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Workshop Presentations Now Available for Download
Join us on March 15-17, 2010 in Dubai for GISWORX 2010
Workshop Presentations Now Available for Download
The workshop and executive session presentations are now available for download. Please email Adrian Hermano on how you can get access or call us at +971-6-5750055.
Join us on March 15-17, 2010 in Dubai for GISWORX 2010
The next GISWORX is set on March 15-17, 2010 at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. GISWORX is the only known GIS event in the region that provides a unique in-depth learning environment on different aspects of GIS and related IT to both beginners as well as advanced users through several technical workshops on focused topics.
The event next year will introduce a special Developer’s track to be lead by ESRI and Microsoft. With the successful PC equipped track at GISWORX 2009, we will also be doubling the number of technical workshops to be equipped with computers.
Aside from the technical workshops, GISWORX 2010 will bring together exceptional personalities and prominent speakers in the field of GIS and related technologies from around the Middle East and the rest of the world for the plenary session slated on March 15, 2010.
Other activities to look forward to include the exhibition and consultancy area, where delegates can visit different software and hardware vendors and consult with invited GIS/IT experts from GISTEC’s and ESRI’s network of business partners and consultants. Also part of the event is the annual Excellence in GIS Implementation (EGI) Awards and Gala Dinner to be held on March 16, 2010. The EGI Awards was instituted to promote innovation and experimentation in the area of GIS implementation and to honor successful GIS implementation programs.
GISWORX 2009 Report
GISWORX 2009 provided the more than 500 attendees sensible information on how to adapt GIS strategies to the current economic climate and more than 40 technical workshops including a laptop-equipped track to develop and advance their GIS skills. This is the end-result of this year’s event key themes of Knowledge Transfer and Technology and Product Updates. GISWORX 2009 was held at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai from 15-17 March 2009.
Plenary Session
Opened with a welcome address by GISTEC’s CEO Mohamed Abuziad, the plenary session which was held on the first day March 15, brought together exceptional personalities and prominent speakers in the field of GIS and related technologies from around the Middle East and the rest of the world. Myles Flynn, the regional manager of ESRI in the Middle East, provided an update about recent activities of ESRI, including its investment to provide comprehensive support and services to its growing market in the region. Myles cited major users’ projects and emphasized the important role of its distributors, business partners and users in its strategy to achieve ESRI’s vision.
Dr. Henk Scholten, a professor in Spatial Informatics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands and director of Spinlab and Greg Duffy, president of Woodfield Consulting also shared two important keynote presentations.
Dr. Henk Scholten, an ESRI Lifetime Achievement Awardee, presented the design, implementation and real life evaluation of an architecture to support the exchange, administration, analysis, and record of a wide range of geo-information in case of a disaster. The implementation, called Eagle, uses Microsoft Office Groove 2007 technology, Virtual Earth, ArcGIS and Cyclomedia 360 degree pictures. Eagle was shown to foster collaboration and better use of data between multiple agencies like Police, Fire Brigade, and other rescue organizations, thereby providing an effective and seamless delivery of services in time of disasters and emergencies.
Proved to be popular among the attendees from last year’s event, Greg Duffy, president of Woodfield Consulting, a firm based in Canada which specializes in IT and GIS governance matters and strategic planning, came back to GISWORX 2009 to share a presentation on how GIS can benefit organizations in times of economic slowdown. Greg provided important points and advice on how GIS and geospatial assets can help facilitate short term and long term benefits specifically during economic slumps when organizations re-prioritize projects and programs.
Rounding off the Plenary Session were equally exceptional presentations from Eng. Mustafa Almusawa of Abu Dhabi Municipality, John Ellenberger of Space Time Research, Shafik Jiwani of Rolta, Ghassan Freij of NAVTEQ, George Semaan of HP, Saed Abu Helwa of GISTEC, Tariq Hassan of Motorola, and Ed Riegelmann of CH2M Hill.
Eng. Mustafa Almusawa presented the Abu Dhabi Municipality’s efforts to update and maintain spatial data for the city’s development plans. He also discussed ongoing efforts to provide the local community access to this information to support business functions. John Ellenberger, Vice President at Space Time Research, contended that though business intelligence tools have been there for a long time, incorporating GIS data is a challenge. John showcased live examples of implementing GIS enabled self-service business intelligence. Shafik Jiwani, Senior Vice President at Rolta Canada, provided a presentation called- Web-based GIS Strategies – Bridges to your Asset Management System. Shafik illustrated how its web-based solution – OnPoint can help organizations provide access to different users to their existing asset management systems and GIS data.
Ghassan Freij, General Manager of Navteq in MENA, provided an update on new coverage and content developments that have taken recently and shown examples of rapidly emerging spatial applications driven by the integration of GIS technology and advanced global navigable databases. HP, through its large format printing business manager, George Semaan, showcased its portfolio of large format DesignJets for the technical market including its solutions for GIS users and applications.
GISTEC’s technical director, Saed Abu Helwa, gave an update on ESRI technology, highlighting key ArcGIS products enhancements in release 9.3 and 9.3.1 as well as on ArcGIS Server. Meanwhile presenting for the first time in a major GIS meet in the region, Motorola unveiled their own Enterprise Mobility Systems and some of its hardware products which could be used in GIS systems. Finally, Ed Riegelmann of CH2M Hill discussed how GIS enhances and supports their multi-billion dollar Engineer/Procure/Construct (EPC) projects around the world.
Instructions for downloading all of these presentations as well as the technical workshops are available on the event website www.gisworx.ae.
Workshops
Primarily highlighted by the debut of a laptop-equipped track, more than 40 excellent workshops were conducted on advanced and introductory topics on ESRI software as well as on related IT systems conducted by business partners. Aside from the laptop-equipped or hands-on track, workshop tracks include IT and GIS integration, GIS systems implementation, GIS solutions, geodatabase and GIS data management, ArcGIS Server and extensions, and ArcGIS desktop and extensions.
Business partners who provided workshops include Definiens AG, Geodis, Navteq, Telcordia, AED-SICAD, HNIT-Baltic, Geodecisions, Woodfield Consulting, Rolta/Orion Technology, Space Time Research, and SAP. Other Middle Eastern distributors, ESRI Muscat and ESRI NEA, also presented technical workshops.
Exhibitions and Consultancy
This year an extensive list of exhibitors, consultants, and government agencies participated to show-off their products and services, expertise, and impressive work and applications on GIS. Exhibitors included Space Time Research, Navteq, Citilabs, AED-SICAD, Geodecisions, HNIT-Baltic, Definiens/Geoimage, Motorola Middle East, Telcordia, Geodis, Navayuga Middle East, ESRI-Muscat, Universal Geomatics, Rolta and HP. Delegates were also given access to consult with the expertise of keynote speaker, Dr. Henk Scholten, Greg Duffy, GISTEC’s own Saed Abu Helwa, and experts from CH2M Hill, ESRI NEA, and SAFE Software. Finally, several past and current winners of the EGI Awards which included Military Survey Department, Space Reconnaissance Center, Dubai Land Department, UAE University, Ajman Municipality & Town Planning, and Abu Dhabi Municipality showed-off their work via an exhibit and demo of their projects and applications on GIS.
Excellence in GIS Implementation Award 2009
Held during the event’s gala dinner on March 16, 2009, EGI 2009 awarded nine outstanding organizations for the high level of achievement they made in their operations through the use or implementation of GIS. The organizations awarded include Abu Dhabi Municipality, ADNOC Group, Western Region Municipality, Land Department – Dubai, RAK Government, Etisalat, Central Informatics Organization (CIO) Bahrain, Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA), and Higher Colleges of Technology.
All the award winning organizations and their work are showcased here.
Sponsors
We thank all the sponsors of GISWORX 2009 who contributed to making the event a success. These Diamond Sponsors- HP, Rolta, and Motorola; Silver Sponsors- Navteq, Navayuga, and Space Time Research; and Bronze Sponsor- ESRI Muscat.
The list of workshops under this track will be announced shortly.