protected] OR VISIT WWW.TRIMBLE-LANDFOLIO.COM

transforming the way the world works

Geospatial World • September • 2015

5INSIDE

CONTENTVOLUME : 6 ISSUE : 2

Geospatial Business Puzzle: The Missing Link

P | 18 The fast-changing technology world is shortening innovation life-span and resulting in profit vulnerability for the industry. Companies are thus moving towards greater collaboration, integration and user-driven solutions, finds a study done by Geospatial Media & Communications

SPECIAL FEATURE

28 National Mapping AgenciesMapping New Business Models

38 A DiscussionNGAs and Economic Development

SPECIAL REPORT

42 Locating the Business of GNSS

REGULAR FEATURES

07 EDITORIAL

08 NEWS

16 PRODUCTS

46 PICTURE THIS

DisclaimerGeospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views ex-pressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Geospatial World is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided.

Owner, Publisher & Printer Sanjay Kumar Printed at M. P. Printers B - 220, Phase-II, Noida - 201 301, Gautam Budh Nagar (UP) India Publication Address A - 92, Sector - 52, Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, India. The edition contains 48 pages including cover

Geospatial World Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd.(formerly GIS Development Pvt. Ltd.)A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India Tel + 91-120-4612500 Fax +91-120-4612555 / 666 Price: INR 150/US$ 15

6


Ahmad Fauzi Bin Nordin SrDirector General of Survey

and Mapping (JUPEM), Malaysia

Aida Opoku-MensahSpecial Advisor: Post 2015

Development Agenda, UN Economic Commission for Africa

Barbara RyanSecretariat Director, Group on Earth Observations

Christopher W GibsonVice President & Executive

Committee Member, Trimble

Derek ClarkeChief Director-Survey and Mapping & National

Geospatial Information, Dept of Rural Development & Land Reform, South Africa

Dorine BurmanjeChair-Executive Board, Cadastre, Land Registry and

Mapping Agency (Kadaster), The Netherlands

Ed ParsonsGeospatial Technologist, Google

Greg BentleyCEO, Bentley Systems

Jay Freeland President & CEO, FARO

Prof. Josef Strobl Chair, Department of Geoinformatics,

University of Salzburg, Austria

Kamal K SinghChairman and CEO, Rolta Group

Kumar NavulurDirector, Next Generation Products,

DigitalGlobe

Mark ReichardtPresident and CEO,

Open Geospatial Consortium

Mladen StojicPresident, Hexagon Geospatial

Mohd Al RajhiAsst Deputy Minister for Land & Surveying,

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs, Saudi Arabia

Sandeep SinghalGeneral Manager, Bing Maps and Geospatial,

Microsoft

Stephen LawlerVice-President, Direct Traffic,

Amazon

Vanessa LawrenceSecretary General,

Ordnance Survey International, UK

International

Advisory Board

The TeamCHAIRMANM P Narayanan

PublisherSanjay Kumar

Managing EditorProf. Arup Dasgupta

Editor — Defence & Internal SecurityLt Gen (Dr) AKS Chandele (Retd)

Editor — Building & EnergyGeoff Zeiss

Editor — Mining (Hon)Dr. Hrishikesh Samant

Executive EditorBhanu Rekha

Deputy Executive EditorAnusuya Datta

Product ManagerHarsha Vardhan Madiraju

Senior Assistant EditorIshveena Singh

Senior Graphic DesignerDebjyoti Mukherjee

Sub EditorSanskriti Shukla

Circulation ManagerAshish Batra

Executive — PostingVijay Kumar Singh

7


EDITORIAL

Way back in 1978 I was travelling back to my headquarters after a field trip, carrying a roll of maps in my hand, when I was stopped at the security gate

by a policeman who wanted to know what the roll con-tained. On hearing the word ‘maps’ I was immediately sequestered, and hauled off to the office of the Chief of Security. It was only after I showed my government ID, explained my work and referred them to my counterparts in the state that I could get away and board my flight. I was admonished not to travel with maps as these were secret documents! I am sure the mapping community, excluding the National Mapping Agencies, might have similar tales to share.

Times have changed. Quite apart from the changes brought about by technology we see a major change in society in terms of demand for maps. All smartphones are now map and GPS enabled. There are apps which help to locate friends and points of interest. In fact location is viewed as the next biggest commercial opportunity. Cars incorporate them to help navigate fast-changing urban landscapes. Driverless cars, the latest innovation to hit the roads, rely on them to navigate from source to destination.

NMAs the world over today have a much more ena-bling view of maps. The NMAs are up and running. Some have set quite a pace and embraced changes, others have been a bit slow but are catching up. Two areas demand their attention, the first is policy, an example of which I have given in my opening paragraph and the other is tech-nology adoption. The two issues are intertwined because new technology challenges old policy and I may add, old mindsets, particularly about security.

Technology is a great enabler and it is most successful when it empowers citizens and confronts bureaucracy

with democracy. Consider OpenStreetMaps where cy-cle-borne, GPS enabled citizens mapped entire city roads and points of interest. It was started by a student who was told that he could not have the maps he needed for his project. Some NMAs read the signals and turned their maps into revenue opportunities but many are stuck in old mindsets of control of information through denial.

NMAs that are succeeding are those who are flexible and have changed their policies as they absorb evolving mapping technologies and rise to societal demands. The laggards are those that view new technology as a threat to their existence and use the fig leaf of national security to shore up untenable and outdated policies to deny infor-mation to the very people on whose taxes they have built their empires. Thankfully, they are very few and they are being rendered irrelevant. Some day these NMAs too will see the benefits of enabling and democratic policies and rise to the service of their citizens.

Today, survival is about solutions. As the geospatial industry itself is finding out. Clients do not have the time to buy a bunch of software and data and put together a solution. They do not want to mess with workflows and neither do they want a bunch of services to manage; be-cause the rapid changes in technology makes such efforts inefficient, slow and low in profit. They would rather pay little extra and get well tailored solutions that can be de-ployed quickly. The geospatial industry have realised this and are forging ahead partnering with value adders who can make good use of data creating solutions for clients. It is a win-win situation for all.

Today, survival is about solutions. Clients do not have the time to buy a bunch of software and data and put together a solution. They would rather pay little extra and get well tailored solutions that can be deployed quickly.

Prof Arup DasguptaManaging Editor, [email protected]

A Win-Win Situation for All

NEWS8


IT giant Google dropped a bomb on the world by announcing that it is restructuring into a new company called Alphabet. It took a while for tech watchers to

pick their jaws off the floor, and understand that the move basically reduces the search engine to just an operating unit of a much larger entity.

Google’s co-founder and current CEO, Larry Page, made the announcement in a blog post. He said the creation of Alphabet would allow him and co-founder Sergey Brin to do more on management scale. Now, they would be able to run things independently that are not very related.

This essentially explains the creation of Alphabet. Google’s already-broad portfolio of properties is getting broader by the day. If rumours are to be believed, Google is interested in buying everything from a vegan burger company called Impossible Foods to Twitter. This is to

add to Google’s interest in drone delivery services and an express shopping service. The company is again toying with Google Glass. And last year, it acquired a firm which makes the world’s smallest high-resolution imaging satellites. Creating a new entity like Alphabet allows Page and Brin to explore all these — and more — new ventures without hurting brand Google. Location has always been a big part of Google’s portfolio. And we can safely assume that location-based technology will play a big part at Alphabet too.

Page will now be running Alphabet as its CEO, and Brin will become the new company’s president. Eric Schmidt will be Alphabet’s executive chairman. The slimmed-down Google has also gotten a new CEO — India-born Sundar Pichai. Pichai has long served as Senior Vice President for products and Page’s right-hand man. There were reports that Twitter, which is looking for a chief executive, had approached Pichai to be its CEO. So, by offering more C-suite jobs, Google would also be able to retain its talent in the house. Besides Search, the businesses which would continue to be a part of Google include Maps, YouTube, Android, Apps and Advertising. Apart from Google, the companies which will come directly under Alphabet’s umbrella include life-sciences company Calico, thermostat company Nest, high-speed broadband Internet service called Fiber, research department Google X, as well as Google’s venture and capital units.

Google restructuring keeps an eye on more acquisitions

The creation of Alphabet would allow Larry Page and Sergey Brin to do more on management scale

9NEWS


Space business goes online

C ommercial spaceflight operator, Rocket Lab, has made booking a slot for a small satellite launch as easy as reserving a flight from New York to

Washington. The company announced its online booking system at the SmallSat conference in Utah in August. A slot can be reserved for as little as $50,000 on the 18-metre carbon composite rocket, Electron. The online reservation system allows a user to select a date, destination and position on the Electron. Destinations offered include sun-synchronous and 45 degrees.

Company’s CEO Peter Beck has admitted that the system is quite similar to booking an airline ticket. He said if the company had trouble filling seats close to the time of the launch, they might even dish out discounts to make sure that the flight is full. Beck explained that Rocket Lab is not just trying to provide affordable and frequent launches. The company wants to make space accessible to customers by giving them information about what they can launch, when they can launch it, and how much it’s going to cost. And even though the company’s commercial operations will not begin until the mid of next year, some flights are

already nearly sold out. Perhaps, customers’ confidence is getting bolstered by the fact that, last month, Rocket Lab signed an agreement with NASA. This deal has enabled Rocket Lab to use NASA’s resources – including personnel, facilities and equipment – for launch efforts. So, while the company’s primary launch facility is being built in New Zealand, an access to NASA’s launch complexes would give customers a wider spectrum of orbital inclinations to choose from.

Branson wants to make space affordable

A new player will enter the commercial satellite launch space next year — business tycoon Richard Branson. His company Virgin Galactic has bagged a

contract to place around 648 micro-satellites into orbit over 39 launches. These tiny sats will be carried into space by a two-stage rocket called LauncherOne. The rocket is capable of carrying payloads of up to 500 pounds for less than $10 million. The microsats that LauncherOne will debut with have been commissioned by OneWeb, which aims to build the world’s largest satellite network for global Internet access. Other companies have also expressed interest in Virgin Galactic’s launch services. These include Skybox Imaging, GeoOptics, Spaceflight and Planetary Resources.

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck

NEWS10


devices or the Internet of Things. From large equipment like aircraft to small household tools like thermostats, all are

embedded with software and sensors. These sensors on cars, roads, planes and factory equipment are generating huge amounts of data for understanding all sorts of behaviours and processes.

An overwhelming 98% of those surveyed are planning investments in technology infrastructure, business intelligence tools, and business and industry applications to manage their critical data. The survey also revealed that companies regularly depend on outside vendors and welcome their advice on managing data. This presents a huge business opportunity for geospatial industry to offer technology solutions that improve the companies’ ability to use their data capital.

The European Space Agency has announced that it has successfully conducted 100 high-speed laser links between its Sentinel-1A and Alphasat

satellites. While the earth observation satellite, Sentinel-1A, orbits from pole to pole about 700 kilometers up, geostationary satellite Alphasat hovers around 36,000 kilometers above the earth. Creating a link between the two means more information can be streamed to earth,

Laser links in space for high-speed delivery

If you are not leveraging business information, you are losing an average of 16% of annual revenue. This is the belief of 98% of executives interviewed in a global

survey by Oracle and WSJ Custom Studio. Over 700 senior executives from various sectors, like telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, financial services and retail were interviewed in this study. The past two years have seen a tsunami of information from different data sources. Some 96% of executives say that they have seen an increase in location information in areas like customer information, operations data, and sales and

marketing data. These are fastest growing data sources in the past two years. And now, another exponential leap in data stores is on the cards, courtesy the era of connected

Big Data just keeps getting bigger

Manufacturing16%

Telecommunications15%

and almost continuously. This development is quite important. Because having timely access to Sentinel-1 imagery, for example, is essential for maritime safety and disaster management. Communication testing began last November. ESA was happy to report that the 100th link, which was established within 50 seconds on July 14, maintained stable bit-error-free communications for 10 minutes.

11NEWS


Barack Obama got stalked by a drone, well almost!

In an interesting disclosure, it has come to light that a branch of the US military had to send a warning about a local drone, because it was flying near President Barack Obama as he played golf at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City. Newly released reports from the Federal Aviation Administration show that local drone incidents are happening at a rate of about once a month now. The incident with President Obama, which took place on March 29, doesn’t say how close the drone was or whether foul play was suspected. However, reportedly the US Secret Service called the FAA to report that the US Coast Guard had spotted a drone flying “in the vicinity of POTUS,” the President of the United States.

3D printing may soon get a lot simpler. A new technology from the Microsoft Research Lab allows 3D scanning to be done from your smartphone, with

no additional hardware needed. Microsoft has developed this app, called MobileFusion, which allows you to walk around an object and scan it to your phone. It first captures the RGB data in an environment, then takes a stereo depth map as you make your way around an item. Once a scan is complete, its rendered immediately, so users can see if they got the 3D image they desire. The results are images detailed enough for a 3D printer or for instant sharing on social media.

“What this system effectively allows us to do is to take something similar to a picture, but it is a full 3D object,” Peter Ondruska from Oxford University, was quoted as saying. The MobileFusion system densely tracks the device in 3D by comparing the live camera data with the previous frames.

Microsoft turns your phone into a 3D scanner

NEWS12


How quickly will the seas rise? That is a question scientists are grappling with. Seas around the world have risen nearly 7.6 cm since 1992. Some

locations have reported rising more than 23 cm, according to the latest satellite measurements from NASA and its partners. A research effort now underway by NASA observations and others analysis points to an unavoidable rise of several feet in the future. The visualisation based on 23 years of sea level data – the entire record of available satellite data — reveals changes are anything but uniform around the globe. The record is based on

NASA focuses on rising sea levelsdata from three consecutive satellite missions.

In 2013, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued an assessment based on a consensus of international researchers that stated

global sea levels would likely rise from 1 to 3 feet by the end of the century. New research available since this report suggests the higher end of that range is more likely.

Scientists estimate that about one-third of sea level rise is caused by expansion of warmer ocean water, one-third is due to ice loss from the massive Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and the remaining third results from melting mountain glaciers. But, the fate of the polar ice sheets could change that ratio and produce more rapid increases in the coming decades.

A report on satellite based Earth Observation forecasts that data, value-added services and information products markets from earth observation will reach

$4.5 billion by 2024. This is almost a 100% jump from $2.3 billion in 2014. The report released by NSR -- a prominent international market research and consulting firm -- says the thriving information products segment will drive the EO market. The industry is transitioning to an era of very-high resolution imagery and increased adoption of big data

analytics products in the face of decreasing data prices for medium and high resolution imagery. The market saw a sizable increase of $200 million

EO to jump 100% in next decadein 2014 due to an economic recovery. This led to greater expenditure by governments, and a thriving information products segment.

The supply of sub-meter resolution imagery is likely to explode with the launch

of multiple small satellite constellations, the report added. This trend will require distribution models to be more efficient and secure and put pressure on pricing of medium- and high-resolution data. At the same time, opportunities will grow with very-high resolution or below 50 cm data for both optical and SAR imagery.

$ 4.5 bnby 2024

100%Jump from $2.3bn in 2014

13NEWS


NASA has signed a $490 million contract with Russia to get additional seats on Soyuz spacecraft for taking its astronauts to and from

the International Space Station. In a rather stern letter to

NASA forced to extend $490 mn contract with Russia

Congress, NASA blamed lack of funds for the commercial crew programme for America’s continued reliance on Russia. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wrote, “I am asking that we put past disagreements behind us and focus our collective efforts on support for American industry – the Boeing Corporation and SpaceX – to complete construction and certification of their crew vehicles, so that we can begin launching our crews from the Space Coast of Florida in 2017... It is my sincere hope that we all agree that the greatest nation on Earth should not be

dependent on others to launch humans into space.” NASA has also announced that Kirk Shireman will succeed Mike Suffredini as the new ISS programme manager.

The New York City Department of Transportation is going to launch a programme that would help drivers to avoid traffic, drive more safely and use

less gas. The Drive Smart initiative has partnered with four companies to provide services and apps to drivers. In the pilot project, 400 drivers who live or work in New York City will be tapped. Their vehicles will be fitted with an on-board diagnostic port device. This would allow the Drive Smart cloud to collect data like the driver’s anonymised GPS location, speed, time of the day, hard-braking, etc. The transport agency will use the aggregated data to understand how New York City’s street network is used and how it can be improved. One of the apps in the

New York City launches drive to resolve traffic congestion

Drive Smart package is Metropia, which has been created by a University of Arizona professor, Yi-Chang Chiu. This app ties location-tracking to traffic data and a routing algorithm. Metropia’s predictive traffic routing encourages users to travel at low-traffic times by giving them small incentives like gift certificates. It also tries to improve flow of traffic and decrease congestion by evenly distributing commute across all available routes. Moreover, Metropia gives publicity to local businesses by getting them to offer discounts to users. Businesses participate because are also interested in cutting local congestion so customers can reach them easily. The app has already proved to be a success in Austin and Tucson.

NEWS14


The fifth session of the UN-GGIM opened with a vision for collaboration to achieve sustainable development goals using geospatial technology.

The outgoing co-chair, Dr Vanessa Lawrence pointed out that because of UN-GGIM’s efforts, geospatial information has found a place in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda will be adopted by heads of states in the UN in September.

The week-long session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management was held from 3-7 August 2015 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs, opened the

UN-GGIM meet focuses on sustainable development goals

session which also saw the new bureau for GGIM being announced. Li Pengde of China, Rolando Ocampo of Mexico and Timothy Trainor of the United States are the new co-chairs of the global committee. This year’s meeting is witness to a record attendance of around 300 delegates from over 80 countries.

Another key achievement of UN-GGIM is the resolution of Global Geodetic Reference Framework in February this year. This framework allows users to precisely determine and express locations on the earth, as well as to quantify changes of the earth in space and time. UN-GGIM recognises the growing demand for precise positioning services, the economic importance of a global geodetic reference frame and the need to improve the global cooperation within geodesy. Which is why at the fifth session in New York, the member-states expressed the need for objective, clear and reliable data access for achieving sustainable development goals. Members also felt that apart from focusing on data generation, UN-GGIM should also concentrate on the processes involved in that. For this, members support some Return-On-Investment studies to convince political power to focus on geospatial agencies.

Members feel UN-GGIM should also concentrate on the processes of data generation

foldable arms for easy transportation and storage

ULS

www.riegl.com

easy to carry with integrated handle

The RiCOPTER: First fully integrated LiDAR system solution for professional UAS surveying missions!

RIEGL LMS GmbH, Austria | RIEGL USA Inc. | RIEGL Japan Ltd. | RIEGL China Ltd.

Ready to Fly Remotely Piloted Airborne Laser Scanning System

Intergeo 2015September 15-17, 2015Stuttgart | Germanybooth E4.079

RiCOPTER ready for take off

The RiCOPTER: First fully integrated LiDAR system solution for professional UAS surveying missions!RIEGL VUX-1UAV scan data

Stay connected with RIEGL

RIEGL RiCOPTER

The RiCOPTER is a high-performance UAS equipped with RIEGL’s VUX-1UAV survey-grade LiDAR sensor to offer a fully integrated turnkey solution.

The robust and reliable platform design integrates the RIEGL VUX-1UAV LiDAR sensor, IMU/GNSS unit with antenna,control unit, and digital cameras. The turnkey system provides remarkable measuring characteristics: 230° Field of View, 350,000 meas./sec., range up to several hundred meters, and multiple target capability.

RiCOPTER is ideally suited for applications such as precision agriculture, topography in open-cast mining, terrain and canyon mapping, cultural heritage documentation, corridor mapping, and many more.

RiCOPTER marks the first complete UAS LiDAR solution from one manufacturer!

Flight Demos at

Scan this QR code to watch the new RIEGL RiCOPTER video.

RiCOPTER_196x260mm-Inserat.indd 1 12.08.2015 09:45:17

PRODUCTS16


Windows 10 IoT Core releasesMicrosoft has announced the public release of its Windows 10 IoT Core, a stripped-down version of the Windows 10 operating system for the Internet of Things. While Windows 10 is designed for desktops, tablets and phones, IoT Core is compatible with all embedded products that may or may not have screens. The package supports Raspberry Pi 2 and Minnowboard Max. You can use it to build robotic air-hockey tables or unlock a door with your face.

Features• Support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity• Improved support for Python and Node.

js, including a new Express Node.js project template

• Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and pulse-width modulation (PWM) are supported via breakout boards and ICs

• New Universal Windows Platform APIs give apps easy control over system management features like time zone and network connections

Phase One introduces 80 MP aerial cameraMedium format aerial digital photography equipment and software solutions provider, Phase One Industrial, has brought out the iXU-R camera series. These cameras have been designed keeping in mind the needs of aerial data acquisition market. They are compact enough to be integrated into a small gimbal or pod space.

Features• Available in 80 MP, 60MP and 60MP

achromatic versions, with interchangeable lenses

• Central leaf shutter speeds up to 1/1600 second

• Forward Motion Compensation option to compensate for image blurring

• Easy integration into new or existing set-ups with USB 3.0 connectivity

• Bi-directional communication with the flight management system and an onboard computer

• Ability to write data directly to image files


Trimble launches ZX5 drone for mapping, inspectingTrimble has added a new member to its unmanned aircraft system (UAS) family. The product, called ZX5 Multirotor UAS, is designed to capture high-quality geo-referenced photos for aerial mapping and inspections. The system can also be equipped to capture live videos for inspection purposes in sectors like civil infrastructure, utilities, and oil and gas pipelines. Since the system is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, it is an ideal solution for working in tight places and obstruct-ed environments.

Features• Includes a 16-MP Olympus camera system and flight planning software• Resolution down to 1mm ground sample distance• Up to 20-minute mission duration and 2-km range• Automated pre-flight checks, along with automatic takeoff, flight and landing• Easy data processing in Trimble Business Center Photogrammetry Module or Trimble UASMaster

Hexagon Mining has introduced HxM Sur-veyor suite of programmes to process data produced by varied survey operations. The suite is made up of two tools — Surveyor Office and Surveyor Adjust. These tools work in tandem to streamline collection, adjustment, optimisation, validation and manipulation of all surveying data.

Surveyor Adjust• Uses Least Squares Method to adjust all

observations

Hexagon Mining unveils Surveyor suite• Produces a single 1D/2D/3D best-fit

solution• Can be used for both single-loop and

complex network of interconnecting traverses

Surveyor Office• Works on IntelliCAD engine• Changes reflect instantly in both drawing

and database• Digital Terrain Models and surface mod-

els are created in a few simple steps

COVER STORY18


A demand for cloud-based and open interoper-able solutions has led to a major shift in

business models of the geospatial industry. The advent of information technology and connectivity not only makes the world smaller, it also creates stiff competition among industry players, especially in terms of exclusivity and quality of servic-es. These fast-changing technology trends are cutting down gestation periods and innovation life-span, resulting in profit vulnerability. How did the businesses respond? System integration and user-driven solutions became the new direction.

Stakeholders — who have traditionally been working as standalone isolated players — are exploring opportunities of integra-tion, convergence and embedment, leading to evolution of industry workflows and seamless delivery

of solutions, besides adding value to geospatial context and content in the world economy and society. At the same time, greater opportuni-ties have paved the way for greater commitment and collaboration amongst key industry stakeholders

to develop, harness, and convert these prospects into larger business and professional gains.

Services to solutionA recent study, done by the research and analytics department of Geospa-tial Media and Communications, of over 1,000 press releases issued by various companies in the last few years has found that the industry is moving from being services-driven to solution-centric (Fig 1). While solutions dethroned services as the top trend when it came to evolving technologies, unfortunately, services still showed up at the second spot. It was closely followed by work-flow, with system integration slowly coming up. As geospatial informa-tion gets embedded across sectors and the industry matures even more, in the years to come, we may see system integration emerging as the top trend, followed by workflow and solutions. Services may be pushed to the last slot.

The fast-changing technology world is shortening innovation life-span and resulting in profit vulnerability for the industry. Companies are thus moving towards greater collaboration, integration and user-driven solutions, finds a study done by Geospatial Media & Communications

Technology Trends› Convergence &

integration› Solution-centric

approach › Open & interoperable

solutions › Enterprise-wide

implementation › Web and cloud-based

solutions approach› Vertical industry

orientation › Consumerisation &

commoditisation


As expected, the top technology trends that have emerged are conver-gence and integration, solution-cen-tric approach, open and interop-erable solutions, enterprise-wide implementation and a Web and cloud-based solutions approach. A change in the business models of the core businesses saw the geospatial industry take a vertical industry ori-entation and move toward consum-erisation and commoditisation. The advent of mobile gave the power of location in every hand. And sudden-ly, locating the nearest restaurant in an area became easier, thanks to lo-cation-based services. The geospatial industry needs to harness this power of location for creating further value.

Technology convergence has emerged as one of the top trends in the past couple of years. While technologies, such as, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), earth observation, sensors, survey-ing and mapping, were prevalent 10 years ago , as they are today, now they are not known as standalone technologies by themselves. Together, they all come together to deliver a seamless product. A solution-centric approach means that the course of action for all

end products will include integra-tion, convergence and embedded processes. This eco-system has widened because, today, applica-tions of geospatial are not limited to traditional sectors like defence. Social media is a classic example of a technology that integrated Internet, cloud, mobile, wireless, communication and location.

Consolidation is the keyGround-breaking acquisitions and consolidations have been taking place in the industry as a way for businesses to integrate systems and gain competitive advantage.

A careful analysis reveals these acquisitions were basically of four types (Fig 2). The first — technol-ogy oriented/market consolidation acquisition model — was driven by the big players’ need for newer technologies. This saw the estab-lished players go on an acquisition spree to boost their portfolio. Thus, we saw Hexagon acquiring a bunch of smaller players, like Erdas, Lei-ca, Novatel, Geomax, Aibotics and Intergraph. Trimble’s acquisition of Info, Ashtech, Spectra, Applanix, Gatewing and Tekla also falls in this category. So does Topcon’s acquisition of Sokkia, or Bentley

SOLUTIONS DRIVING THE MARKET

42%

30%21%

7%

Solutions

Services

Workflows

System integration

Fig 1

T H E M I S S I N G L I N K

COVER STORY20


buying out elcoSystem, Ivara, InspecTech, et al.

Next we saw mainstream IT players like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Apple venturing into the location sector for competitive advantage. The intention was not to develop geospatial products or solutions, but a need for new tech-nologies for seamless delivery in their own field. For instance, Pitney Bowes, a mailing company, bought MapInfo because it wanted to track every mail. All these companies found that buying a company and then modifying its technology is much cheaper than creating a solution from scratch. And together, these result in definite solutions, like when Microsoft bought Vexcel for spatial dimension, or Google bought Skybox for information management.

The third category, into which some of the past year’s acquisitions can be clubbed, could be called solution-oriented ones, wherein an established geospatial player bought

a company because it wanted to venture into a specific vertical market, but didn’t have the domain knowledge. Hexagon’s acquisition of Safe Mine, ILab and Arvus, Acute3D, or C3G’s buyout by Bent-ley, or Trimble’s takeover of Fifth Element, Linear Project, Mining Information Systems, etc., were all typical examples of this.

And finally, there are partner-ships between equals for competi-tive advantage. Examples for these could be Hexagon’s tie-up with Esri, Autodesk and Accenture; Autodesk joining forces with Bentley; and Trimble’s relationship with FARO and Topcon.

Technology footprint From precision agriculture to con-struction business, the penetration and adoption of technology in the western world has been quite dra-matic in the last 10 years. However, the study showed earth observation as the top technology in demand and use, followed by GNSS, GIS

Technology-Oriented Market Consolidation Acquisitions→ Topcon: Sokkia→ Bentley: elcoSystem, Ivara,

InspecTech.→ Trimble: Info, Ashtech, Spectra, Ap-

planix, Gatewing, Tekla.→ Hexagon: Erdas, Leica, Novatel, Geo-

max, Aibotics, Intergraph.

Competitive Advantage Acquisitions by Mainstream IT cos→ Amazon bought Upnext for 3D Cloud.→ Pitney Bowes bought MapInfo for

Mailing Business.→ Facebook bought Gowalla for Social

Media.→ Microsoft bought Vexcel for spatial

dimension.

Solutions-Oriented Acquisitions → Hexagon: SafeMine, ILab, Arvus.→ Topcon: Wachendroff Electronics,

DynaRoad.→ Bentley: Acute3D, C3Global.→ Trimble: Spatial Dimension, Fifth

Element, Iron Solutions, Mining Info Systems, SketchUp.

Solution-Centric Partnerships → Hexagon: Esri, Autodesk, Accenture.→ Topcon: Autodesk, Toro, Komatsu.→ Bentley: Trimble, Autodesk.→ Trimble: Caterpillar, John Deere, Vico,

IFICON, FARO, Topcon.

CONSOLIDATION MODE

Transport

Building &

constr

uction

Defence &

secu

rity

Infrastr

ucture

Forestr

y & enviro

nment

Agricultu

re

Business

intelligence

Ocean &

coasta

lUtil

ities

LandM

iningW

ater

Others

Electrici

ty

INDUSTRY-WISE UPTAKE

Fig 2 Fig 5

21COVER STORY

Join the leading executivesin the world of infrastructure.

It’s the must-attend event for the world’s leading infrastructure executives. See award-winning projects and meet the people who made them possible. Network with industry thought leaders and Bentley executives. See what is coming with the CONNECT Edition and learn how to advance project delivery and asset performance!

November 3 – 5, 2015 I Hilton London Metropole I London, UK THE YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 2015 CONFERENCE

To learn more and to register, visit: www.bentley.com/yiiconference

#YII2015

Ad_YIIConf-Main-Building_2015_A4_0715.indd 1 7/16/2015 4:23:45 PM

COVER STORY22


2%

...What the survey shoWs

What the readers said... EARTH OBSERVATION TOPS THE CHART

Frequently Occasionally Never

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Never

Ocassionally

Frequently

Ground Penetrating RadarUAVs / UAS

Indoor PositioningBIM

Laser scanning, LiDARTotal Stations

3D DataAerial photography

Satellite remote sensingGNSS

GIS

In %

Geospatial World readers survey as published in February 2015

EOSGNSSGISBIM

Geospatial ContentLaser ScanningRadarSurveying

and Building Information Model-ling (BIM) (Fig 3). Interestingly, a readership survey conducted by Geospatial World in February 2015 showed GIS as the most-used tech-nology, with satellite remote-sens-ing, aerial photography, 3D data and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) ranking somewhere down below (Fig 4). At a glance, these surveys may look contradictory. But, a closer analysis would reveal the industry is actually clubbing satellite remote-sensing, aerial photogra-phy and UAVs together as earth observation. Similarly, GNSS ranks behind GIS in the readers’ survey (Fig 4). But if it clubbed with indoor location, GNSS would take over GIS, as can be seen in Fig 3.

A look at the industry-wise adop-tion of geospatial technology (Fig 5) threw up a huge surprise. Trans-port and construction dethroned the well established leader in use of location technology — the defence and security sector. They also edged out other traditional users like environment, forestry and mining. In fact, if one clubs infrastructure, which showed up on the fourth slot, with construction, together they take the top slot. This could be attributed to high activity in the infrastructure and construction market, owing to huge development projects across the world. Also, for a totally new area like business analytics to figure so high up was also a revelation.

The maturity of adoption is also most clear in the construction industry, where productivity and efficiency hold the most value. For defence, prime benefit was in the

field of monitoring because this sector needs constant inflow of data from EO. The correlation is very clear. Moreover, in the times to come, for agriculture, GNSS and EO will be of equal importance, because GNSS is picking up very strongly.

Integration and convergenceIn terms of technology-wise integration and convergence, it was seen that for earth observa-tion (EO), all factors — solution, workflow, service and system integration — seemed to be of equal importance. This is because EO is only a source of data, and these factors are prevalent every-where. For GIS, solution is the most important because it is both a visual and analytics tool. It doesn’t have system integration simply because it doesn’t bring together technolo-gies, unlike a hardware-system like GNSS, which needs integration.

So what kind of benefits are these convergence and integration leading to? Most of the time service and solution are dominating. This is why geospatial industry is seen

Fig 3

Fig 4

25%25%

21%13%6%6%

2% 2%

23COVER STORY


POSITION TO PRECISION

NavigationLand useTelematicsForestryEnvironmentBusiness Analytics

Up to 10m

MappingUtilitiesTransportationMarineOil & Gas

Up to 1m

MiningArchaeologyArchitectureConstructionLand adminIndoor positioningMachine control

Cm level

EngineeringManufacturingIndustrial workflowMetrologySeismology

Mm level

as a manpower-oriented industry. Almost 70-80% manpower in the industry is in the process of digitisation of data. However, that is changing rapidly. As a result, data collection and capture is moving towards automisation. The compa-nies, which are in the business of data convergence, will die if they don’t move to the next level. The demand for real-time information is increasing for applications like monitoring. That change is leading to more and more satellites and drones collecting data automatically and autonomously. Workflows and system integrations, not part of the gameplan till yesterday, are emerg-ing as top trends today. They will prove to be of prime importance tomorrow.

The study also discovered that the industry is moving from position to precision. Different kinds of geospatial applications need different kinds of data (Fig 6).

The resolution requirement changes according to the application being targeted. For consumer applica-tions like navigation, land use and forestry, resolution of only up to 10 metres is needed. Mapping, utilities and transportation can do with a resolution of up to 1 metre. Centi-metre-level resolution is required for more complex applications like mining, archaeology and con-struction. While, millimetre-level precision is needed in tasks like engineering, metrology and seis-mology. Accordingly, the industry is striving to keep up to this demand.

Evolving sales modelsAs the industry moves towards consolidation and value addition, companies are becoming more open with their policies in terms of collaboration within and outside the industry. We are also seeing the need for better information driving business strategies. Good, authentic content and information are becom-ing fundamental to all systems and the industry is increasingly looking for partnerships with deep subject matter experts, who can be educated in terms of geospatial aspect, and then deliver better and smarter solu-

Transport and construction dethroned the defence and security sector as top users. This is due to large-scale infrastructure development projects across the world

Fig 6

COVER STORY24


tions to the users. The industry is looking to capture unmapped areas of the world through crowd-sourc-ing and partnerships with regional agencies in various fields.

This trend shows in the new products being released (Fig 7). While a few years back, a prod-uct was just that – a standalone product – slowly the focus shifted to providing product and services, and then added solutions to the product-plus-services portfolio. This is the reason why big players have been buying out their resellers (who sells the product and helps in capturing the market) and distrib-utors (who sells products and ser-vices, thus helping in creating the market) across the world. While the market is still catching up with this, a significant number of players with a futuristic mindset have already started moving towards system integration with strategic alliances.

Five years down the line this will be the dominating trend across the industry.

The study also showed that the industry is favouring hardware over software today. Even though, the product releases graph (Fig 8) shows otherwise, if one clubs software and apps together, it safely nudges out hardware. Ten years ago, hardware was a much larger stakeholder in a company’s growth. Today, Trimble and Hexagon, which are primarily hardware companies, have 40-50% software business. This is happening because solution has become the end of the value chain and a company cannot give a solution with just hardware alone. Earlier, there were beta ver-sions of software, but now all major companies have apps for smart-phones. They may not be charging directly, but they are teasing users with their products and solutions on their apps. They are also increasing their footprint in terms of education and outreach.

Even though companies are trying to make their products more affordable to expand their business footprint, in the software sector, cost remains a big challenge – they are still not affordable — a factor that is hindering the exponential growth of this industry. Further, there remain challenges over avail-ability of software or availability technical support. A $10-million company may have the same software capability when com-pared to much-bigger firms, but its products will not be purchased by someone in a place where there is no distributor or technical support network. In countries like India,

Business Trends→ Collaboration and new

partnership models→ Partnerships with non

geospatial vertical industry experts

→ Content and information becoming fundamental

→ Business of maps has become business of information

→ Better information driving strategies

→ User friendly and affordable products

→ Standalone products losing value

→ Move towards Products + Services + Solutions + System Integration portfolio

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Products+ Services+ Solutions+ System Intregration

Products+ Services+ Solutions

Products+ Services

StandaloneProducts

The Evolving Geospatial Solutions/System Integration Market Trend Fig 7

25COVER STORY


SPONSORS

INDUSTRY PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS CHARITY PARTNERS

TECHNOLOGY PARTNER

Your industry is changing... Don’t get left behind!Not just another BIM event Digital Construction Week is set to be Europe’s biggest dedicated event focussing on the future of the AECO industry and its digital evolution. Book your place now and take your seat alongside industry peers to join the discussion and hear from those changing the landscape of our industry.

Are you already ahead of the curve practicing the use of virtual reality, robotics, UAV’s, BIM and more? Or exploring the impact of big data, connectivity, and smart cities? Or are you simply interested to see how digital technology can make your day to day more effi cient and make your life easier? If the answers yes to any of these the Digital Construction Week should already be in your diary! Don’t miss your chance to hear from pioneers leading the AECO industry and from those outside our industry championing digital innovation and technology.

Book your ticket at the Digital Construction Show Conference now and fi nd out how digital is changing the face of your industry.

BOOK NOW Early bird discount ends 4th Septwww.digitalconstructionweek.com

PLANNING& BUILDING CONTR BUILDING CONTR BUILDIN OLG CONTROLG CONTR TODAYTODAYTODA

IMAGE: HEATHROW T5 DETAIL , LARS PLOUGMANN

SPEAKERS

Terry Stocks

Director, UK Head

of Public Sector and

Education, Faithful

and Gould

Birgitta Foster

VP Operations,

VDCO tech

David Hancock

Head of Construction,

gov. construction team,

cabinet offi ce

Phil Bernstein

Vice President,

Autodesk

David Philp

Head of BIM (UK

BIM Task Group)

BIM Director EMEA+1

(AECOM)

Maria Hendandez

Internet of Things Lead

UK, Cisco

David McCandless

Author, ‘Information is

beautiful’

Sam Stacey

Head of Innovation,

Skanska UK

026 Aug15 GeospatialWorld 197x260.indd 1 01/09/2015 12:18

COVER STORY26


China or Dubai, there are many Tier 2 distributors. On the other hand, in Taiwan or Malaysia, one can find trading partners because it is not feasible for companies to set up a large unit in smaller markets.

In the hardware market, the most difficult challenge before the hard-ware industry seemed to be high, skewed up taxation. For instance, if a phone is embedded with a GPS chip, it is an easy import. But, when survey equipment is implanted with the same GPS chip, it is categorised as a radio communication tool. In India, for instance, one has to pay an additional 42% as taxes for that. This is the case in many other countries as well.

High on productivityA decade ago, there was GIS. Geospatial as a domain was still

24%

9%5%

2%

11%

20%

18%11%

VALUE AND BENEFITS

Efficiency Monitoring

Data analytics Decision making

Precision & accuracy Safety

Productivity Interoperability

PRODUCT TRENDS

Hardware

Software

Apps

38%45%

17%

evolving. And every one felt that GIS could be used only for decision-making. This is what was being taught in colleges and uni-versities too. However, as technol-ogies evolved and the demand for location increased, GIS’ role as a decision support system diminished. Integration with other technologies meant the most important benefit that GIS offers today is the effi-ciency (Fig 9). This is followed by precision, monitoring, analytics and productivity. In the coming times, the value from increase in produc-tivity will become much higher as is with all technologies. Most users today are not even aware what the return on their investment is since there is no mechanism to calcu-late that as geospatial is deeply embedded somewhere in their IT processes.

Ten years ago, geospatial was all about visualisation. Today, it is more prevalent at the enterprise level. The GIS silos are breaking. They are becoming a part of a larg-er enterprise. Business processes are being integrated. This is the future direction — a representation of tomorrow.

Workflows and system integrations, which were not a part of the gameplan till some years ago, are emerging as top trends within the industry today. They will prove to be of prime importance in times to come

Fig 9

Fig 8

©2015, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Spectra Precision is a Division of Trimble Navigation Limited. Trimble, the Globe & Triangle logo and Spectra Precision are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited, registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (2015/08)

It is always the right time to choose the right total station

The powerful and innovative Spectra Precision FOCUS 35 is a fully robotic motorized solution that provides improved speed, accuracy and precision in measurement. A robotic instrument moves the power of the observer from the instrument to the range pole improving your productivity and quality of work.

This robotic instrument includes unique technologies such as the motorized drive system and the tracking sensor to track the range pole and prism. Combined with Spectra Precision Survey Pro or Layout Pro field software, the FOCUS 35 offers a world-class robotic surveying system. Packaged in a modern, sleek, and streamlined design, it is easy-to-use, affordable, and tough.

Spectra Precision FOCUS 35 : Simply, the Most Reliable

AMERICAS

Spectra Precision Division10368 Westmoor DriveWestminster, CO 80021, USA

+1-720-587-4700 Phone888-477-7516 (Toll Free in USA)

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Spectra Precision DivisionRue Thomas EdisonZAC de la Fleuriaye - CS 6043344474 Carquefou (Nantes), France

+33 (0)2 28 09 38 00 Phone

ASIA-PACIFIC

Spectra Precision DivisionSingapore PTE Limited.80 Marine Parade Road #22-06, Parkway Parade Singapore 449269, Singapore

+65-6348-2212 Phone

Robotic Surveying Made Simple

NEW

FOR2015

Featuresn 1", 2", 3" and 5" angle

accuraciesn GeoLock™ GPS assist

technologyn StepDrive™ high speed

motion technology n LockNGo™ advanced

tracking technologyn Survey Pro™ and

Layout Pro™ softwaren Ranger 3RC or 3XR

data collectorn Ultra lightweight at only 5

kg (11 lbs)

SCAN THE QR CODE TO RECEIVE A FREE BROCHURE

35

FEATURE28


MappingNew

BUSINESSModels

National Mapping Agencies are adopting and adapting to new technology and re-engineering policies as they strive to stay relevant in a fast-changing worldBy Prof Arup Dasgupta

29FEATURE


The inexorable rush of technology affects all organisations. Nation-al Mapping Agencies (NMAs), having celebrated their existence of 100 years or more, at times feel over-whelmed by this rush. Time and tide and, I may add technology, wait for no one.

It is a situation of absorb or perish. As the demand and need for geospatial content went up manifold, NMAs had to quickly change strategies to stay relevant in the game. There was a greater rush for accurate maps, regu-lations on what is being mapped by private players and how, and more user-friendly applications to cater to the demand of the industry. And NMAs had no choice, but to adopt and adapt to technology in their fields of work.

Of course, the adoption has not been uniform. There are two aspects to it — the policy environment for the adoption of new technologies and processes, and the inclusion of data from these new technologies and processes. “Our overall aim is to deliver the best data to the society; be they private companies, governmental bodies and agencies, including the municipalities, or public at large,” says Anne Cathrine Frøstrup, Director General of Kartverket, Norway. “Everyone should have the right to easy, accessible data. The data we distribute is ‘public owned’, therefore it is important that every user, including the public, also gets the data required,” she adds. A very forward-looking approach that is worth emulating globally.

Interestingly, as Frøstrup points out, ever since data became open and free of charge, there has been a significant increase in the demand for data, proving how important it is to make data easily accessible in all respects. Almost all countries talk of Spatial Data Infra-structures, or SDIs, as the medium for data sharing and delivery. Developed countries like Norway are creating a single massive depository of all types of data, while in larger countries, one may require a distributed architec-ture. That said, what is important is the need for data to be freely available to a wide variety of users. Stuart Minchin, Chief, Environment Geoscience Division, Ge-oscience, Australia, calls it essential in today’s world as geospatial content is becoming economically significant.

Authoritative Data and NMAsTraditionally, the NMAs have been mandated to be the creators and suppliers of authoritative, trustworthy, comprehensive and regularly updated data, like national and international boundaries, place names, locations of cities, towns and villages, transport infrastructure and most importantly, precise geodetic benchmarks. Such data is of guaranteed quality and contents, so it can be used for conflict resolution, disaster response and management, planning and implementation.

“Authoritative data is frequently updated and because of this, the comprehensive accurate data offers high levels of trust to users and customers,” says Peter ter Haar, Director of Products and Innovation, Ord-nance Survey, Great Britain. Location data is used by both public and private sector to deliver a vast range of products and services — which now include emerging areas like Smart Cities, Internet of Things and Big Data — by geospatially connecting datasets and information sources, including sensors and beacons. A common, authoritative geospatial dataset leads to easier decision making, and reduces confusion, conflict and error.

However, in large countries, some of this work gets delegated to local government bodies in their areas of jurisdiction. But, they also have to follow the base authoritative data of the NMA and need to get it vetted and approved for distribution and use. In countries like Norway, the NMA may set the standards for the private companies to collect data, but manage its distribution.

Thus, the question arises whether the NMAs should be the only source of authoritative data. Frøstrup believes, “We should not be the only ones. Every public agency distributing datasets from our ‘common heritage’ must expect to meet the same expectations from the society.”

Our overall aim is to deliver the best data to society; be they private companies, governmental bodies and agencies, including the municipalities, or public at largeAnne Cathrine Frøstrup, Director General, Norwegian Mapping Authority, Norway

FEATURE30


Kees de Zeeuw, Director Kadas-ter International, echoes this view when he says that “authoritative is about quality and liability.” It is not that NMAs are the only source, but governments – representing the citizens – should provide society with adequate information that is fit for purpose and be liable for it, he maintains. The caveat that private companies can provide adequate information as well, but they do not accept societal liability and are not focussed on citizens, but on potential customers and profit. Therefore it is left to governments through NMAs to provide the society with authori-tative data, being citizen-centric as part of their ‘good-governance.’

Interestingly, some technologi-cally advanced countries like Japan and Sweden have a more conserv-ative view on the whole debate. Bengt Kjellson, Director General and Chief Executive, Lantmäteriet, (National Land Survey), Sweden, is very clear that only NMAs should be the custodians of authorita-

tive data. Dr Hiroshi Murakami, Director-General of Planning Department, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI), feels authoritative data means geospatial data whose quality and contents have been confirmed adequate for public uses by the government entity that is formally mandated or entitled to work on the country’s ge-ospatial information development.

Even the Republic of Korea takes a harder line that NMAs should be the only source for pro-viding authoritative data “because only they play a role in providing reliable and consistent national basemap with sustainable invest-ment and strict quality control according to the national policy and law,” says Sanghoon Lee, Team Leader, International Cooperation and Standard Team, National Geo-graphic Information Institute.Developing countries, naturally, are on the conservative side, but some are opening up very fast. “NMAs in many countries like ours are well

over 100 years old and people have a greater trust on us,” maintains P. Sangakkara, Additional Surveyor General (Central), Sri Lanka. Agrees Surveyor General of Bang-ladesh Brig Gen Md Abdul Khair: “Authoritative datasets are obtained

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan has made a three-dimensional topo-graphical map of the country available online. Users can view mountains and islands from the angle of their choice by rotating the 3-D image on their computer screens. There is also an option to create models using a 3-D printer.

JAPAN

NMAs are not the only source (of authoritative data), but governments – representing the citizens – should provide society with adequate information that is fit for purpose and be liable for itKees de Zeeuw, Director, Kadaster International, The Netherlands

FEATURE32


from genuine sources by experts in the NMAs and therefore are accept-able, complete, consistent, timely, unique, valid, trusted and secure.”

Datuk Sr Ahmad Fauzi bin Nor-din, Director General, Department of Survey and Mapping, Malaysia, believes data, which is in control of the data custodian, is authori-tative data but “NMAs should not be the only source… they should perform the role of providing the main source of such ‘authoritative’ geospatial data.” Similarly, Efren P. Carandang, Deputy Administrator, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, Republic of the Philippines, also feels authori-tative data could come from other government agencies which pro-duce geospatial data in the pursuit of their respective mandates.

In Mexico, under Article 78 of the Law of the National System of Statistical and Geographic Infor-mation (LNSSGI), the authorised data are Information of National Interest (INI). It is possible that others national agencies produce INI, leaving the responsibility to the Institute to authorise and verify that

the INI meets the quality specifi-cations declared necessary, says Actuary Rolando Ocampo Alcantar, Vice President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

Data pricing and dissemination policiesMany NMAs are mandated to recover the cost of data acquisition, preparation and delivery. However, since they are fully funded govern-ment institutions, why should such data be priced at all?

Further, geospatial data does have security considerations, par-ticularly at larger scales and higher resolutions. While some countries took the easy route of restricting all data, the emergence of technologies like remote sensing and GPS and their adoption by the earth sciences community forced their hand, and some data had to be freed for open distribution. The unfortunate suppression of the Google Mapa-thon data in India, the ban on GPS in various countries, restriction on remote sensing data of a resolu-tion finer than a certain limit, and restrictions on aerial surveys and

drones are examples of the inability to accept the disruption brought about by technology.

Murakami of Japan feels that in the past, because of lack of other sources of geospatial information, the NMA data could be reason-ably charged. However, now as developing geospatial information gets easier, competing data sources like OpenStreetMaps may arise to bypass priced NMA data. In Japan, there is no distinction among different sectors in data dissem-ination policy. The Geospatial Information Authority is mandated to give data access to all kinds of users, including international users and the public through conventional publications and via the Internet. In Norway, some government agencies are granted specific right to access

Great Britain’s Ordnance Survey offers 16 free-to-use OpenData products, including street-level vector maps, water and road net-works, regional scale height grid and contours, and a searchable gazetteer of road names. These customisable products have been downloaded more than one million times since their launch in April 2010.

BritainBritain

At OS, we have a model which supports Open Data but also allows the organisation to generate revenue through licensing premium products, services and applicationsPeter ter Haar, Director of Products and Innovation, Ordnance Survey, Great Britain

33FEATURE


data for specific use, provided laws and regulations do not come in con-flict. When data are made open and free they are in principle distributed to all without differentiation.

Frøstrup feels that the price should only reflect the actual cost in deriving the data from the agency. To be able to update the datasets, contin-uous improvement and automation of processes are necessary, which entail high costs. Great Britain has a model which supports Open Data but also allows the Ordnance Survey to generate revenue through licensing of premium products, services and applications. This approach allows developers, entrepreneurs and businesses to access, for free, a vast amount of high-quality geospatial data including mapping, boundary information and 3D terrain data. Cus-tomers who require premium datasets can license them from OS, allowing the NMA to generate funds to invest into future product development and ongoing maintenance programme, including the Open Data products. Two government agreements with OS – the Public Sector Mapping Agreement and One Scotland Mapping Agreement — allow all units, from central departments to parish councils, free access to a large range of Ordnance Survey products including OS MasterMap Topogra-phy Layer and AddressBase.

In The Netherlands, cadastral registration is not supported by public funds, but managed and maintained on a cost recovery basis for its customers. The topograph-ic reference map maintained by Kadaster is available as open data source (www.pdok.nl), the costs for which, are partly covered by

a government budget. The added value of this open dataset is – in the Dutch context – cost effective-ness for government organisations and the possibility for generating added economic value in the private sector. The Netherlands follows a mixed model with very well defined terms under which data and infor-mation is provided to society.

New Zealand and Australia have open and transparent government agenda, and therefore, geospatial is a part of the open data policy.

Philippines follows the policy of providing data free or at the lowest possible cost to facilitate public and business transactions, promote and encourage greater citizen participa-tion in updating datasets, and serve as engine or catalyst for economic growth. For the disaster risk reduc-tion and management plan data are always provided for free, but those are very costly to produce and will

Waag Society in Amsterdam has leveraged the power of the open data platform by creating an interactive map (http://code.waag.org/buildings/) of buildings in the Netherlands. All 9,866,539 buildings in the country have been shaded according to the year of their construction. Click-ing on a building will display its size, function (office, school, etc.) and the year it was constructed.

The Netherlands

benefit certain business activities, or those that demand high level of accountability on the part of the government like nautical charts, are charged. As the manager and operator of the Philippine Geopor-tal, NAMRIA adopts an open data policy for all users, be they gov-ernment, private, local or foreign entities. However, those contents of the geoportal provided by other

An NMA’s role is not to stop the applications of new technologies and devices, to develop standards and lay out an enabling environment for governments and other organisations Dr. Hiroshi Murakami, Director-General of Planning Department, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI), Japan

FEATURE34


data contributors are bound by data restrictions.

The dissemination policy of South Korea is to provide all dataset to government, agencies and the public in a free or low-cost (operation cost only) basis with exception of security and privacy issues. However, there are some limitations for foreign countries and individuals. Sanghoon Lee feels it is desirable to provide national agen-cies and individuals free or low-cost data, with the exceptions of data that impact security and privacy. A good pricing policy in the long run will be beneficial in adding value to the national basemap through the greater participation of the public and other stakeholders.

In Malaysia, sharing and dis-semination is through the Malaysian Geospatial Data Infrastructure, op-erated and maintained by MaCGDI (Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure) under the Ministry of Natural Resource and

Environment. Private agencies, non-governmental agencies and the public have to purchase data through the data custodians. Prior approval is required for the provi-sion of data categorised as classified information. This is made available on the basis of rights to use and not rights to own. Non-classified data are openly available to be pur-chased by international agencies, foreign government agencies, other foreign entities and foreign individuals.

Mexico also has a comprehen-sive set of statues that assure free access to data to the public. The information is available to any user through the website of the INEGI under an open policy, adds Ocampo Alcantar.

Sangakkara admits that the data created by the Survey Department of Sri Lanka had used an enor-mous amount of public funds and manpower over several decades, and are therefore, a property of the public and should be given to pub-lic authorities to be used for public

benefit. He feels while some data should be opened to public for free, other data should be available for

Australia’s National Map (nationalmap.gov.au) is an open portal to spatial data from over 30 federal, state and local agencies, such as, Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Bureau of Statistics, etc. Primarily seen as an initiative to boost business and innovation, the map enables companies engaged in agricul-ture, construction and retail to make informed investments.

Australia

The NMA should provide inputs for sorting images and performing validation of the results. Also, coordinate, supervise and regulate that the geographic information (maps) is timely, reliable and comparableActuary Rolando Ocampo Alcantar, Vice President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Mexico

Data must be provided to national agencies and individuals for free or at a low cost, except those dealing with security and privacy issues, in order to maximise public good and return on public investment Sanghoon Lee, Team Leader, International Cooperation and Standard Team, National Geographic Information Institute, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, South Korea

35FEATURE

a fee. During disasters, data should be open to anybody for a limited period under legal cover to avoid such data being used for business purposes. Also, how this can be achieved is not clear.

However, his Bangladesh counterpart Brig Gen Md Abdul Khair still feels that government organisations should access data at a reduced price while other organisa-tions need to pay a price fixed by the government. Unclassified geospatial information like map, GIS data, geodetic positional data etc., is open to all with a specified price, while classified data are given only under rules established by the government.

Outsourcing maps, policies and proceduresWith the availability of devices like DGPS, remotely sensed image-ry and digital image processing systems, government agencies, NGOs, educational institutes and private enterprises can and do prepare high-quality maps for their own use. Slowly but surely, NMAs across the world are opening up to outsourcing and using the services of the private industry for data collection.

Japan outsources data de-velopment work, and the NMA staff members responsible for the procurement supervise the progress and assess the data quality before accepting the final results. In order to be qualified to participate in the tender processes, organisations need to clear some minimum criteria, including employing licensed sur-veyors, as stipulated by survey law.All large-scale mapping in Norway has already for a long time been

outsourced through public tenders which include agreements for continuous maintenance, to private companies with cooperation with other public entities where NMA, Geovekst, is the coordinator. In scales of 1:50,000 and smaller, Norway has a programme which uses private companies to cover the country with aerial photography every five to seven years. There is also a running application for crowd sourcing.

Philippines too has been out-sourcing some of its base mapping activities to private companies, subject, of course, to government procurement rules and stringent monitoring and quality control. South Korea has already outsourced the creation of the national basemap with private companies in order to encourage the geospatial industry.

NGII concentrates on policy and planning, supervising and quality control for outsourced data. Interestingly, the Netherlands promotes “cooperation” between government, private sector and

Last year, Land Information New Zealand harnessed the power of studious teenagers to put a dent in its mapping backlog. Students mapped around 20,000 buildings footprints in the city of Canterbury. Each building the students mapped was en-tered into a database for use by council and emergency services. The process would usually be time consuming and expensive.

New Zealand

knowledge centres rather than outsourcing. “Good governance is about adding ‘trust’ to the information, not about doing everything yourself or centrally,” says de Zeeuw.

Bangladesh doesn’t believe in outsourcing since “other sources

NMAs should not be the only source [of data collection… they should perform the role of providing the main source of such ‘authoritative’ geospatial dataDatuk Sr Ahmad Fauzi bin Nordin, Director General of Survey & Mapping, Department of Survey & Mapping, Malaysia

FEATURE36


of maps may not be as accurate or authoritative.” The Survey of Bang-ladesh has a sufficient numbers of trained professionals to prepare reg-ular and special geospatial products, claims Brig Gen Khair.

Malaysia too has concerns on the issue of ownership of data. If they are in private hands, govern-ments would lose complete control over strategic information assets. That said, Malaysia believes that private industry should be posi-tively perceived as complementing the work of NMAs. Probably some of the work could be outsourced to private industry whilst NMAs should focus on improvement of the management and value of their data to fulfil the much varied needs of their users. In line with this thought, the initial contracts includes the

digitising of topographic features from ortho-rectified aerial images and field work. The data submitted will need to undergo quality checks before acceptance. The mapping contract is planned to continue and in due time, it will include the complete process of mapping, from the capturing of digital aerial photos itself.

In Mexico, other government organisations can generate their own maps, using images and geo-detic support that INEGI provided free of charge. The private sector is not yet considered except for collection of geodetic controls. The INEGI coordinates efforts for the rest of producers of geographical information by providing essential inputs such as geodetic data and images, with which the information requirements of most users are met.

Kjellson of Sweden also favours such a stand when he says that mapping cannot be left to an external organisation without any control. There is an issue of commercial in-terest which cannot be the overriding factor because there are areas where

there are changes which are not commercially important.

On the other hand, LINZ has a totally different approach, says Rob-ert Deakin, Geospatial Custodian, Land Information New Zealand. It prefers to study the business cases of industry and provide targeted data, but the apps need to be developed by the industry. There is no attempt to outsource data collection. South Africa has a similar approach. It studies user needs every year and creates data that is user focused, fit for purpose, current and accessible.

Impact of modern data acquisition technologiesModern technologies are well within the radar of NMAs. There was a time when satellite imagery were not used for ‘serious’ work, but that has changed in the last few years. For example, in Japan promising technologies are tested through pilot studies to develop standards and disseminate them to other organisations. In Norway, drones are considered useful for mapping purposes in local projects

Kartverket, or the Norway Map Administration's, central archive of aerial photographs and satel-lite images contains originals of all aerial photographs (vertical pictures) taken in Norway from 1935 until today. It also gives product information about orthophotos produced through Geovekst or the national pro-gramme of current photography.

Norway

37FEATURE


covering small areas or where urgent mapping is required. This technology has already been used in mapping projects within the Geo-vekst cooperation. At present, rules, and perhaps the technology itself, limits the use of drones for mapping in bigger areas. In the long term, drones may have potential. The Netherlands works on the basis that the combination of cost, quality and time has to be optimised. Demand driven solutions and cooperation are important in this strategy.Sri Lanka has a futuristic view when Sangakkara emphasises on incorporation of these new technol-

ogies. Survey of Bangladesh is new to digital data acquisition and is updating Survey Act as per techno-logical changes. It has established six GNSS CORS at different places, and for RTK survey, this data is available for a fee. A new policy for UAV technologies is under consideration with the help of Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB).

Pursuant to an administrative order, NAMRIA in the Philippines serves as the clearing house for the acquisition of satellite image-ries, aerial photographs, and other imageries from airborne platforms to avoid duplication and optimise use of such resources among gov-ernment agencies. NAMRIA also calibrates and certifies all GPS in-struments purchased by government agencies before they are put to use. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has prescribed regulations governing the use of UAVs in the country. In Korea, NGII views emerging technology as R&D activities, and will revise or make their own technical specifica-tion for these technologies as well as support lawmakers in proposing new laws.

In Mexico, the LNSSGI per-forms research on new methods for the production and dissemination of information, and analyse and adapt the recommendations issued by international organisations at na-tional level to generate information. The policy established for years is to seek the most efficient and effec-tive technology, considering the le-gal restrictions on use. JUPEM had among other initiatives, established a network of CORS stations since

2003 and had recently procured a number of fixed-wing and multi-ro-tor drones. Both technologies are highly process-oriented as far as data collection is concerned; hence, more time is needed in drafting new data acquisition policy in collabora-tion with the related authorities.

Sweden feels that changes in technology can be handled, but, the real challenge lies in the adaptation to changes in society and its de-mands. South Africa welcomes new technologies as it helps to get the right data, in time to the user. How-ever, specifically on drones there are no plans as the usage is restricted by policy. Australia feels that drones are not practical in a huge country. VGI may at best play a supporting role.

Getting future-readyThe current scenario is quite heter-ogenous and that is expected. What is also interesting is the fact that no country has rejected any new technology out of hand, but with a good reasoning. It is also hearten-ing to see that policies are being changed based on new demands from society and adoption of new technologies. Thus free or low-cost data, open data (at least partially open), adherence to standards, role of other agencies like government, industry and academia, coordina-tion, cooperation are all issues that are being tackled at very many levels including the political level. At the policy level, NMAs are quite aware of it and moving with the times.

Prof. Arup Dasgupta, Managing Editor, [email protected]

Policies are being changed based on new demands from society and adoption of new technologies

We recognise how technologies constantly shape the surveying, mapping and geospatial information management industry, and how these empower organisations other than the NMAs to engage in mapmaking Efren P. Carandang, Deputy Administrator, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, Republic of the Philippines

VIEWPOINT38


Of NGAs and Economic DevelopmentOf NGAs and Economic Development

She was the first woman to become the Director-General of the UK’s Ordnance Survey. And she held that position for 14 years. She was the inaugural co-chair of the United Nation’s Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). Dr. Vanessa Lawrence doesn’t really need an introduction. If you know geospatial industry, you know her. ..

But, you know her as the one delivering talks or giving interviews. Now, she has donned the journalist’s hat for Geospatial World. Catch Dr Lawrence interview industry experts Ivan DeLoatch, Greg Scott and Barbara Ryan on the role of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencies (NGAs) in economic development

Vanessa Lawrence: We all face this challenge everyday where we have to explain what geospatial is and how it can benefit the economy of countries, regions

and people around the globe. So, what can we do differently so that people actually understand what geospatial is?Greg Scott: One of the biggest challenges we face is when we mention the term geospatial information, it is not a simple term for people to understand. The challenge is to communicate what it is in terms of the location, in terms of place, in terms of how you use it in your day-to-day life and also who that audience might be. And this is one of the many challenges. From a national to global perspective, it is really important that

we communicate languages that people need to hear to be able to understand the scenario.

For example, within the UN system, the govern-ments of the world have negotiated the 2016 sus-tainable development agenda; and a lot of discussion around geography has taken place. And when we think about sustainable development, poverty, humanitarian needs, urbanisation… they all have a very geographical location-based component. Part of the challenge for us is communicating these messages in simple language and terms but also easily understandable in take away messages that some of these decision makers can understand. People are understanding the importance of location each day, and while it is still a journey, it is a good journey to be on.

39VIEWPOINT


VL: Barbara you have a grand summit coming up where you need to get ministers from all over the world. I would like to know how you would change the minds of ministers who are slightly hesitant to come and attend the summit in Mexico?Barbara Ryan: As Greg mentioned, for some min-isters, geospatial is a tough term to understand. We probably had a better grasp on the situation when we were talking about maps and paper maps. The power of location is inherent in all individuals. So I think it is re-ally important for government agencies to expose data. Any data that is collected is in fact location based. And that is what is most relevant for governments because all governments want their economies to grow. The fact that this geospatial information can facilitate industrial growth is elementary. There is no limit to what can be done with this information.

VL: How do you think we can attract businesses? Be it small medium enterprises, big corporates, banks etc. How do you think you can get them involved?Ivan DeLoatch: We have to change our approach and our language needs to come down to what people would understand. It is not always easy to use this term ‘geospatial’, and so we try to find what is relevant with the particular audience.

The business sector is driven by economy and the ability to create a product that results in profit. So we need to the redefine the role of governments. We need to think about how we can reshape the education system and how we can provide more opportunities for innovation. One of things we have done is the ‘open gov’ initiative — the open data programme, which is allowing the agencies to expose their data. The para-digm has shifted in terms of government being user vs

L-R: Dr. Vanessa Lawrence; Greg Scott, Inter-Regional Advisor, UN-GGIM; Barbara Ryan, Director, Secretariat, Group on Earth Observations, Geneva; and Ivan DeLoatch, Executive Director, Federal Geographic Data Committee, USA

VIEWPOINT40


government being a provider.

VL: In today’s scenario, when every child buys a mobile phone it has geography within it, which was not the case 20 years ago. So doing more with that geography than just locating the nearest cinema hall is something I would like to see to happen. For instance using geography for scarce resource management or even for providing more jobs...ID: One of the things which we are doing is working with the education department to include geosciences in the ‘science and technology engineering mathematics’ initiative in the United States. The depart-ment has asked us to recommend a curriculum from kindergarten to XII standard. In addition, we are also working with the Department of Labour to introduce subjects for people who are interested in educat-ing themselves and get better jobs. There are categories for certain positions and jobs in the federal government.

VL: What can we do to engage young people in this particular area? There are well-paying jobs in this sector but people don’t even know that we exist. GS: I think Ivan has picked up a great approach on how to proceed in schools. And I believe there are three parts to it. First, he has men-tioned. The second is, we studied geography in school. It was one of the sciences we did at school. Things have become a lot more complicated than that now. Firstly, geography in school is trying to compete with other priorities. The

next step is to understand how to attract university students after they leave high school. My area was in the earth sciences, which was not exactly attractive for po-tential students. But now, geospa-tial information is becoming more embedded in career paths with respect to not only geosciences but also engineering and architecture. In one sense, this has become a strength; in another sense, it has become a secondary path to that education process.

When you start thinking of spe-cialised areas and use geodesy as an example, people do not really get what it is. It has a lot of math in it, which a lot of students do not like. These factors make this a different world. It is important that we bring students into the post high school era of geospatial information. We can attract a lot more people in the process. It is growing and I think we need to take advantage of that.

BR: If we go back to the previous point on education, if we start educating kids at a much younger stage, I think they will get the hang of it. They are like sponges who want to soak in as much knowledge as they can and they are curious to know more. And when you think about those little kids, their brains work that way, they can see connec-tions that really exist.

VL: If I say you have 12 months to make a difference and then come back and reflect on what has been done, what would you do differently?GS: What we, at the UN-GGIM, are hoping to do in the next 12 to 24

months is… UN through its mem-ber countries has just signed-off on the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda. What is embedded in that agenda is monitoring development and progress using geospatial information and earth observation. And in the upcoming Sustainable Development Summit in New York this summer, the member states, A-list people, the President and even the Pope will all come down to sign this document. Geospatial information is already embedded in the document, but the challenge for us now is to act on it. We need to use good, reliable statistical data for monitoring the progress of this development.

BR: I am going to conveniently use the power that GEO has to reinforce in the efforts of UN-GGIM and continue to support national organ-isations like Ivan is in, because it needs to be both bottoms up and top down. I am also going to advo-cate for broad open data policy, because without that, we will not get any information to go on with. At the same time, I would like to get more clarity on how the private sectors can engage in this kind of a scenario.

ID: My goal is to see that the struc-ture for current geospatial platform has local support. We have an elec-tion next year in the US, so for us, its important that we maintain the momentum that we have and make a business case providing informa-tion about how the technology can be used no matter who is using it. My other goal is to double the data sets we currently have in the US.

41INTERVIEW

Geospatial World • August • 2015

REPORT42


GNSS is used around the globe, with 3.6 billion GNSS devices in use in 2014. By 2019,

this is forecast to increase to over 7 billion, with an average of one device per person on the planet. According to a new Market Report from the European GNSS Agency, smartphones continue to dominate (3.08 billion in 2014), being the most popular platform to access location-based services, followed by devices used for road applica-tions (0.26 billion). Other devices may be less numerous, but billions of passengers, professionals, consumers and citizens worldwide benefit from their application in efficient and safe transport net-works, productive and sustainable

Locating the Business of GNSSThere is significant regional variation in GNSS penetration in terms of devices per capita, but the uptake of smartphones in emerging markets will change the situation in almost every corner of the world agriculture, surveying, and critical

infrastructures (Fig 1).The report delves into the mar-

ket opportunities, technology trends and future developments of GNSS, as well as highlights the benefits that GNSS offers to the economy, including job creation and promot-ing innovation.

The primary region of global market growth will be Asia-Pacific, which is forecast to grow 11% per annum from 1.7 billion in 2014 to 4.2 billion devices in 2023 -- more than the EU and North America combined. The installed base in the mature regions of EU28 and North America will grow steadily (8% per annum) through 2023. The Middle East and Africa will grow at the fastest rate (19% p.a.), but starting from a low base. As a result, the ‘digital divide’ is forecast to narrow.

Although there is significant regional variation in GNSS penetration in terms of devices per capita, the up-take of smartphones in emerging regions will change the situation in almost every corner of the world.

Environment of relevant macro trendsSmart cities: In 2014, 54% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, and it is predicted that by 2050 this will increase to 66%. In the largest 500 European cities, more than 200 million people are constant-ly moving from one place to another and want to find the quickest and easiest way to do so. The smart cities concept tackles this challenge. An intelligent urban management ap-proach covering various utilities (e.g. transport, energy, water, waste...) can contribute to making cities more sus-

43REPORT


Installed base of GNSS devices by region

0123456789

10

Inst

alle

d ba

se (b

ln u

nits

)

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

EU28 North America Middle East + AfricaSouth America + Caribbean

Rail0.2%

Surveying 4.5%

Agriculture1.9%

LBS53.2%

Cumulative core revenue 2013-2023

Timing Sync0.1%

Road38.0%

Maritime1.1%

Aviation1.0%

tainable and allow for more effective and efficient management of them. Thanks to its easy implementation for various smart mobility and LBS applications, GNSS is supporting the smart cities concept. Especially when implemented in a hybrid posi-tioning solution, GNSS delivers lo-cation information regardless of the environment. Among many others, GNSS can be a part of autonomous driving solutions, travel optimisation and automatic transactions, such as entering a tolled road section or a car park.• Big data: The volume of global

data doubles every two years, and data has become a key asset for our economy and societies. ‘Big data’ refers to large amounts of data produced very quickly by diverse sources: geographical, weather, research, transport, energy consumption and health. Data can either be created by people or generated by machines, such as GNSS receivers or Earth Observation satellite imagery. For example: In the Road segment,

GNSS-based positioning of vehi-cles contributes to the production of ‘floating’ car data, a source for traffic modelling and management. Similar applications exist in the LBS segment, with smartphones generating data from positioning information received actions per-formed by their owners. Notably, the emergence of big data implies a special attention to privacy con-cerns, mainly related to the use of

data by entities such as govern-ments, authorities and commercial companies for purposes beyond that of the original data generation and collection.

• Multimodal logistics: GNSS-based solutions are particularly well-suited for on-the-route positioning, enabling operators to monitor goods and assets during their transfer between different transport nodes and hubs. GNSS-based data such as positioning and timing can be combined with information on the status of the container and the cargo, as well as with RFID positioning for asset and goods identification at hubs. This information is trans-mitted to logistic operators and their clients to improve efficiency and effectiveness of transport activities, as well as to manage emergencies by knowing where to act if anything goes wrong. For many reasons, containers are the optimal target for GNSS in a multimodal perspective. For example, they are widely adopted

Fig 1

Fig 2

REPORT44


Global GNSS market size (€bln)

* CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

20130

50

100

150

200

250

300

Core revenue (GLOBAL) Enabled revenue (GLOBAL)

Mar

ket s

ize

(€bl

n)

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

CAGR7%

CAGR4,6%CAGR*

8,3%

and their capacity is high enough to invest in a GNSS-based device. Containers are also already equipped with an ISO 6346 BIC code, which identifies the owner and the principal operator.

IoT communicationThe so-called ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) refers to a major development in the role of the Internet — the interconnectivity of uniquely iden-tifiable devices. Thanks to IPV6, all physical objects can now have a unique address and, thus, communi-cate. Beyond improving productivity and efficiency of organisations, IoT solutions are changing our daily lives. According to Harbor Research, the global IoT market could hit €1 trillion in 2020 with applications in almost every sector of the economy, from automotive to consumer elec-tronics, healthcare, manufacturing and logistics. As many IoT applica-tions require positioning information of each ‘thing’ (e.g. tracking of luggage, bike, bus, pet, coat), IoT could provide a significant knock-on demand boost for GNSS capabilities in several market segments.

Global GNSS downstream marketThe global core GNSS downstream market is forecast to increase by 8.3% annually between 2013 and 2019 before slowing down to 4.6% towards 2023. This means the GNSS downstream market is expected to grow, on average, faster (7%) than the forecast global GDP during this period (6.6%). In 2020, the drop in smartphone prices will offset the growing volumes for the first time, resulting in a decline in total enabled revenues. However, driven by additional applications – especially in the Road segment – total enabled revenues will grow again starting in 2021.

Market by applicationApplications in the LBS and road segments dominate the cumulative revenue, with a combined total of more than 91%. Smartphone and tablet applications continue to be alternatives to dedicated specific de-vices (i.e. for road and maritime nav-igation). The LBS segment progress-es further with insurance companies offering smartphone-based insurance

telematics and high-end LBS devices with multi-constellation capabilities penetrating the market. It is expected that high-end smartphones will even replace some devices dedicated to professional, high-precision appli-cations.

Major industry actors lead GNSS devices supply The GNSS downstream industry is characterised by a few very large companies and a plethora of SMEs. The big players in the GNSS industry have embarked on multiple take-overs in recent years, implying consolidation at the top. In 2012, the top five companies by GNSS related turnover accounted for 34% of turnover, and the larg-est company had 12% of the global market.

A recent GSA study on the GNSS industry estimates the proportion of the market held by companies in each world region based on the companies’ registered headquarters (latest available financial data for 2012). Almost 900 companies active in GNSS have been analysed. Fig 2 shows the study’s results with com-parison of the size of GNSS industry by region, focused on the counties/regions operating their own GNSS system (USA-GPS, Europe-Galileo, China-Beidou).

The United States continues to lead, still experiencing the advantage of being the first mover, followed by Japan and Europe. China’s growing GNSS industry is difficult to fully assess due to data limitations, while difficulties esti-mating Russia’s share come from the fact the GNSS industry there is predominantly state-owned.

45REPORT


Main source of outdoor positioning information Position information with GNSS technology, most often via the use of smartphones, has become an im-portant part of modern life. GNSS exists in a dynamic, multi-sensor context where the users need a final ubiquitous position, no matter which technology provides it. Still, when considering GNSS in the context of other macro trends and emerging positioning technologies, GNSS remains the main source of outdoor positioning information.

There are many general trends regarding GNSS devices:• Over the past decade improving bat-

teries and power consumption has been the central focus of producers, resulting in the reality of truly port-able GNSS device enabling ‘always on’ GNSS positioning.

• Miniaturisation of technology, including GNSS chipsets, is mov-ing towards very small devices attached to high value or sensitive goods, allowing for the tracking of their location throughout the transport chain. The advent of flexible electronics will allow GNSS receivers to be included in clothing and other personal items that could assist in locating lost and stolen items.

• More and more receivers are be-coming ‘connected’. One weak-ness of GNSS has been the time taken for a receiver to acquire (find and lock onto) the satellite signal. This is ameliorated by using assistance data provided over mobile networks, giving the receiver orbital information about the satellites and allowing for a faster location fix to be found.

• Another important trend is that multi-purpose devices with new software applications are replac-ing dedicated hardware devices within the consumer electronics sector. Increasing convergence of devices and the ability to deliver applications through software instead of dedicated hardware (e.g. smartphone navigation apps in cars replacing PNDs) may counter-balance the proliferation of micro-receivers.

Challenges to location information The rise in the number of sensors and the collection of data on devices and in objects creates the ‘big data’ reality. Location information is expected to be attached to all data. Privacy concerns remain, but the popularity of social media demon-strates the willingness of consumers to trade privacy and data ownership for functionality and convenience.

How are GNSS chipsets and receivers changing? • Manufacturers are already equip-

ping their devices with mul-ti-constellation capabilities, taking advantage of available services.

• The evolution of GPS and the in-troduction of Galileo will lead to more transmission frequencies at higher transmission power, im-proving availability, robustness, accuracy and urban coverage.

• GLONASS is being changed to utilise the CDMA signal access scheme (as are other constella-tions), improving the interopera-bility of devices.

• The need for higher accuracy is also motivating receiver manu-

facturers to offer multi-frequency solutions for professional appli-cations.

Combining sensors improves performance Complementary positioning tech-niques – such as cellular network based positioning, Bluetooth bea-cons and localisation using Wi-Fi base stations – can be combined with GNSS to improve perfor-mance. This typically supplements coverage in such challenging environments as urban canyons, reduces time to first position fix (by providing a starting point, albeit less accurate than GNSS), increas-es accuracy, or simply provides redundancy. More advanced GNSS receivers also use inerial sensors and odometry information to help improve the positioning solution, particularly in adverse environ-ments.

Based on GNSS Market Report, Issue 4, European GNSS Agency

Expected increase in globalcore GNSS downstream market

Growth in Asia-Pacific marketduring 2014-23, more than EU & North America combined

8.3%11%


INTERVIEW46

Taken on August 22, 2005, one week before Katrina Taken on August 2, 2015, ten years after Katrina

Katrina’s 10th anniversary

SCARS LINGERSCARS LINGERHurricane Katrina went down in history as the most cata-strophic and lethal natural disasters to strike the US, with damage to property costing $150 billion and nearly 2,000 people losing their lives. A decade after the storm triggered flooding that damaged 70% of New Orleans' housing stock, the wrecked streets in town are still lined with boarded-up houses that pose safety hazards to residents who have restored and rebuilt homes nearby. New satellite images from NASA reveal that scars from Hurricane Katrina still linger. The marshes and swamps that buffer New Orleans from the Gulf of Mexico show evidence of Katrina’s fury. The images that have cap-tured swamplands around Delacroix, a fishing town southeast of New Orleans, one week before Katrina and 10 years after — show how the flood changed waterways in the region. The false-colour image was taken on August 2 by the Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite. The satellite images show normal vegetation in bright green, flood-damaged vege-tation in brown and water appears dark blue.

Source: NASA

47INTERVIEW


MISSING INTERGEO 2015?

http://geobuiz.com/tag/intergeo

Get the Updates Exclusively on

Geobuiz.comGEOBUIZ AD.indd 3 07-09-2015 18:37:28

publication: 10 world · can make good use of data creating solutions for clients. it is a win-win...

Documents