The Federal Emergency Management Agency has selected Carahsoft Technology Corp., a leading government information technology provider, and TerraGo Technologies, the leading provider of geospatial data distribution and collaboration solutions, to provide interactive electronic mapping solutions for the agency’s use in response to critical emergency events.

FEMA SELECTS CARAHSOFT AND TERRAGO TECHNOLOGIES TO DELIVER MAPPING SOLUTION

Geospatial Solution Equips Federal Emergency Responders for Critical Events

RESTON, VA and ATLANTA, GA – March 11, 2008 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has selected Carahsoft Technology Corp., a leading government information technology provider, and TerraGo Technologies, the leading provider of geospatial data distribution and collaboration solutions, to provide interactive electronic mapping solutions for the agency’s use in response to critical emergency events.

FEMA chose more than 50 bundles of TerraGo’s Map2PDF solution, the software used to create GeoPDF files, for Deployable Emergency GIS Suites (DEGS). An approved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enterprise solution, GeoPDF is the only geospatial data distribution and collaboration configuration that leverages the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) to give users powerful mapping functionality and capabilities via Adobe Reader. The Map2PDF technology and GeoPDF format will be deployed on FEMA laptops to provide real-time data collaboration between field workers and other emergency personnel. 
 
“The GeoPDF platform allows users to extend maps, imagery and attribute data to virtually any computer, making extensive geospatial intelligence available in a portable format most people already know how to use,” said Brian Soliday, vice president of TerraGo Technologies. “Its accessibility and ease of use make it an ideal solution for emergency responders and other professionals who need access to geospatial data in the field.”
 
"Ease of use and quick deployment have been key factors in the success of the GeoPDF format among a wide variety of users in distributed environments and the increased collaboration capabilities help everyone communicate more effectively," said Craig Abod, president of Carahsoft which serves as the Master GSA schedule holder and aggregator for TerraGo.
 
Carahsoft and TerraGo Technologies have partnered to provide federal emergency responders with mapping data to respond to critical events in a timely manner. State and local government agencies and departments are also benefiting from the solution’s ability to provide collaborative and timely mapping data.
 

###