Topic: The Old "Ball and Chain"

Speaker: Dan Shannon, Engineering Manager, TELUS Network Operations

Utilities and Local Governments were early adopters of GIS technology. Early deployments were expensive and difficult to deploy. As a result, many implementations were successful largely because they clearly defined and limited what would be managed, and how it would be represented. Modern geospatial applications need not be constrained to choosing between form and content. However many, if not most, enterprise geospatial systems in service today carry with them limitations they inherited from their initial design from years ago.

What are the challenges that early adopters of GIS are facing as they attempt to take advantage of newer capabilities? What has improved, and what has not?

Bio:

Dan Joined TELUS (BC Tel at the time) in 1981. He is currently responsible for the development and use of systems and tools supporting Outside Plant Planning and Engineering at TELUS.

In previous positions Dan has served as Manager – Data Operations for TELUS Geomatics, as an Outside Plant Engineering Manager, Conduit Engineering Manager and Drafting Supervisor. He also served as a conduit inspector and surveyor. Prior to joining what was then BC Tel, Dan worked at BC Hydro, and as a surveyor for BC Rail.

Dan serves as a Director with GITA, and represents TELUS as President of the Integrated Cadastral Information Society. He is also a member of the NAIT Geomatics Technology Advisory Committee and is currently is on the CSA Committee to develop the Standard for Mapping of Underground Utilities.

Vancouver GIS Users' Group May 2008 Show-and-Tell

Our annual networking event is coming up soon! This is a great opportunity to showcase your recent projects, learn about your colleagues' work, and catch up with friends and meet new ones in a casual, friendly environment.

You are invited to present your projects in a variety of ways: a poster, a map you made earlier this year, leaflets from a recent public information campaign, printouts from a web site, a sideshow on your laptop.... Anything you can think of that will catch people's attention and help start a conversation about your work. It doesn't need to be fancy, it's okay if it only took you ten minutes to assemble, and it doesn't matter if you already presented it elsewhere (but please credit the original event, if that's the case). Please, we request that presentations are project-based rather than vendor presentations -- there are other forums for those.

The Show-And-Tell will take place 5:30 PM Wednesday, May 14 in the Dunsmuir Auditorium, BC Hydro office tower, 333 Dunsmuir Street. There will be wall space and tables. There may be one or two internet connection(s), which can be reserved. Refreshments will be served.

What you need to do:
• Please reply to Doug Hrynyk (Doug.Hrynyk@pc.gc.ca or at the April meeting) by Wednesday, April 9 if you plan to participate.
• Let Doug know if you need to reserve an internet connection (first-come-first-served).
• Mark Wednesday, May 14 on your calendar.
• Bring your self, your show-and-tell items (such as maps, laptop) and your curiosity.
• Recycle your name tags... bring a name tag from a previous conference. (We will supply tags for those without.)

If you don't have any projects to show, you're still welcome come and learn about your colleagues' work.

We look forward to seeing everyone in May.