Version 6.0 of GeoMedia adds and improves functionality that simplifies end-user access to enterprise geospatial information while focusing on increasing productivity for individual tasks and workflows, such as data capture, maintenance, analysis and presentation. Improvements include enhanced enterprise capabilities for easier deployment of spatial data, new Web Services that integrate geospatial data in mainstream business applications and an advanced map display environment for high-quality cartographic output.
Customers will have the opportunity to preview these products this week at GeoSpatial World 2005, the Intergraph GeoSpatial Users Community international training and management conference, in San Francisco.
"The revised GeoMedia family of products is packed with new and improved capabilities that let organizations create and share geospatial data with ease as well as allow professionals to use the software with greater efficiency," said Pete Crosbie, GeoMedia Product Manager, Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions. "This will help departments and teams work together more effectively to increase productivity."
Simplifying Data Manipulation and Standardizing Data Definitions Across the Enterprise
New functionality within GeoMedia 6.0 enhances the value of geospatial data within the enterprise, making it more useful to individuals and at the same time preserving data integrity. Included in version 6.0 is a new library subsystem for sharing geoworkspace information around the enterprise and user profile tools for generating workflow-focused application interfaces. A new categories system simplifies the presentation of geospatial data to the end user and several tools are included for managing large data sets, such as legend grouping tools for dealing with large legends; simple schema remodeling for integration of data; and improved spatial filtering capabilities for efficiently traversing large data sets. These enhancements make the set up of enterprise spatial information, such as department style standards, data sources and feature definitions, transparent to the end user - eliminating front-end steps so they can concentrate on processes to complete individual tasks precisely and more quickly. Instead, administrators define and configure geospatial styles, ensuring consistency across the organization.
Expanding Data Availability
An open architecture based on industry standards is the foundation for GeoMedia's interoperability across disparate data sources, formats and systems. Version 6.0 extends the ability to share and access data throughout an organization and between companies with new industry-standard Web Services available in GeoMedia Web products. Web Services can now be created based on connections, queries and symbologies already set up in GeoMedia.
This gives organizations a visual authoring tool to make generating a Web Service as easy as setting up a Web site in GeoMedia WebMap - no programming required. For example, a city's streets department may decide to create a map routing Web Service that displays highway or transportation routes between two specified locations. Additional city departments or city businesses can easily integrate that service into its Web site to also provide this map routing information for its customers.
In addition, to maximize flexibility in building and using Web applications within a broader set of business and IT environments, Intergraph is adding new interoperability standards, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)/Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) interfaces, to existing Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC(TM)) interfaces.
"New Web Services tools available in version 6.0 will push the use of geospatial information and capabilities further into the mainstream," said Roger Harwell, GeoMedia WebMap Product Manager, Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions. "The ability to publish Web Services without programming will make it much easier and less costly for organizations to develop geo-enabled applications as a standard offering to their customers."
Advanced Cartographic Capabilities Improve Map Presentation and Output
Advanced symbology commands delivered in GeoMedia version 6.0 enable more control over map composition quality and presentation, the use of additional formats, easier definition of symbols and the improved ability to use complex symbols. Not only do these improvements improve productivity, thus speeding the distribution and output of maps, but also they improve the quality of geospatial data presentation. Enhancements consist of new display tools for attribute-based symbology, vector and image translucency, interior boundary tints, advanced style rendering, rotated map workflows and text haloing and parameterized symbols to support attribute-driven labels in symbols, such as U.S. highway shields.
Also, GeoMedia 6.0 introduces improvements in high-speed placement and editing for faster and easier data maintenance and new geospatial metadata catalog search and query capabilities for simple and quick discovery and retrieval of geospatial data. The entire suite of GeoMedia products takes advantage of enhancements available in core desktop and Web products. Availability of version 6.0 is expected during the second quarter of 2005.
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