Atlanta, GA – Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping, LLC is proud to announce that it has partnered with University of Arkansas Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), naming it the inaugural Center of Excellence in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Leica Geosystems conceived this program to foster collaboration with a small group of outstanding academic institutions, bound together by a commitment to advance concepts, technology and expertise which leverage image-based spatial data.

The University of Arkansas CAST brings together the considerable expertise of a network of researchers who focus on research, technology transfer, undergraduate and graduate education, service to communities and local governments, and professional training in a variety of geospatial and related technologies. CAST is dedicated to research and applications in geospatial analysis and modeling, enterprise spatial databases, remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, high density survey and geospatial interoperability.

“We are excited to begin this relationship with the Center of Advanced Spatial Technologies at University of Arkansas,” stated Bob Morris, President of Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping. “As the charter Leica Geosystems Center of Excellence in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the University of Arkansas CAST team will work with Leica Geosystems in several capacities, providing support as a Beta test site for our software solutions, including emerging enterprise solutions that will be built to support the Oracle 10g Spatial platform.”

CAST will integrate Leica Geosystems photogrammetric and remote sensing solutions into an array of graduate and undergraduate courses in Environmental Dynamics, Geosciences and Geography. All subsequent Centers of Excellence will be required to comparably integrate Leica Geosystems products into their academic curricula and research agendas.

Leica Geosystems will reap several benefits from this relationship, principally in obtaining access to the research results and assessments from its Centers of Excellence, which will help refine its technology development. This data, as well as workflows and case studies from the use of Leica Geosystems products in class settings, geospatial interoperability demonstrations and projects will provide insights into future requirements for effectively meeting the data and technology requirements of geospatial information consumers such as local governments. Additionally, Leica Geosystems will gain increased visibility throughout the academic research community, as well as students who will become tomorrow’s remote sensing and photogrammetry professionals.

Research will facilitate internal collaboration throughout the various divisions of Leica Geosystems, particularly between Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping and Leica Geosystems HDS. One example of this is in point cloud analysis. Added Fred Limp, CAST Director and University Professor: "Leica Geosystems is in the unique position of developing and marketing airborne and terrestrial sensors, surveying instruments and software, as well as having a focus on integrating these into an enterprise geospatial setting. I am unaware of any other company with this technology depth and the ability to collaborate with Leica Geosystems is very exciting."

About CAST
Established at the University of Arkansas in September 1991, The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) is dedicated to research and applications in geospatial analysis and modeling, enterprise spatial databases, remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, high density survey and geospatial interoperability. CAST focuses on research, technology transfer, undergraduate and graduate education, service to communities and local governments, and professional training in a variety of geospatial and related technologies. Cooperative programs developed by CAST are designed to bring together the benefits of academic research and development, the resources of state and federal agencies and the private sector to provide the state and region with effective spatial technologies, trained practitioners, and low-cost digital data. CAST is a founding member and continues to be active in the Open Geospatial Consortium, and its team has extensive participation with multiple agencies and companies in geospatial interoperability research and demonstrations. For more information about The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at University of Arkansas, visit www.cast.uark.edu.

About Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping
When building image-based maps, you need reliable measurements and solutions for your entire workflow. So when it has to be right, more geospatial professionals trust Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping to help them collect, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is powering geospatial imaging by putting precise imaging to work. Its broad array of airborne sensors, photogrammetry and remote sensing software solutions capture data efficiently, reference imagery accurately, measure and analyze easily and present spatial information, even in 3D. Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their precision, their seamless integration, and their superior customer support. Delivering geospatial imaging solutions with precision, integration, and service from Leica Geosystems. When it has to be right. For more information about Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping or its products and services, call +1 404 248 9000, toll free +1 877 463 7327, or visit gis.leica-geosystems.com.

About Leica Geosystems
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information in 3D. Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 23 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is a publicly listed company, registered with the Swiss Stock Exchange (SWX). For more information see: www.leica-geosystems.com