September 2010 Archives

BRAND NEW PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT

Snowflake Software, Silver Sponsors at this week’s AGI GeoCommunity ’10 conference, has announced a brand new service for INSPIRE in the UK; starting with support for Annex I INSPIRE datasets.

INSPIRE as a Service is a new offering from Snowflake to assist UK organisations in achieving INSPIRE compliance. Whilst the UK Location Programme (UKLP) INSPIRE initiative offers support for INSPIRE, there are still steps that organisations need to take in order to ensure compliance and maximise the benefits:

• Understand INSPIRE legislation and how it applies;
• Understand the INSPIRE Annex I data models and how they apply to data;
• Train staff in new INSPIRE technologies;
• Purchase a hardware platform to run an INSPIRE solution on;
• Dedicate resource to install, build, operate and maintain INSPIRE commitments;
• transform data to the appropriate INSPIRE Annex I datasets.

INSPIRE as a Service

To help organisations overcome these challenges, Snowflake has come up with a set of flexible consultancy and hosting services called ‘Bundles’. If you need to create INSPIRE data to one or more of the Annex I themes, Snowflake offers a service. From doing it all for you to providing you with the support you need to manage it yourself:

Create INSPIRE data with the Theme Bundle:

we’ll create your INSPIRE metadata; transform your source data to the relevant Annex I theme; create a report highlighting the mapping and any issues; and host a one day INSPIRE workshop to discuss the results.

View INSPIRE data with the View Bundle:

We’ll upload your data to our server; deploy a secure INSPIRE View Service; and host and support the View Service for you.

Download INSPIRE data with the Download Bundle:

We’ll upload your data to our server; deploy a Secure INSPIRE Download Service; and host and support the Download Service for you.

The bundled services are fixed cost per INSPIRE theme so there’s no hidden extras along the way.

If organisations don’t need a complete solution, but need some help and support to achieve compliance, Snowflake also offers support in the way of ‘Agile Consultancy Sprint Packs’. The sprint packs can be bought in two weeks bundles.

Ian Painter, Managing Director comments:

“‘Agile’ is a new software and project management technique that we’ve adopted. It gives us flexibility to react quickly to your changing needs and gives you complete transparency throughout our working relationship – something we’re really passionate about.”

Debbie Wilson, Business Consultant and INSPIRE domain expert added;

“The new bundled services offer organisations transparency and flexibility to meet the criteria of the INSPIRE framework, in a way that suits their business and organisational needs. And all the while being able to control costs whilst maximising productivity.”

Anyone wishing to find out more about INSPIRE as a Service from Snowflake Software should contact info@snowflakesoftware.com or visit the website: www.snowflakesoftware.com/iaas/.

Attendees at the AGI Conference can also visit the exhibition stand and talk to a member of the team.

Melissa Burns | Marketing Manager | melissa.burns@snowflakesoftware.com | www.twitter.com/sflakesoftware

Can't believe the AGI Annual Conference has come round already.

For me personally, it signifies just over a year with Snowflake Software. And I'm pleased to announce that I feel a bit more 'with it' this year. I was well and truly thrown in at the deep end last year - my second week I was tasked with attending and managing Snowflake's attendance at the AGI event.

Here are some of the highlights you can expect to see from Snowflake next week:

INSPIRE: More than just an EU stick!   Wednesday 29 September, 14:30- 15:00

In true Snowflake style, Eddie Curtis will present this paper to demonstrate real business benefits of INSPIRE and encourage you to look beyond the legislation.

For more information: http://lanyrd.com/2010/geocommunity/sdmb/

Free, my arse!   Wednesday 29 September, Soapbox Session

Ian Painter will attempt to retain his 'Top Geo-rant' title with this carefully titled rant. If you missed his winning performance from last year, take a look : Behind every Neogeographer there is a Paleotard.

Oi! Sir Tim: Hands off my spreadsheet! Thursday 30 September, 12:30 - 13:00

In true Snowflake style, Ian Painter will present this paper to demonstrate real business benefits of Open Data and how you can easily achieve them, big or small, through user communities.

For more information: http://lanyrd.com/2010/geocommunity/sdmc/

Win a days training on INSPIRE - Wednesday 29 - Thursday 30 September, Snowflake stand

Get your thinking hats on for this cheeky little competition. Pop by the Snowflake Stand to find out more and enter yourself into the competition to win a day of training on our popular INSPIRE Essentials training course.

An exciting announcement...

Plus we'll have some exciting announcements about Snowflake Software and INSPIRE for the UK. Don't miss it. Pop by the stand or check your AGI conference bag.

And the unconference...

And if you're going to the 'un-conference' beforehand on Tuesday, I'm sure you'll bump in to one of the team having a warm up.

Fact: Only 0.05% of data on data.gov.uk is Linked Data. Why is that? - Tuesday 28 September

Eddie will be hosting this session around Open Data at the W3GCONF

Sex, drugs and geodata: The Dutch approach - Tuesday 28 September

And Richard Rombouts will be demonstrating how they like to do it where he comes from...

So, please do pop by the stand and visit us. Eddie, Ian, Richard and Justine will all be there representing Snowflake. Hopefully they'll be on their best behaviour. Not too many geo-beers for them please!

Melissa Burns | Marketing Manager | melissa.burns@snowflakesoftware.com | www.twitter.com/sflakesoftware

We've released the next set of dates that make up our autumn training calendar, for September, October and November.

Choose from four different themed training series:

• GML Series (XML Primer, GML Fundamentals & GML Hands-On) - Earn up to 15 CPD points
• INSPIRE Series (INSPIRE Essentials, GML Fundamentals & GML Hands-On) Earn up to 15 CPD points
• GO Loader Series (GO Loader Fundamentals & GO Loader Advanced)
• GO Publisher Series (GO Publisher Hands-On)

Melissa Burns | Marketing Manager | melissa.burns@snowflakesoftware.com | www.twitter.com/sflakesoftware

Snowflake Software has launched its Early Access Programme to customers and product evaluators alike, kicking off with an early access version of its upcoming GO Publisher WFS 2.0 product.

 

Eddie Curtis, CTO and Product Manager commented:

 

“We operate the Scrum Agile software development process, which means that every two weeks we create a new build of the products we are currently working on. Customers can expect frequent updates and availability of Early Access versions.”

 

He continued:

 

“Whilst we’ve launched the Early Access Programme with the release of GO Publisher WFS 2.0, we are currently developing new features for GO Loader, including schema packs and projects to support the full OS Open Data product suite. The Early Access Programme will cover the full Snowflake product suite.”

Along with our fellow OGC members; Cadcorp and EDINA, we've initiated an OGC Web Services (OWS) Shibboleth Interoperability Experiment (IE) to advance best practice for implementing standards on federated security in transactions involving geospatial data and services.

The IE will demonstrate use of Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) with OGC Web Services, including use of Shibboleth. This IE will build on practices from the European Spatial Data Infrastructure Network (ESDIN) project and on results from previous OGC initiatives on authentication.