United Kingdom Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency Accepts Into Service Geospatial Data Management Solution from Intergraph

Geospatial Product Neutral Database will improve responsiveness for feature-level data to support varied map production tasks

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 20, 2004 - Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions today announced the UK Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency (DGIA) has accepted into service the geospatial data management solution delivered by Intergraph (UK) Ltd. for its Geospatial Product Neutral Database (GPNDB). The GPNDB will manage the Agency's digital feature data and associated metadata as well as serve as the cornerstone of future map production at the Defence Geographic Centre (DGC), a part of DGIA. Interoperability between disparate systems within the organization and from other countries was a key requirement for the new solution because DGC currently uses a variety of software including Intergraph applications to supply mapping products for all UK Land Forces military requirements.

The GPNDB will support a data-centric concept known as Geospatial Information Infrastructure (GII) whereby routine production and maintenance of foundation data will be densified to produce mission-specific datasets for rapid response hardcopy and softcopy spatial data output. The new database will provide more efficient management of spatial data and increase the use of "product neutral" data, enabling the Agency to be more responsive to UK Ministry of Defence requirements.

The logically seamless GPNDB will ingest and manage data generated from Agency digital production systems, migrated legacy data and external sources with all feature data being managed in the database. This will include datasets from outsourced production, international collaborative programs and the Agency's acquisition plan. The GPNDB will store and output product neutral digital data so that finishing to a range of product specifications and scales is possible. Metadata that reflects database coverage, accuracy, currency and status will be created at the feature and region level. Robust management procedures will be incorporated in the new system to ensure preservation of data integrity.

To better manage risk and align requirements for the GPDNB with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) capabilities, the Agency previously executed two prototyping projects over a three-year period - each comparing Intergraph, ESRI and Laser-Scan technologies. A rigorous competitive procurement process was then undertaken, which resulted in the selection of Intergraph as the supplier for the GPDNB. Intergraph (UK) Ltd. completed delivery of the initial operational capability on schedule on March 31, 2004.

FLDB Toolkit provides COTS solution

Intergraph's solution is centred on the Feature Level Database (FLDB) using Oracle(R)9i. Data ingest and retrieval are achieved using the FLDB Toolkit as an add on to GeoMedia(R) Professional and Dynamo. Versioning and long-transaction management are supported using Oracle Workspace Manager and GeoMedia Transaction Manager. GeoMedia WebMap will be deployed to provide access to the database and to allow data to be downloaded in a variety of formats. The Intergraph solution will be flexible and extensible to meet evolving defence needs.

Delivery for the system is due in phases through the middle of 2004. The prime contractor is Intergraph (UK) Ltd. and is supported by Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions, U.S. Geospatial Solutions Federal. Syntegra will serve as the subcontractor responsible for security. Teranetix (www.teranetix.com/) is the selected hardware contractor. Dell will supply the major hardware components.

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions is a leading geospatial solutions provider for the following markets: local, state and federal government; transportation; utilities; communications; location-based services; photogrammetry; remote sensing; cartography; and military and intelligence. For more information, visit http://imgs.intergraph.com/.

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Intergraph and GeoMedia are registered trademarks of Intergraph Corporation. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
 
Rita Roberts, Media Relations
256-730-1430 or rgrobert@ingr.com