Based in Williamsburg, Virginia and best known for its flagship software, SpatialAnalyzer (SA), NRK is an engineering company that develops and supports high-quality portable metrology software. Our software provides comprehensive engineering solutions and helps make manufacturing processes more accurate, efficient, cost-effective and ultimately more productive. NRK’s software solutions can be found in manufacturing settings around the world in a variety of industries including aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, energy and satellite. Since the beginning, SA has been an instrument-independent software package, meaning that it interfaces with all portable metrology hardware. Today, NRK is still committed to maintaining SA’s instrument-independence and continues to support all hardware manufacturers in order to best serve customers.

One element that has made the transition process a smooth one is the fact that Hexagon and NRK share similar goals and values. Customer-focused, innovative, entrepreneurial, professional, engaged, and profit-driven are all hallmarks of NRK culture, so transitioning into the Hexagon family from a cultural perspective was effortless.  Further, the ability to continue to operate as we have in the past and still function independently has allowed us to conduct “business as usual.” This freedom to continue to do what we do best has been greatly reassuring and allows us meet customer needs as we always have.

Becoming a part of Hexagon’s Global Network and aiding in the Hexagon mission is an exciting step for everyone at NRK. Hexagon’s resources and network can only help us better reach and serve customers, so we are eager to see in what new markets and applications we can expand. We look forward to finding additional synergies that can help both NRK and Hexagon deliver quality solutions to customers around the world.

A transition that proves to be a win-win for all parties involved— that’s shaping change.

Regards,

Rick Cole
VP of International Business Development
New River Kinematics
@SpatialAnalyzer

Guest Blogger Profile:
Rick Cole
VP of International Business Development, New River Kinematics

Rick Cole is VP of International Business Development at New River Kinematics. He has been working with SpatialAnalyzer since 1996 and for New River Kinematics since 2002.

To effectively manage and leverage this data for smarter decision-making, these organizations require flexible, dynamically connected geospatial solutions. Advanced geospatial functionality must be balanced with intuitive applications, enabling both subject matter experts and non-geospatial-trained personnel to collaborate on work benefiting the public. Ultimately, these solutions enable departments to configure and deploy easy-to-use, map-based, task-oriented smart applications that can be used on the web.

The City of Hamilton, Ontario, CA amalgamated seven municipalities into one, with more than 500,000 combined residents. Replacing major infrastructure assets such as sewer, water, and roads was a priority. With more than 100,000 customer service requests each year and an equal number of work orders, the City of Hamilton needs to analyze, prioritize, and respond to customer service requests efficiently.  They recently implemented GeoMedia® Smart Client.

GeoMedia Smart Client is a flexible, web-based GIS that enables you to configure and deploy easy-to-use, map-based, task-oriented Web applications that allow stakeholders to leverage your geospatial data and advanced functionality, even without an existing geospatial background. It lets you implement your organization’s life-cycle workflows, control access at the feature level, and validate data and behavior. GeoMedia Smart Client integrates smoothly with other business systems, and a single deployment can be configured for an unlimited number of applications – making it the perfect geospatial solution for a smarter organization. The solution provides streamlined, customer-specific field inspection and planning workflows that provide asset information update, high-end vector editing tools, and query and analysis. Users can also easily add related documents, drawings and photos, as well as review any related information.  GeoMedia Smart Client can also provide a complete solution workflow that involves issuing permits, as well as managing assets and inspections [Watch Webinar].

Public works departments globally like the City of Hamilton and Stuttgart Strassenbahn (SSB), Germany are using GeoMedia Smart Client to effectively manage their data for smarter decisions. [Watch Webinar]

Equipping public works with geospatial information to drive smarter decisions – that’s shaping change!

Regards,

Mladen Stojic
Vice President
Geospatial Products
@IntergraphGeo

To reinforce the kind of impact these synergies can have, I’d like to cite an example, a story featured in the February 2013 issue of Point of Beginning (POB) Magazine, about one of our customers. The customer, Wood Group Mustang, based in Texas, is a customer of both Leica Geosystems and Intergraph. The example project involves a $235-million Hess Tioga natural gas processing plant expansion in North Dakota that will alone provide enough additional energy to meet the yearly needs of 500,000 homes! Breakthrough innovations in drilling are bringing vast new reserves into reach, prompting North Dakota to be dubbed the upcoming “Saudi Arabia of the United States.”

Wood Group Mustang, a global project management, engineering, procurement, and construction management company, is using complementary solutions from Intergraph and Leica Geosystems to help double the plant’s capacity. To support the preliminary design of the plant expansion, they used Intergraph’s CADWorx® Plant Design Suite, an easy-to-use, popular AutoCAD-based application, to make 3D intelligent as-built models of the existing plant that was to be expanded. These models were, in turn, based on accurate as-built geometry of the existing plant collected using their Leica Geosystems laser scanners and point cloud software. Linkage between Leica PointCloud software and CADWorx was via Leica COE data transfer application – a free software utility that minimizes incompatibility issues and optimizes workflows.

The synergistic nature of the two companies’ products enabled users to:

• Effectively resolve potential preliminary design and construction issues back at their offices
• Minimize fieldwork and site visits
• Maximize as-built detail
• Achieve photo-quality visualization
• Impress their client and, best of all,
• Get hired for more work – the detailed design of the plant expansion.

As we progress into this new era, we’ll be building upon these types of synergies to offer even more easy-to-use, accurate and timely solutions.

In January, if you walked the floor of CES, a cutting-edge consumer-tech show, you see where society is heading:  Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerators; Smartphones that monitor vital signs of houseplants (yes, there’s an app for it); toilets that monitor blood sugar, temperature and blood pressure; refrigerators that double as ovens and dehumidifiers making filtered water. Technology is working double duty. Technology is often regarded as a solution to key issues in many industries, such as long overdue infrastructure repairs, now totaling over $2 trillion in the U.S. alone.  But many executives puzzle over how to create the kind of technology to solve these issues. At Hexagon, we’re finding these answers  not only through innovation and research and development, but also by better exploiting our existing technologies and synergies. It’s exciting to hear about how our customers are executing high-profile infrastructure projects, staying competitive, and garnering media attention, while many of their peers remain sidelined by tight budgets.

We think that exploiting the synergy between technologies is a key solution in this economy. Technologies must work together on multiple platforms to create practical solutions that meet the universal demand for efficiency.

What do you think? I look forward to talking tech, swapping ideas, and sharing best practices with you at our own groundbreaking conference, HxGN LIVE, Hexagon’s annual international conference, June 3-6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The conference will feature the very latest, must-see technologies from Intergraph, Hexagon Metrology and Leica Geosystems, featuring visionary keynote speakers discussing innovative solutions for successfully navigating these highly complex times. I hope to see you there!

Combing key solutions from Hexagon’s brands to solve tomorrow’s customer challenges –  that’s shaping change!

Regards,

Ken Mooyman
President
Hexagon Geosystems, NAFTA
@LeicaGeosystems

Without a doubt, integrated project execution is absolutely critical to strengthen global competitiveness. Compared to the rest of the market, I strongly believe Intergraph® PP&M is equipped, prepared and ready to support this important customer requirement for the industry. We offer automated and integrated workflows to both engineering companies and operators, covering critical business processes: engineering, materials management, construction planning, change management and many others. Our technology spans the entire project life cycle, and it’s this integrated engineering approach that delivers success to our customers’ projects around Asia-Pacific and the world.

Focusing on integrated project execution doesn’t just apply to capital projects; it’s also about driving such innovative thinking for existing facilities as well. To achieve integrated project execution for a brownfield asset, you’ll need to make the right operational decisions, quickly and confidently. How do you support this? You’ll need easy access to current and accurate information, and it’s this “as-exists” information asset that is such a vital representation of the existing plant or offshore facility.

Intergraph has developed SmartPlant® Fusion, a new solution that’s designed to rapidly capture, organize and make large volumes of existing unstructured information available through a simple web portal interface. All types of unstructured information are covered, including documents, drawings, images, 3D models and even high-definition surveying that comprises integrated laser scan pointclouds and high-resolution photography.

SmartPlant® Fusion is a great representation of the synergies we are leveraging from the Hexagon family of companies, as it can be integrated with Leica Geosystems laser scanning technology. Together with the other types of unstructured information available in this highly organized web portal, our customers can intuitively navigate through the engineering information for a brownfield facility, in a quick and precise manner. Get an accurate representation of the way things are really connected, and make unintelligent information smart!

I think you’ll agree that Intergraph is continuously innovating, from enhancing our integrated suite of solutions to meet our customers’ business needs, to bringing in new technologies from collaboration with the broader Hexagon family. (Read about Leica GeosystemsTruView Integrator for SmartPlant® Enterprise in a previous blog post.)

Making unintelligent information smart for integrated project execution – that’s shaping change.

Best Regards,

Franz Kufner
Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific
Intergraph Process, Power & Marine (PP&M)
@Intergraph

Guest Blogger Profile:

Franz Kufner
Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific, Intergraph Process, Power & Marine (PP&M)

Franz Kufner is responsible for Intergraph Process, Power & Marine division’s business operations in Asia-Pacific. Prior to this role, he was country manager for the Greater China region, and has also held business development positions with Intergraph. Kufner has also managed Intergraph’s information management and material management solutions both globally and within the Asia-Pacific region. He has over 23 years of engineering, procurement, and construction experience in the oil and gas, petrochemical, and mining industries, where he has been responsible for the delivery of major capital projects in the capacity of manager of the engineering and projects departments. Kufner holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering

Building on this success, ICC has expanded its support to other Hexagon divisions with diverse business activities. While this extended scope provided several opportunities for ICC’s growth, it has also posed several challenges in different facets, including acquiring diverse talent and providing pertinent infrastructure. A key focus for ICC has been delivering high-quality work product by actively engaging with these divisional project teams.

Over the past couple of years, ICC has successfully established an R&D center for NovAtel, comprised of hardware labs, an R&D team and metrology lab for Hexagon Metrology and actively collaborates with Leica Geosystems Machine Control, Mining and Agriculture divisions. The successful engagement and value delivery   has been possible through ICC’s committed teams, strong leadership across functions and, most importantly, a positive and energetic work culture. Today there are about 800 bright engineers in ICC, working as extended R&D teams to support the growing needs within Hexagon’s network of brands. ICC’s mission is: Quality, Capability, Capacity and Continuity (Q3C).

• Delivering a Quality work-product by focusing on global, process-centric standards
• Building Capability by acquiring superior and diverse talent
• Building Capacity efficiently and maintaining our talented workforce for Continuity.

One of the key factors in the success of ICC is to operate in an Ownership/Competency model for all of our product developments. For example, ICC teams work alongside global R&D teams, while at the same time taking ownership of product modules by developing competency over those product modules. The knowledge management processes that are in place facilitate efficient collaboration and synergies among teams, thus successfully enabling the scaling of teams and capabilities.

Over the years, ICC has evolved to be a mosaic of diverse technical and functional teams that are bonded by strong foundation of our core values, and a culture that takes pride in developing products and solutions with engineering content. With these fundamental tenets, the people in ICC are actively uniting Hexagon’s R&D forces to shape change.

Uniting R&D initiatives to ensure quality and innovation – that’s shaping change.

Regards,
Chiru Panuganty
Director
ICC
@Intergraph

Guest Blogger Profile:
Chiru Panuganty, Director, ICC

Chiru Panuganty has been with Intergraph for more than 20 years . He joined Intergraph in 1989, worked for Siemens Software for 3 years before joining back to Intergraph in 2000. At Intergraph Panuganty plays several roles that include leading development and QA projects and Technical marketing/sales.  Currently Panuganty leads the Intergraph India Capability Center (ICC).  He has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and an MBA from University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA.

Intergraph® Security, Government & Infrastructure (SG&I) and Leica Geosystems joined forces at India Geospatial Forum (IGF) 2013, 22-24 January, to present Hexagon’s cutting-edge technologies, and host symposiums and sessions that delve into Hexagon’s geospatial solutions. Our brands came together to explain how Hexagon is truly shaping change in India through mapping and GIS solutions.

• Throughout the event, Hexagon presented case studies and demonstrations that showcased unified and integrated solutions. From data infrastructure to exploration and mining, Hexagon’s global brand network explained how we are impacting some of the world’s most important challenges through collaborative technologies.

• I had the pleasure of joining several Hexagon executives and geospatial experts in keynote delivery, panel discussions and seminars that took place during IGF 2013. The wealth of information and conversation delivered helped position Hexagon brands and solutions at the forefront of geospatial technology.

• Hexagon India demonstrated advanced geospatial innovation through the use of Hexagon technologies, used by the Indian government. Such technologies that provide accurate and real-time positioning data for users in aviation, land surveying, engineering and farming, to name a few.
• Hexagon showed its mine site automation solutions for machine control, enabling mine efficiency. This drew a lot of interest from a number of prospects in the mining industry who are seeking to maintain their competitive edge in the global market.

Hexagon’s presence at IGF 2013 reflects not only the progression of our geospatial technologies, but also the global reach our technologies have in emerging economies. IGF 2013 attendees were eager to attend the Intergraph SG&I User Conference that was held during the events. The magnitude of this particular event emphasised the growing geospatial needs within India:

• With more than 500 attendees, the event was an enormous success and hosted some of geospatial’s most renowned experts as plenary speakers.

• The Intergraph Geospatial 2013 release was the highlight of the event, offering live demonstrations of this one-of-a-kind, fully integrated geospatial solution for entire geospatial workflows.

• With collaboration amongst top integrators, resellers and partners such as IBM, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Infotech Enterprises, Rolta and Avineon, Intergraph showcased its platform for building geospatial applications.

Dr. P.V. Rajasekhar, Director, Survey of India, unveiled plans to implement GeoMedia® Smart Client for geospatially-enabled governance applications that survey India’s large-scale mapping databases. In conclusion, after the immense success of IGF 2013 and the Intergraph SG&I User Conference, it is clear Hexagon’s growing geospatial footprint is expanding into a country that is quickly becoming a worldwide epicenter for technology. Hexagon’s presence has already begun to generate greater resources and visibility of our design, measurement and visualisation technologies.

Aligning ground-breaking geospatial solutions with India’s expanding technological enterprise – that’s shaping change.

Regards,
Kaushik Chakraborty
Vice President
Hexagon India
@HexagonAB

1. Outstanding Sessions – Hexagon conference attendees consistently cite our in-depth breakout sessions as the primary case for attendance. Choose from more than 400 customer-led case studies, training sessions and technology certification courses run by esteemed industry experts and technology developers.

2. Unlimited Networking – With more than 4,000 attendees expected to take part in HxGN LIVE, there are countless opportunities to learn from others’ successes and best practices, and benefit from their expertise on how to solve problems similar to yours. It’s also the prime chance to build valuable professional relationships that last a lifetime.

3. Exciting Events – HxGN LIVE features an exciting line-up of networking functions, including a conference-wide welcome reception, cocktail party and headline event, that allow you to network before, during and even after the conference! Coupled with several smaller, industry-specific activities we have planned, there’s something for everyone.

4. Visionary Keynotes – Want to know what direction Hexagon is headed, learn about our business strategies and preview ground-breaking technologies? Then you definitely want to check out our HxGN LIVE keynote presentations . You’ll have several chances to hear from our management team,   renowned leaders in their industries, about the latest Hexagon happenings.

5. Hands-on Tech Expo – Our tech expo is always a crowd pleaser! The Zone is 45,000 square feet of the newest and most trusted technologies from our global brand network and partner community. HxGN LIVE will feature more than 100 interactive displays and demonstrations that will reawaken the innovator in you.

6. Virtual World Tour – HxGN LIVE promises an exciting programme as we, for the first time broadcast live on location and also from around the world.

Along with the change of our conference name to HxGN LIVE, we have put a lot of effort into exploring ways to enhance your experience – and the outcome is a conference you don’t want to miss.

A conference that ignites creativity, inspires innovation and motivates you to take action – that’s shaping change!

Regards,

Katy Greer
Brand & Marketing Communications Manager
Hexagon
@HexagonAB

Hexagon has been helping shape change for a better future for over a decade now. Our network of brands has become a global force for change, building solutions for customer needs that, in turn, help solve issues related to global challenges – things like population growth, resource shortages, urbanisation and inadequate infrastructure, to name a few.

The truth is Hexagon is who it is because of our brands, each one an important node in the network. We are nothing without these connections. In thinking about our brand network, an idea emerged – to create an “All News” channel – HxGN NEWS – where you’ll get exposure to what all of the brands are doing to bring value to customers around the world. HxGN NEWS will serve as our primary platform for sharing great stories of innovation through all types of mediums – from blog posts like this one to recorded and live broadcasts from around the world – offering news, insight, opinion one story at a time.

Yes, it’s Hexagon without the vowels, which some of you reading this might have quickly observed. But, it also stands for something far greater – Hexagon’s global network. I like to think of it as a voice for change. In reality, it’s the voice of our brands and customer base. And once a year we invite our customers to share their successes and learn more about the technologies they use every day at our international conference. In 2013, we invite you to attend HxGN LIVE, 3-6 June at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Formerly known as Hexagon 2013, HxGN LIVE is the same great event you have come to expect, but with new and exciting ways to experience what’s unfolding in the world of design, measurement and visualisation technologies.

The theme, “Great Stories Start Here,” speaks to the very nature of our business, which is empowering our customers to do great things with far-reaching and global impact. HxGN LIVE, featuring Intergraph^®, Hexagon Metrology, Leica Geosystems and Z/I Imaging, promises an exciting program line-up as we, for the first time, not only broadcast live on location, but also from around the world. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss.

For more information on HxGN LIVE, visit conference.hexagon.com

News you can use to create a better, smarter world for all – that’s shaping change!

Very best regards,

Ola Rollén
President and CEO
Hexagon
@OlaRollén

Hearing the frustration of our customers towards geospatial software options as a whole, we developed an alternative. We are one software company, with a united portfolio, that contains the power and the depth required to build geospatial solutions that drive smarter decisions. By uniting the disciplines of GIS, Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry, Intergraph SG&I has become the first and only company in the world to build and deliver one united, modern and dynamic geospatial portfolio. We have streamlined workflows across disciplines so that dynamic solutions can be built and we provide concerted training, support and common licensing from one organization.

Many of the key geospatial products used in the industry today where built in the 1990’s. Sadly, many of these powerful products have hidden or buried technology, lost behind an often ugly (and dated) interface. The archaic look and feel of many geospatial products reinforces the “niche” product stigma many still feel about this technology. This negative perception may be a factor that has historically limited the use of geospatial technology to only departmental or genre specialists.

Intergraph Geospatial 2013 provides a new and fresh approach, combining creative and intuitive interfaces, smarter workflows and automated technology. The updated interfaces reflect the same GUI design principles used every day, by billions of people. Additionally, we have reinforced our commitment to support the configuration of geospatial workflows through GeoMedia Smart Client. This inclusive product brings the utilization of powerful geospatial tools to all interested parties across an organization, not just a select few, by supporting workflows for industry solutions. Although the power of geospatial technology is recognized, it remains intimidating for many. Sadly, in many instances, it continues to be a niche capability, requiring large investments in training, outsourcing of services and work. Modernizing the geospatial experience with intuitive and inviting GUIs and workflows equips a new generation. These new users grasp the power of geography with the confidence to use it to help solve our world’s modern challenges.

Many individuals interested in the changing world struggle to find the tools needed to reflect geographic change. They know they ultimately want dynamic information, with maps that are fresh, accurate, portable, relevant and active. Looking at the offerings today, there are too many tools across too many products. This cluttered landscape does not offer a clear path to creating information on demand that anyone can access and use.

We have synthesized the core geospatial technologies (GIS + Remote Sensing + Photogrammetry) to offer one integrated dynamic modeling environment for creating spatial models. With connected workflows between the desktop and the server, we have the ability to deliver on-demand information from the desktop, through the server and to users working the web and mobile devices. Other solutions require the use of software from multiple vendors stitched together, requiring knowledge of several packages and strong programming skills. This limits an organization’s ability to model our world and also increases the costs needed to build systems. Our approach is to get the power of geography into the hands of people who need to make smarter decisions.

Geospatially powering smarter decisions across an organization with Intergraph Geospatial 2013 – now that’s shaping change.

Regards,
Mladen Stojic
Vice President
Intergraph Geospatial
@Intergraph
@Intergraph Geospatial

When it comes to providing food for the world, there are a number of critical factors that affect production. The most pressing of these are the availability of land, the accessibility of water and sustainability in agriculture.

Only 11% of our planet’s land is considered arable, meaning that it is fit for growing crops. In addition, the increasing occurrences of natural disasters such as catastrophic droughts and floods impact the availability of usable land. Further complicating this problem is soil degradation, including erosion and nutrient loss, which causes an estimated 20% decline in food production in the world’s most fertile areas every year. With regard to water, only about 1% of Earth’s water resources are available for human consumption as fresh water; the remaining 99% is saltwater in oceans or frozen at the poles. This 1% of fresh water is divided in terms of its usage, 70% of which is used for irrigation, 20% for industry and less than 10% for general use by the population. Additionally, only a portion of this water is recovered, between 30% and 60%. Another important point to note is that of sustainable growth in food production. It is essential to stimulate sustainable production in agriculture and livestock to preserve the environment and, consequently, forests and biodiversity.

While the challenges related to producing food for the world are enormous, technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in providing the solutions. For years Hexagon and our global network of brands have been developing solutions for the agriculture industry, specifically focused on increasing productivity, reducing waste and optimising processes and resources.

Hexagon is currently working on the development of a solution to not only optimise the utilisation of land and water, but also fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and other farming resources. It is a collaborative effort between Intergraph^®, Leica Geosystems and Z/I Imaging, and is focused on increasing automation, effectiveness and efficiency in the agriculture industry to improve yield while saving costs.

Leica Geosystems has long been a leader in the machine control field, automating farm equipment such as tractors via guidance systems for agriculture. By adding Intergraph’s GIS and imagery analysis capabilities, the process can be further refined, allowing farmers in the field to fine-tune management of the crops. Furthermore, through the use of Z/I Imaging’s powerful airborne photogrammetry solutions, farmers can have access to sophisticated maps that illustrate which areas have already been seeded to help prevent over-seeding. This information can be used to develop a history of the crop yield, enabling farmers to decide how each crop or area should be treated individually.

The same methodology can also be applied to water usage, fertilization and fuel consumption, giving the crops just the right amount of what they need, thereby improving both yield and cost savings while eliminating waste. At the same time, high-yield agriculture with optimised processes helps reduce the amount of grasslands and forests that must be cleared for farming. This reduces the amount of biomass burned and the greenhouse gas emissions that result from such clearings, which helps to slow the pace of global warming. Looking ahead, some researchers estimate that the optimisation of processes can reduce the amount of nutrients used by more than 50% while still increasing crop yield, boosting productivity by four times.

These are just a few examples of how Hexagon’s integrated technologies will work together to benefit the industry. In sum, automating the food production process helps increase productivity, reduce waste and optimise processes and resources so that farmers and workers can make smarter agricultural decisions.

Developing high-tech products for high-yield agriculture to help to feed the planet – that’s shaping change.

Regards,

Claudio Simão
President
Hexagon South America & Asia/Pacific
@Hexagon

Bo Pettersson
Chief Technology Officer
Hexagon
@Hexagon