Easiest ever distribution of map and design data

Autodesk has announced Autodesk MapGuide 6, the latest version of its web distribution solution designed to help local governments, utilities, and communications firms use their map and design data

Autodesk has announced Autodesk MapGuide 6, the latest version of its web distribution solution designed to help local governments, utilities, and communications firms leverage their years of legacy investment in mapping, GIS, and design data into new and innovative uses.

With Autodesk MapGuide software, these organisations can increase the value of this data by deploying specialised web-based applications to distribute critical information in real time to non-technical users, helping improve customer service and streamline operations.

The new version includes faster data delivery, easier data management, and shorter application development time.

For organisations with large amounts of spatial data, distributing that data beyond the source is essential to improving operational productivity.

Autodesk MapGuide software's powerful, easy-to-implement client/server technology assembles spatial and attribute data from multiple sources and delivers it in real time where it is needed via the Web to thousands of simultaneous users inside or outside the customer's organisation.

Applications that have been built with Autodesk MapGuide include fleet management, customer service, infrastructure management, marketing, sales support, and emergency management.

Applications built with Autodesk MapGuide software can be developed by in-house developers, Autodesk's services group, or by an Autodesk authorised partner.

Autodesk MapGuide provides the critical web-distribution function in Autodesk's end-to-end GIS solution.

Autodesk MapGuide software enables organisations to create mapping, GIS, and design data and integrate it with "mainstream" business applications, allowing GIs spatial data and systems to become part of an organisation's core IT infrastructure.

The solution consists of Autodesk MapGuide, which works in conjunction with the data creation, design, and mapping capabilities of Autodesk Map, and the enterprise-level integration capabilities of Autodesk GIS Design Server.

"Many organisations have vast amounts of mapping, GIS, and design data in multiple files and locations that are disconnected, idle, or only being partially utilised," said Larry Diamond, vice president, GIS Solutions Division at Autodesk.

"Autodesk MapGuide allows these users to integrate that data into one application, thereby unlocking its value.

This results in significant advantages in operational efficiency, better-informed decisions, and stronger customer relationships, which directly advances an organisation's business objectives.

"The City of Los Angeles is a world leader in providing public works government services over the Internet," said Clark W.

Robbins, Deputy City Engineer, Constituent Services, City of Los Angeles.

"To accomplish this we needed to provide plans, maps, and other information about existing public infrastructure over the Internet to citizens, planners, developers, engineers, and contractors for use in designing and constructing new bridges, streets, utilities, sewers, drains, and other facilities.

Other products we tested simply cannot display important annotations, and are not as functional, fast, and easy to use.

Autodesk clearly saw the way of the future in GIS and provided the City of Los Angeles with a powerful tool in MapGuide to take us there.

Autodesk MapGuide 6 Autodesk MapGuide 6 comprises three main software components: Autodesk MapGuide Author for composing maps, Autodesk MapGuide Server for combining information from multiple sources and delivering maps over a network, and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer for viewing highly interactive maps with only a browser.

Highly scalable and secure, Autodesk MapGuide software directly connects to multiple spatial data sources simultaneously, streaming information to end users.

The software provides an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for object selection, query for attributes, search capability, and markup and redlining, empowering nontechnical end users to easily use spatial data.

The software has the broadest support for major GIS and CAD data formats, making data distribution easy, regardless of the data type.

Supported formats include Oracle9i, Autodesk DWG, ESRI shapefile and coverage, Intergraph DGN, MapInfo Interchange, Atlas BNA, and Comma Separated Values.

It also supports the widely used MrSID from LizardTech and Earth Resource Mapping's Enhanced Compressed Wavelet (ECW) for sharper and more accurate images.

New Features and Benefits include: * Support for Oracle9i: Enables enterprise customers using Oracle9i too easily distribute spatial data wherever it's needed*over the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet.

* Dynamic Map Authoring: Empowers the non-technical end user to dynamically edit existing maps and create new maps.

* XML Support: Enables developers to work with XML representations of maps, making them easier to integrate and manage.

* Expanded Raster Support: Now supports widely used Earth Resource Mapping's Enhanced Compressed Wavelet (ECW) and LizardTech's MrSID for higher-quality maps and a broader range of maps that can be distributed.

* Symbol Manager: Improves data organisation; adds the flexibility to use existing symbols as well as to create custom ones for more effective symbol usage.

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