Telecommunications

In order to effectively maintain, rehabilitate, or install pipelines and underground infrastructure, stakeholders must identify where assets are located and manage this data effectively. Three-dimensional (3-D) locations (XYZ) of pipelines can be achieved using various technologies. These technologies can coincide with additional condition assessment tools to provide accurate pipeline positional information along with geo-referenced pipeline condition assessment data such as CCTV video, leak detection data and interior and exterior corrosion data. Once gathered, this information can be managed effectively through GIS.

The ability to create, edit, and store operational data within a single database for use by CAD, GIS, and management has been a long sought desire. A philosophy of data model driven applications versus software dictated data models allows for a common database using numerous front end applications. This presentation centers on the strategies required for planning, implementing, and managing this approach. Multiple departments can utilize a single database, thus maximizing efficiency and operational excellence.

One of the most exciting technologies to allow a company to connect the operator to the solution is the enterprise Web portal. When defining the enterprise Web portal, it is important to understand that it is more than a flashy Web site. Rather, the enterprise Web portal is a Web-based, business-critical system. This presentation will explore the best practices of planning, implementing, and deploying a successful enterprise Web portal.

Infrastructure professionals rely heavily on cadastral data. Governments worldwide are planning thousands of new infrastructure projects to stimulate faltering economies and to repair, strengthen, and expand existing structures to avert catastrophes. Though projects will vary widely in scope and nature, planners and engineers will have one common need: information about the land. This session addresses the challenges infrastructure professionals face obtaining accurate land information, streamlining work flows, managing infrastructure information, and collaborating across distributed teams.

Economic gardening (EG) is an innovative entrepreneurial approach to local economic development that was founded 20 years ago by Chris Gibbons, the Economic Development Director of Littleton, Colorado. EG has multiplied the jobs and sales tax base of Littleton and other communities worldwide, that have employed this approach. Learn what economic gardening is, how it works, and how GIS is used and has become an integral part of the program.

San Jose Water Company has taken on an ambitious project to create an ever-evolving GIS facilities tool, GDI Portal. Using the latest Web APIs and open source technologies available (OpenLayers, GeoServer, OpenStreetMap, Google Maps/Earth API, etc.), the portal serves as a window into the company’s GIS data. This talk reviews the portal’s use within the company, and offers a brief overview of the technical aspects and challenges involved with the development of the portal.

Building a fully functional geometric network on an existing water utility dataset with hundreds of thousands of features (pipes, hydrants, valves, etc.) is a daunting task that is more about data integrity and spatial coincidence than theory and structure of geometric networks. Presenters will address the practical methods utilized by the Las Vegas Valley Water District to apply network theory to existing datasets and achieve the desired network functionality.

The strength of cloud computing is that it dramatically reduces the investment costs for users, required for processing high-volume geospatial data. But in order to have confidential or even classified geospatial data processed in the cloud, service level agreements must ensure the seamless protection of the data. This paper introduces a concept to declare and enforce service level agreements preventing unauthorized use.

Software as a Service has been successfully applied to Web-based light applications. Although highly desirable, infrastructure GIS applications pose a few challenges for the SaaS model. In this presentation, we will show how to overcome these challenges and present a solution that has been applied to telecom infrastructure. We will also present the benefits of this mode of operation for the operators in the infrastructure arena in general.

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are a powerful combination. They form a very unique perspective of the behavior of ground subsidence resulting from the decline of groundwater in alluvial aquifers. When it comes to large infrastructure in central Arizona—such as flood retarding structures—knowing what is happening on our landscape is critical. This presentation will share information about the culmination of various geospatial sciences and technologies.

Software as a Service (SaaS) has gained widespread acceptance and adoption in the wider industry and increasingly in GIS with applications hosted in the cloud delivered on-demand over the Internet. SaaS removes the need for users to install and manage their own software, reducing deployment costs and timelines. There is a wide range of capabilities of GIS SaaS offerings. SaaS will allow more people in more organizations to use GIS for real business advantage.

The presenters will showcase three different successful implementations transcending several utilities verticals, platforms and applications. This is a GIT UR DUN implementation of modeling and migration for geodata warehouse based on CITRA open technology, utilizing Oracle Spatial. All base data, application data, as-built data, and third-party data is integrated and shared ubiquitously across the implemented organizations. Each environment has different applications, data, and requirements. The CITRA core technology accommodates all the varied environments, technology, and client specific requirements.

As utilities across the U.S. have started to make advances toward a more risk-based approach to asset renewal forecasting, two challenges have arisen: 1) the lack of reliable, local data on the expected lives of assets, and 2) the need to effectively coordinate with the plans of other city departments (e.g., streets) to maximize the cost-effectiveness of pipeline renewal efforts. This presentation will cover pilot studies at two major cities in the U.S. where these challenges are being addressed with sophisticated data analysis and decision support tools. These pilot efforts represent the next steps for cities interested in accurate and realistic long-term forecasting of asset renewal investments in order to cost-effectively manage risk.

Enterprise asset managers face declining economic resources and a deteriorating utility infrastructure. A robust enterprise asset management system enables managers to develop a cost-effective planning and design strategy, an operation and maintenance plan, and a system to rehabilitate or retire assets. This comprehensive approach to infrastructure management results in greater reliability in delivering resources to the service area. Incorporating GIS into the enterprise asset plan maximizes the power of an enterprise asset management system. Node-to-node, data, and hydraulic information augment the tabular information that the enterprise asset management system provides. This session will examine the solutions utility managers can extract from the integration of the two systems.

When firefighters and other emergency response personnel are called to an emergency situation inside a building, they are often operating in uncharted territory once they walk through the front door. Some organizations are taking advantage of GIS to make floor maps available to the emergency response community for preplanning and inspection work flows. The presenter will discuss the basics of a facilities information infrastructure and how this can be leveraged to support the public safety community with specific examples of production systems.

GIS and asset data are often confined to mapping departments due to the high cost of licensing and limited tools for sharing data across an organization. Utilities can now leverage thin-client, Web-based technology providing access to your GIS from any browser on the network. Enterprise GIS provides a central data repository and communications link to third-party applications while automating work order processes, reporting, and mobile operations.

Cloud computing is the concept in which a company’s hardware, software, and data are outsourced to a third-party vendor. There are immediate benefits to such a paradigm, such as zero initial capital expenses and reduced IT operating costs. However, does this method of IT infrastructure make sense financially and technologically for today’s electric utility? This presentation reviews the benefits and pitfalls of using the cloud computing paradigm for a utility’s inspection, maintenance, and survey data.

The Distribution & Transmission Inc. (EDTI) power operating company of EPCOR Utilities in Canada has been using GIS for 30 years. As part of the foundation of our smart grid initiative, we went to the market with a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an electrical connected GIS-based model. This presentation describes in detail the RFP process and discusses the lessons we learned. It will be of interest to both users and GIS vendors.

In October 2009, the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) hosted the Emerging Technology Summit V: Spatial Law in Washington, D.C. The specific intent was to identify the legal and policy issues that will impact the growth in consumer and business applications of geospatial systems, software, and services.

The increased prominence of cloud computing architectures has changed the way that business-to-business transactions occur. With the addition of mapping technologies, the cloud is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for companies that rely heavily on geospatial information to communicate with each other. This presentation will cover the main issues that companies face when deploying such solutions, including security concerns, Web services and standards, and scalability.

Geospatial Dimensions of Intelligent Infrastructure: ITAG Recap
Matt Ball, Vector1Media

Keywords: smart grid, intelligent infrastructure, Broadband for the Nation, ITAG, GITA, industry trends, SCADA, gathering systems

Vertical Interest Tags: II; E; G; P; PS; T; TR; ER; S; EN; M; WW

The GITA Industry Trends Analysis Group (ITAG) meets on Monday, April 26th to explore the geospatial dimensions of intelligent infrastructure for electric, gas, telecommunications, water/wastewater, public sector, transportation, and pipeline vertical markets. This session will provide a recap of the dialogue from that session, and will provide a means for continued discussions.

The ITAG meeting that is the subject of this recap is tasked with helping define the concept of Intelligent Infrastructure for a variety of different vertical application areas. The recap will include an outline of case study examples from different practitioners with an idea of both challenges and successes. The bottom line focus will be on the creation of more efficient operations with time and cost savings through the application of intelligent models, feedback from sensors, and better processes. There will be time available in this session for more open dialogue and discussions.

The stimulus bill awards significant funds for broadband expansion projects and programs. To submit a successful application for these funds, organizations need to plan and justify broadband projects that deliver services to an area population that is unserved or underserved. To determine which areas are lacking sufficient broadband service, maps that depict current broadband coverage are required. GIS solutions enable organizations to create maps that identify qualified areas and justify projects to increase broadband availability.

Document management has become an infrastructure operations cornerstone. However, location data and rich media support are missing in conventional solutions. DataDoor’s Geospatial Asset Management Environment (GAME) establishes digital asset management upon a geospatial foundation supporting documents, video, audio, and photographs within a spatially intelligent, role-based framework. GAME’s RESTful API enables customization on platforms including ESRI ArcGIS, Google Maps, Google Earth, and Microsoft Bing. Organizations leveraging GAME realize significant benefits through improved visibility, collaboration, and documentation.