PCI Geomatics Awarded Military-Focused Image Exploitation Workstation Contract

[shields (Jessica Shields)]

For Release: March 8, 1999

Contact:
Jessica Shields
Tel: (905) 764-0614
Email: shields@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


PCI Geomatics Awarded a Contract to Develop a Military-Focused Image
                                                 Exploitation Workstation


Richmond Hill, Ontario: PCI Geomatics today announced that it has been
awarded a cost-shared contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) valued
at over $870,000 to develop a specialized and highly process-flow oriented
software tool, the Image Exploitation Workstation (IMEWS).  IMEWS fills
technology and functionality gaps that currently exist in the military and
defense commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) desktop mapping and intelligence
user-base.

The contract was awarded through the CSA's RADARSAT User Development Program
(RUDP) which supports Canadian geomatics companies in the development of
RADARSAT products and services that will be commercially successful and
lever data sales worldwide. The Federal Government's share of the IMEWS
project is co-funded by the Department of National Defence (DND).

The IMEWS functionality and requirements review team will benefit from
established relationships with various entities within DND, Natural
Resources Canada, CSA, Open GIS Consortium (OGC), and other relevant
agencies to ensure IMEWS meets and exceeds the technical and operative
requirements of the target user base.  IMEWS will be interoperable with
United States National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and DND existing
and planned geospatial data architectures, systems, and guidelines.
Building on core COTS PCI Geomatics technology, IMEWS will be portable
across all operating and hardware systems and will be readily customizable.
IMEWS is expected to be fully interoperable with appropriate internet-based
object request/response framework architectures.

IMEWS functionality will include automated and semi-automated pre-processing
and precision geo-correction and registration, automated and semi-automated
capabilities in change detection, target and feature extraction, and quick
thematic output.  Key capabilities will include highly streamlined
all-source data fusion and multiple sensor support, soft copy light-table
functionality including mensuration and positioning, and bi-directional
critical military file type support. Sensor support includes RADARSAT 1 and
RADARSAT 2 and planned support of emerging commercial remote sensing systems
such as IKONOS (Space Imaging), QuickBird (EarthWatch), and OrbView-3
(Orbital) via commercially-standard data formats.

"PCI Geomatics views the North American military and commercial remote
sensing markets as very large and is extremely confident of its current
position to take advantage of present opportunities.  Successful completion
of the IMEWS project will further secure PCI Geomatics position and
substantially augment its penetration in the worldwide COTS military
domain," comments Dr. Robert Moses, president and CEO of PCI Geomatics.

IMEWS will profile and promote the utility of RADARSAT 1 and 2 information
products through existing and new SAR data processing, analysis, data
fusion, and visualization capabilities.  The IMEWS solution is expected to
become a major asset to further penetration of RADARSAT data in the subject
markets by providing the special user with a tool that adheres to critical
military requirements which also facilitates the utilization of RADARSAT
data whenever appropriate.

"During the past sixteen years, PCI Geomatics has positioned itself as a
world leader in the civilian image processing software market and in the
last two years has actively pursued the world military, defense mapping, and
intelligence analysis markets.  The line between the traditional military
markets and activities such as disaster management, emergency response,
search and rescue, coast guard, regional policing, and narcotics control,
etc. is becoming increasing blurred.  PCI Geomatics believes that the degree
of success in effectively selling Canadian software technology and RADARSAT
data into these markets is contingent on conformance to predominant open
standards data formats, functionality requirements, interoperability, ease
of use, and cost-effectiveness that IMEWS as a COTS product can and will
deliver."

PCI Geomatics is a world leading developer of geomatics software and
solutions based on its remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, spatial
analysis, and cartographic editing programs. PCI Geomatics has over 7,000
licenses installed in over 100 countries, a result of its commitment to
supply leading edge software, customer support and service worldwide.
Additional information can be obtained on the PCI Geomatics web site:
www.pcigeomatics.com.

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__________________________
Jessica Shields
Corporate Communications Officer
PCI Geomatics

Tel: 905-764-0614
Fax: 905-764-9604
Web: www.pcigeomatics.com