MapDotNet UX Beta released

ISC announced the availability of the public beta release of MapDotNet UX, the next generation .NET GIS platform. MapDotNet lets organizations visualize, analyze and maintain their geospatial data. Application developers can build easy to use desktop and web-based mapping applications that can be used by an executive, manager, analyst or the general public.

The beta release can be downloaded at www.mapdotnet.com. MapDotNet UX is a .NET GIS platform that provides extensive support for spatial data visualization and analysis. MapDotNet UX also provides robust Microsoft Virtual Earth integration and complete support for SQL Server 2008 as a spatial data repository. MapDotNet UX also supports ESRI ArcSDE, PostGIS and shapefiles as spatial data sources, and will support Oracle Spatial soon.

With MapDotNet UX and the accompanying SDK, organizations can create interactive mapping applications that provide geospatial visualization and analysis capabilities. “MapDotNet UX is all about user experience” said Mark Alexander, President of ISC. “Our product engineers have delivered what we’ve all been looking forward to for quite some time—an easy to use geospatial application development platform and tools.

Organizations looking to heighten the experience of users of their geospatial applications will find our support for Microsoft’s Silverlight and WPF user interface frameworks amazing.” The MapDotNet UX Silverlight and WPF ‘rich interactive map’ controls provide support for Virtual Earth tile layers, WMS tile layers, and other map sources through an extensible tile requester interface.

New to the MapDotNet platform is an interactive map design tool, MapDotNet UX Studio. ISC will offer MapDotNet UX Studio as a free download with an unrestricted use license. This desktop application is developed completely in WPF and provides an easy to use interface for connecting to spatial data sources, designing map cartography, and creating map tile caches. Users can use Studio to design interactive maps that target Silverlight or WPF or to design and cache tile layers for overlay on Virtual Earth. According to Brian Hearn, MapDotNet product architect, “I think users are going to appreciate the ability to use Studio to migrate their spatial data into SQL08, through the use of its data exchange and transform capability.”

Microsoft and MapDotNet innovations result in a powerful package that yields more intuitive solutions.

According to ISC, customers worldwide are eager to take advantage of the latest innovations in mapping and GIS technology. The company is currently working with large and small local government agencies, as well as with commercial businesses around the globe. “Our Microsoft relationship is important, and customers immediately see the value of our combined technologies,” said Mark Alexander, President of ISC.

Representatives from Microsoft’s SQL Server and Virtual Earth teams also recognize the value that the combined Microsoft/MapDotNet solution is providing to its customers. “Microsoft places a great deal of importance on partner solutions.” said Kim Saunders, senior director of SQL Server marketing at Microsoft. “By taking advantage of the latest SQL Server technology, MapDotNet Server is a modernized GIS solution for our customers.”

Ed Katibah, SQL Server Spatial Program Manager at Microsoft, is enthusiastic about partner solutions as well: “With MapDotNet Server, customers will have an immediate opportunity to utilize the spatial enhancements in SQL Server 2008 in their data visualization and . Customers can visualize, query, and even edit spatial data stored in SQL Server within the Virtual Earth world. It is a powerful new paradigm for GIS.”

Founded in 1989, ISC is a worldwide leader in software that combines today’s latest advances in web-based, consumer mapping with powerful enterprise GIS (geographic information systems).

The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great geospatial software.

MapDotNet is a trademark of ISC in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Virtual Earth, SQL Server, Silverlight and WPF are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

ESRI, ArcGIS, ArcSDE and ArcGIS Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ESRI in the United States and/or other countries.

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