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A006: Visioterra gives advice to companies in their use of Google Earth

VisioTerra gives advice to companies in their use of Google Earth and develops the tools that can enable them to share geolocalised data within the company, with their partners and with the World.

VisioTerra expertise
VisioTerra was set up in May 2004 and has specialized in Science Consulting for Earth Observation. This encompasses expert support for EO programs, remote sensing training and communication, scientific documentation publishing, quality control assessment of instruments and EO products, new products and instruments specification and prototyping, audits as well as the production of GIS-aimed cartographic products .
Google Earth helps to carry out the synergy of Visioterra skills by providing a shared geolocalised data tool.
VisioTerra assists companies in:
* Google Earth use,
* Definition of the Google Earth integration scheme within their organisation
* Development of business data conversion tools,
* geographic quality control,
* connection to their intranet system,
* supply and treatment of satellite or aerial high resolution data,
* maps geocoding and GPS transfer.
Use cases
Share company’s data
Centralize work sites’ data
« At the beginning of any exploration project, we examine all accessible data about the area of interest. Google Earth can help us to visualize at once all the layers and to list the missing we have to obtain ».
Jean-Paul Xavier, Geomatic service Manager for TOTAL.
VisioTerra advises TOTAL about what Google Earth can offer for Total business: work sites preparation, internal and external communication of results, 3D visualization, importing ArcGis data, crisis management.
Capitalize the company expertise
« We have activities all around the World (Soudan, Afghanistan, Liberia, Irak…) and experts on permanent assignment . For each project, we buy satellite images, we take ground samples, hundreds of photos… we want to use Google Earth as an internal exchange platform. For example,very soon, each expert back from mission will be able to provide the team with his GPS points and associated photos on a dedicated intranet space.»
Muralee Thummarukudy, UN, UNEP Post Conflict Branch, Operations Manager.
VisioTerra has given UN experts a GPS and Google Earth training as well as the development of a methodology adapted to the information sharing needs of the service.
Coordinate partners’ activities
Convene an « emergency think tank »
VisioTerra can convene in less than 3 hours an emergency think tank by finding all needed documents from the company database and accessible informations anywhere in the World in a precise geographic zone.
Visio Terra works with GAEL Consultant to get access to satellite images within the 3 hours following their purchase.
GPS monitoring of work sites progression
« I need to anticipate work sites incidents, for example, I want to follow up the real-time progression of my work sites from my office. »
Nabil RIZK, Quality, Environment and Security service Manager, TSO.
VisioTerra proposes to visualize on Google Earth the movements of all GPS-equipped people and vehicles. By catching data from the control room and importing them into Google Earth, we can follow the progression of different sites at the same time.
Capture diversity
Analyze environmental impact
« We want to quickly identify all the sensitive sites which could be disturbed by our industrial activities. With Google Earth we can confront our GIS data with the available database within the Google Earth users community such as, for example, the UNESCO World Heritage List.»
Magali CLERC, GIS HSE service Manager (Hygiene Security Environment) for TOTAL.
Prepare work sites
« Before beginning a work site project, I would like to gather all the environment data such as schools, administrative boundaries, hospitals, old people’s homes… »
Nabil RIZK, Quality and Environment service Manager, TSO
VisioTerra proposes to set up a qualified database for the clients’ zone of interest.
Manage traceability and expertise
“Play-back” work site progression

« I need to report the progression of the work sites to my managers . It would be interesting. to “playback” a work site progression »
Nabil RIZK, Quality and Environment service Director, TSO.
VisioTerra proposes on top of the archiving work sites data, to create “Playbacks” of projects, which could be played on meetings.
Show and control observation features of satellite images

« When delivering SPOT scene to users we could join together an associated Google Earth file showing how the scene has been observed. »

Didier JACOBBO, SPOT IMAGE.
The DIMAP format provides with the auxiliary data from which the scene centre time, the corners coordinates and ephemeris are extracted. The kmz file that has been produced shows the location of the satellite, the viewing vectors and the quick look that has been mapped on-ground.
Communicate with the World
Google Earth links from your web site
« We have set up projects all around the World. I want to show our clients the diversity of their geographic distribution. »
Philippe MOREAU, Architect, LAPIDEM.
VisioTerra has developed HTML pages that supply Google Earth links. The projects are presented in the Google Earth windows with a link to the project description on the web site.
www.lapidem.fr
Google Earth links from your web site

« I want my clients and suppliers to get an easy access to my offices. »
Serge RIAZANOFF, Director, VisioTerra.
VisioTerra has edited a Google Earth link on its web site in order to locate all its offices.
www.visioterra.fr/contact
(Source VisoTerra)