VALUE ADDING SPATIAL DATA GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY WORKING TOGETHER.

John K. Payne Australian Surveying & Land Information Group (AUSLIG) PO Box 2, Belconnen, ACT 2616 & Peter W. Holyland DEMS Pty Ltd Unit 6, 4 Brodie Hall Drive, Technology Park Bentley, WA 6102 & David Ower ERSIS Australia Pty Ltd 18 Merivale Street South Brisbane, QLD 4101

ABSTRACT The Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) is working with the Private Sector to encourage a wider use of Spatial Data, and to provide commercial opportunities within our industry. This paper describes how Value Added Reseller (VAR) proposals are encouraged, the benefits to the data provider and the value adder, and specific details of several recent innovative VAR applications. INTRODUCTION AUSLIG has always encouraged Value Added Reseller agreements for any of its data. Recent changes in AUSLIG have seen the sale of commercial business activities and the outsourcing of most of the map production. These changes have resulted in an increased emphasis on VARs as a means to ensure data is used to its maximum potential and to increase opportunities for business.

On 1 July 1997, AUSLIG launched the latest of its GEODATA GIS ready digital data products. The product, GEODATA RASTER-250K, consists of scanned images of the entire 1:250 000 scale topographic maps covering Australia. In total there are 542 images available on 7 CD ROMs. While the product was sold with viewing and reformatting software, AUSLIG has always been aware of the potential of this product to be used in a wide variety of applications. This paper describes two excellent examples of VARs both of which incorporate the RASTER-250K data. WHAT IS A VALUE ADDED RESELLER? AUSLIG normally sells data under a licence agreement that prohibits commercial exploitation. Customers who wish to use the data in a commercial venture can do so via a Value Added Reseller

(VAR) agreement. These formal VAR agreements are required to ensure that the Commonwealths intellectual property rights are protected and also to provide some financial return back to Commonwealth mapping programs. In an effort to encourage VAR agreements, AUSLIG does everything possible to ensure VAR applications are dealt with quickly, fairly and efficiently.

A VAR agreement differs from a normal distribution agreement as the VAR is not just reselling the data, but enhancing it to appeal to a specific market. Finding VARs Traditionally, AUSLIG has identified VAR potential through involvement in the industry and responding to inquiries. To further encourage VAR applications, AUSLIG has recently advertised in the national press requesting Expressions of Interest (EoI) to add value to the GEODATA RASTER-250K data. This process has produced much interest in the private sector and resulted in eight feasible proposals of which six have been finalised at the time of writing this article.

Advertising for VAR proposals via the national media is particularly useful for new products as it is a fair and consistent way to ensure all interested parties have the same opportunity. By considering a number of proposals at a time it is easier to develop terms, conditions and royalties acceptable to all parties while retaining a consistent and equitable approach for any similar proposals. Licence Conditions AUSLIG requires Value Added Resellers to sign a standard agreement which includes: G requirements that the data and intellectual property is adequately protected against unauthorised use; G statements which ensure the VAR and subsequent users are aware of the limitations of liability; G requirement that AUSLIG be acknowledged in product documentation; G what royalties are to be paid and how. Negotiations In most cases the negotiations are more concerned about marketing and promotional issues than royalties. AUSLIG requires acknowledgement of the use of their data and needs to be confident that the product has the potential to be successful. The agreement between AUSLIG and ERSIS was very straightforward, requiring minimal negotiation. ERSIS is a distributor of AUSLIG's data and the two organisations have had a long and successful relationship.

The agreement with DEMS Pty Ltd was more involved as AUSLIG needed to beta test the sophisticated application developed by DEMS prior to agreeing on marketing and licensing conditions. Because DEMS already had a VAR agreement with AUSLIG for the use of other data, only the agreement schedules needed to be amended.

RECENT EXAMPLES OF WORKING TOGETHER ERSIS TOPOMAP The images contained in the GEODATA RASTER-250K product sold by AUSLIG are not georeferenced. AUSLIG anticipated that the task of georeferencing could be performed by a VAR applicant, a challenge taken up by ERSIS Australia. In order to be utilised in Geographic Information Systems and other applications that require the images to be positioned in their true location, the scanned images must undergo a process of georeferencing. As part of this process, with the assistance of fellow AUSLIG distributor GeoImage, the scanned images were adjusted to match the control on each map, and trimmed on the borders to provide an apparent seamless coverage of Australia.

Each map contains the full set of topographic information found on the paper map, reproduced in its entirety in colour.

ERSIS now markets TOPOMAP data, providing georeferenced raster images in both MapInfo and ArcView/ArcInfo formats. Since its release in September 1997, TOPOMAP has been used in a variety of applications including mining, Local, State and Federal Government, GPS tracking, environmental, and Intranet/Internet solutions. To account for the variety of different applications, the map sheets were georeferenced to geographic (AGD66 & GDA94) and cartesian co-ordinates (AMG).

The licencing conditions adopted for TOPOMAP are consistent with those used in AUSLIGs Public Interest Pricing, and the licence agreement used for the product jointly recognises the contributions of AUSLIG and ERSIS.

TOPOMAP is sold on CD-ROM, by State or all of Australia, as per the AUSLIG GEODATA RASTER-250K product bundling. The cost of the images on each CD is equivalent to the cost of purchasing the paper copies, making the pricing of TOPOMAP very competitive. In recognition of the GEODATA RASTER-250K data product, discounts are available to those who wish to upgrade to the georeferenced TOPOMAP product.

Due to the success of this agreement, ERSIS is keen to work with AUSLIG in developing similar VAR agreements for some of their other products.

DEMS Pty Ltd VIRTUAL TOPOMAP DEMS Pty Ltd specialise in producing elevation models and have previously used the AUSLIG GEODATA 9" DEM for which they already had a VAR agreement. DEMS combined the 9" DEM data with RASTER-250K data, and using the Georeality Pty Ltd sophisticated software developed an application which allows users to view and measure distances, areas, perimeters and slopes on topographic maps in three dimensions. This application is known as VIRTUAL TOPOMAP and, when viewed through the special shutter glasses provided, the images come alive on the computer screen.

This type of 3D interface allows users to interact with and more readily comprehend the information contained in topographic maps as well as measure how features such as cultural development and infrastructure are influenced by topography.

A more powerful add-on is also obtainable, in which the AUSLIG 9" DEM is directly accessible by the VIRTUAL MAPPER software. Vector layers such as roads, cadastre and drainage can be imported in 2D, draped on the AUSLIG 9" DEM and exported as 3D vectors in common vector CAD formats such as DWG and DXF. Thus ANY 2D map can be converted to 3D. In addition querying, editing, merging and updating of vector features from multiple themes is possible.

Specialised links are being developed with 2D and 3D GIS analysis packages and simulation modelling packages such as MapInfo, Vertical Mapper, and Modflow. Results from analyses such as route planning, viewsheds and signal strengths, which depend on a 3D component, can be contoured or imaged and displayed directly with the input data.

A demonstration of this fascinating product can be seen at the AUSLIG stand. THREE WAY CO-OPERATION To develop VIRTUAL TOPOMAP, DEMS required georeferenced images and by suggesting that they approach ERSIS,

AUSLIG was able to help organise a three way co-operation which benefits all parties. The name VIRTUAL TOPOMAP reflects this co-operation. Benefits Value Added Reseller agreements provide the following benefits: G Basic data sets are customised to meet the needs of specific users; G The Australian community has increased access to data collected in the public interest; G Business opportunities for private sector organisations;
G G

Additional revenue is available for input into future mapping programs; and Working closely with industry provides an important opportunity for AUSLIG to more fully understand the spatial data industry.

Anyone interested in finding out more about AUSLIGs VAR opportunities can contact John Payne at AUSLIG on 02 6201 4310 or by freecall 1800 800 173. To find out more about AUSLIGs GEODATA RASTER-250K product visit:

http://www.auslig.gov.au/products/digidat/raster/raster.htm

To find out more about ERSIS and TOPOMAP please contact David Ower at ERSIS Pty Ltd on 07 3844 7744 or by freecall 1800 687 744. TOPOMAP can also be viewed on the DATAMALL at:

http://www.datamall.com.au//demos/Datademos.asp or http://www.datamall.com.au /Catalog/product.asp?pid=535

To find out more about DEMS and VIRTUAL TOPOMAP please contact Brad Weir, Manager DEMS Pty Ltd on 08 94728800. AUSLIG, 1996 GEODATA RASTER-250K User Guide (digital), Australian Surveying and Land Information Group, Dept. of Industry, Science and Tourism. AUSLIG, 1996 GEODATA TOPO-250K User Guide, Edition 2, Australian Surveying and Land Information Group, Dept. of Industry, Science and Tourism. Hirst, W.R., AUSTRALIA IS COVERED IN RASTER, Presented at AURISA 97, Christchurch, New Zealand, 19-21 November 1997.

http://www.auslig.gov.au/techpap/msraster.htm

Scrivener Building, Dunlop Court, Fern Hill Park, Bruce ACT 2617 PO Box 2 Belconnen ACT 2616 Freecall (Within Australia): 1800 800 173 International Phone: +61 2 6201 4201 Fax: +61 2 6201 4266 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 1999