Press Release: Williams-Meridian Provides Advanced Real Estate GIS and Market Data to TierraStar

Houston, Texas based Williams-Meridian Companies recently completed a successful trial of it's upcoming real estate analytical platform using the firm's extensive market data and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies for TierraStar Real Estate, a real estate brokerage, economic development and commercial development firm based in McKinney, Texas.

Using the company's rapid-deployment capabilities, Williams-Meridian provided a comprehensive set of geospatial data, high resolution images, demographic and income overlays, and land mapping tools to TierraStar in conjunction with the firm's robust financial analysis methods. Combining these elements into a customized platform, Williams-Meridian enabled TierraStar to shorten its real estate land acquisition advisory process significantly.

In a matter of only a few weeks after selecting Williams-Meridian, TierraStar was able to review virtually every individual land parcel in the entire San Antonio metropolitan statistical area, both privately-held and government-owned, relative to its demographic trending strength, site engineering capacity and financial viability from a return on investment (ROI) perspective. By using Williams-Meridian's proprietary technologies, TierraStar was able to rely on superior information sets and market data, better advise its existing commercial real estate client after months of using traditional channels, and complete the company's real estate brokerage services within a substantially shorter time. From initial project analysis to final cash closing on a large raw land parcel by the commercial real estate buyer, TierraStar completed its real estate services in only a few weeks using Williams-Meridian's technologies.

Upon project completion the company's President, Philip Williams, congratulated TierraStar by saying, "I believe that these technologies will play an integral part in what I sincerely hope is a lasting business relationship between Williams-Meridian and TierraStar, enabling your firm with a significant advantage over the big brokerage firms while we provide a level of service that far exceeds the traditional approach taken by them."

Company Overview

Williams-Meridian Companies is a privately held, commercial real estate development firm providing creative, full-service solutions to its valued partners. Based in Houston, Texas, Williams-Meridian offers a wide range of commercial real estate services to clients across the nation, including real estate consulting, corporate real estate strategies, leading or co-developing projects, or providing joint venture equity on select real estate investments or development projects across all real estate asset classes.

Esri Announces Major Upgrade to Educational Site License Program

This year, Esri is rolling out a number of significant, free upgrades to its popular Educational Site License Program. The additional software applications and data enhance an already comprehensive GIS suite and provide new solutions for educators who wish to share the power of spatial thinking across their curricula.
Already added to the site license program this year are the mapping and charting solutions that improve cartographic production including Esri Nautical Solution, Esri Aeronautical Solution, Esri Defense Solution, and Esri Production Mapping. Also added are the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension, which facilitates data sharing, and Esri Community Analyst, a web-based solution for domestic planning and policy analysis.
Future additions will include subscriptions to ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based system for creating and sharing geospatial content; new workflow-oriented Virtual Campus courses; Esri CityEngine, used for advanced 3D modeling and urban planning; and Esri demographic and Tapestry data for the United States.
"This is the most substantial upgrade in the 20-year history of our Educational Site License Program," says David DiBiase, Esri's director of education for industry solutions. "It reflects Esri's commitment to the success of educators at all levels in their efforts to cultivate the next generation of GIS users and a geospatially literate citizenry."
Staff members from Esri's Education Program team will be on hand to discuss this historic upgrade at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Some additions to the Educational Site License Program may be available only to US institutions. Educators in countries outside the United States should contact their local Esri distributor for details.
About Esri
Since 1969, Esri has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology, Esri software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide, including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. Esri is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at esri.com/news.

Paragon Launches Olympic Planning Pack

By a unanimous vote of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Board of Directors, the Society has issued a third resolution calling for immediate support and funding for the continuation of the Nation’s moderate resolution imaging program.  Due to a technical failure in the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument on-board the Landsat 7 spacecraft in May 2003, and the recent decline of the Landsat 5 spacecraft, the continued collection of useful moderate-resolution, multispectral remote sensing data is now jeopardized.

Over 40 years of uninterrupted Landsat imagery has played a critical role in monitoring ongoing stresses on the Earth from population, industry, climate change, land use and other factors.  The continued collection of moderate resolution imagery is needed to provide an effective means to intensively and systematically measure the Earth’s vital conditions as food and water and energy resources become ever more scarce.
In the resolution, ASPRS cites the policy change made in 2008 by the Department of the Interior (DOI)/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to distribute all current and historic Landsat imagery free of charge to users anywhere in the world.  This has resulted in an explosive growth in imagery utilization, especially the global monitoring land surface changes.  In addition, the resolution points out the comprehensive strategy formulated by the White House in 2007 to ensure long-term stability for moderate resolution satellite land-imaging.
In 2011, the current Administration embraced and reinforced that strategy by seeking funding within the DOI/USGS budget to ensure its implementation.  Congressional appropriators have not agreed with the Administration's proposal to create and fund a separate DOI/USGS "Land Imaging" account and instead have provided $2 million for program development only with time in the year ahead for all interested parties to re-examine how to proceed with future missions.
The current ASPRS resolution outlines five points that ASPRS believes the U.S. Government must seriously consider:

1. The United States must commit to continue the collection of moderate-resolution land imagery and the free distribution of current and historic imagery.
2. The United States must establish and maintain a core operational capability to collect moderate-resolution land imagery through the procurement and launch of a series of U.S.-owned satellites, thus providing job opportunities for highly skilled, technically trained Americans and sustaining U.S. technical leadership and expertise in remote sensing.
3. The United States must build, launch and operate lower cost smaller satellites, using those proven technologies for our future operational land-imaging systems, and avoiding costly, one-of-a-kind imaging satellites.
4. The United States must pursue a strategy that includes collaboration with international partners, and with domestic and foreign commercial entities, to augment the core capability for meeting U.S. operational requirements and create opportunities for cost sharing and data interoperability. 
5. The United States must ensure adequate funding is allocated to DOI, which will continue to partner with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to meet U.S. civil land imaging needs. 

“For the past nine years, ASPRS has pressed the U.S. Government on the importance of planning for data continuity and a commitment to the establishment and maintenance of a core operational capability to collect moderate-resolution land imagery through the procurement and launch of a series of U.S.-owned satellites,” said ASPRS President Gary Florence.  “ASPRS continues to believe the most efficient, sustainable and cost-effective way to ensure the continuous flow of Landsat or Landsat-like data is for the U.S. Government to invest in building lower cost smaller satellites and to pursue international cost-sharing partners, starting with the European Space Agency, who have the same or very similar program objectives,” he emphasized.
Founded in 1934, ASPRS is an international professional organization of 6,500 geospatial data professionals. ASPRS is devoted to advancing knowledge and improving understanding of the mapping sciences to promote responsible application of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems and supporting technologies.

GEO-12 Set for Sell Out

Exhibition space at the UK’s only geospatial trade exhibition is going fast  and expected to sell out shortly.
More than ninety percent of stands have  already been sold and the organisers are in active discussions regarding the  remaining opportunities. Taking place on the 21st and 22nd of March 2012 at the  Holiday Inn, London Elstree, GEO-12 is completely free to attend with an average  attendance in excess of 600 visitors per year attracted by a packed programme of  free seminars, live product demos and great networking opportunities including a  Gala Evening.
Exhibitors already committed to GEO-12 include Leica  Geosystems, Topcon, Phoenix, SCCS and Opti-cal as well as Z & F, Penmap and  3D Laser Mapping.
Landmark and Ohmex are returning to the event after a short  gap while first time exhibitors include UAS/UAV mapping company Gatewing and  virtual reality specialists Virtalis. Regular supporters include Faro, C.Scope, Applications in CAD, Hemisphere GPS, Spheron as well as MBS Survey Software and Positioning Resources. GEO-12 has also support from the Association for Geographic Information (AGI), the British Cartographic Society and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
“This is a  tremendous achievement that puts us in the best possible position to deliver a  first class event for  both visitors and sponsor organisations,” commented  Stephen Booth of PV Publications, organisers of the event and publishers of  Geomatics World, GIS Professional and Engineering Surveying Showcase. “We pride  ourselves in offering value for money and a return on investment and we can now  concentrate our efforts putting together a complete package to attract record  visitor numbers including an exciting programme of seminars and debates and  networking opportunities.”
The GEO events are designed for everyone  involved in the capture and application of geospatial information for  construction, civil engineering, development, local / national government  agencies, professional survey practice and consultancy. Attracting exhibitors  demonstrating the latest technology and developments in the fields of  Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Satellite Positioning and Navigation  systems (GNSS), laser scanning, data modelling and analysis and mapping together  with leading trade organisations and academic institutions, this year’s GEO  event is a ‘must attend’.
Attendance at GEO-12 is completely free  of charge and includes free parking, free onsite refreshments and free entry to  a full two-day programme of stimulating seminars and debates. Themes for 2012  include the hot topic of Building Information Management (BIM), ‘Managing  Change: opportunities and threats’, a ‘Point Cloud Clinic’ as well as many other  topics, streams and speakers. In addition, those wishing to extend their stay  can complement their experience with a ticket for the event’s Gala Dinner  sponsored by KOREC, topping the evening off with a great deal on overnight  accommodation.