MoreIntergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions announced that Intergraph has acquired Terra Map Server GmbH. Terra Map Server, established in 1999, serves as a central geo-data and application services portal offering a substantial hosting framework based on 24x7 availability, high performance and scalability and more than five terabytes of online geo-data. This geo-data comprises a broad range of information layers, including orthophotos, cadastre and other information from government sources and commercially available NAVTECH(R) data that covers Europe. Organizations from the real estate, retail, utilities, government, logistics and communications industries, including PLEdoc, Ruhrgas, Evans & Sutherland, Vodafone, Immocheck Immobilienbewertungsportal and Prospect Bausparkasse, rely on Terra Map Server solutions. In addition, Terra Map Server has been chosen to serve as a hosting platform for the location-based services project for the 2006 world soccer championship.
The acquisition advances Intergraph's initiative to extend the reach of geospatial information into both traditional and non-traditional user communities. Together, Intergraph and Terra Map Server GmbH will provide geo-data and hosting services for Intergraph's Web mapping solutions, enabling European customers to set up highly reliable geospatial solutions that eliminate maintenance and management issues and reduce up-front technology investments.
"The acquisition supports and strengthens Intergraph's mission in various ways," said Preetha Pulusani, president, Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions. "First, it complements our goal of providing open and complete enterprise geospatial Web solutions to our users. Second, it advances the use of geo-information in new markets by also providing efficient service to users who would otherwise be unable to afford the cost of a full, in-house system implementation. Third, it helps us offer cost-effective, integrated applications with accessible geo-data to current and new users. The addition of the Terra Map Server team and its reliable hosting services and data adds significant value to Intergraph's portfolio of Web mapping solutions, with an immediate impact in Central Europe and, thereafter, in the rest of Europe."
Since the company's inception, Terra Map Server has been a close partner with Intergraph, providing a highly reliable and scalable platform with Intergraph's GeoMedia WebMap technology as the foundation. The company guarantees hosting services with maximum security and network availability. Currently, Terra Map Server is implementing a new set of OpenGIS Consortium-compliant Web services, which is in line with Intergraph's OpenGIS vision.
Commenting on the acquisition, Franz-Josef Grosse Enking, general manager, Terra Map Server GmbH, said, "We are pleased to integrate our services offering with Intergraph's premier solutions to address the growing need for hosted geospatial solutions in Europe. Being part of the Intergraph team creates new opportunities to advance Terra Map Server hosting technology as well as address a much wider market."
Services available from Terra Map Server will become part of Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions' standard GIS solutions offering in Europe. Using Terra Map Server's Web services, organizations that prefer to run their solutions in house can benefit from the option to outsource the burden of managing large volumes of background data, allowing them to focus on the data that really drives their business.
