The American Surveyor

Gwinnett County Launches Intuitive web-GIS Using Orion OnPoint™ and AMEC Implementation Expertise

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada and Gwinnett County, Georgia – October 25, 2005 – Orion Technology Inc. and AMEC Inc. announced today that Gwinnett County, Georgia has gone live with upgraded web-GIS intranet and Internet solutions using Orion’s OnPoint web-GIS software.  Located 45 miles northeast of Atlanta Georgia, Gwinnett County has been one of America’s fastest growing counties for over 20 years.  This vibrant community serves a population of over 700,000 on more than 240,000 tax parcels located along 2,300 miles of road.  In spring 2004 the county decided to upgrade its GIS system to a web-based GIS.  They chose Orion Technology’s out-of-the-box web-GIS software OnPoint™ for its intuitive user interface and easy installation in conjunction with GIS consulting and implementation services from AMEC, the award-winning engineering services company with offices in Georgia and throughout the World.  The County wanted robust software and an experienced team of consultants to implement web-based solutions that would reduce the stress on employees of learning a new system and reduce the cost to the County for licenses and retraining.  The joint Orion/AMEC web-GIS solution filled that need.

The OnPoint™ software is available to any County employee with access to a computer with Internet access. Search functions are configured for a number of fields and customized for each departmental tab, and by joining data from the Tax Assessor and Building Permit databases through the parcel identifier different departments can determine where development may occur and plan infrastructure accordingly.

The system is used on the intranet by eight departments including Transportation, Public Utilities, Financial Services, Support Services, Police Services, Fire and Emergency Services, Planning and Development, and Community Services. Having recently completed an AMEC/Orion training program, Gwinnett County’s GIS staff co-developed and released a public version of the GIS Browser at www.gwinnettcounty.com. Future plans include the use of satellites for real-time day-to-day operations and expanded public access.

Reflecting on the success of the project, Barry Puckett, GIS Manager for the County remarked: "The services AMEC provided to Gwinnett were really the foundation of our implementation.  AMEC has been one of the most efficient and professional firms we have dealt with.  They understood our requirements and kept us involved during the entire project.  The Orion product family, both OnPoint and InstaMap has been one of the best things we have done for GIS.  The products have enabled our GIS to grow and be used by a much wider group of people and is now used in virtually every agency in the county.  Another important benefit that must not be overlooked is that by using the Orion product family we are now able to deploy GIS via the Internet to all citizens.  The product has enabled our limited number of staff members to quickly and efficiently deploy Internet and Intranet based GIS applications with minimal effort.  This is really an excellent product with great support! Both AMEC and Orion are excellent companies to work with and we would do it again in a minute.  We have had no regrets at all!”

About Orion Technology Inc.
Orion Technology, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, is a technology consulting and services integration company, specializing in web-GIS. Orion’s focus is on helping organizations incorporate spatial technology into all facets of their businesses. Orion’s wealth of knowledge in the GIS domain and top-notch GIS software-development expertise has been showcased with its award-winning flagship product OnPoint™. OnPoint™ is enjoying growing support in the GIS community, both domestically and internationally, as a standard for providing geographic data through intuitive Internet and Intranet web-based user interfaces. OnPoint™ provides out-of-the-box implementation capabilities, powerful administration tools for customizing and managing the web portal, and unparalleled data-integration features. Orion’s easy-to-use Web-GIS products and custom application development services have helped Orion achieve phenomenal success in securing and delivering projects for reputable clients worldwide – from small organizations to entire countries.

To find out more about Orion and its products, visit www.orion-gis.com.

About AMEC
AMEC has more than 7,000 employees in 164 offices throughout North America. Its Earth & Environmental business currently operates from a network of 100 offices including 57 in the United States and one in Marietta, GA.

AMEC is an international project management and services company that employs 44,000 people in more than 40 countries, generating annual revenues of around US$8.5 billion. AMEC designs, delivers and supports infrastructure assets.  Specific services include project management, environmental and technical consultancy, architectural and engineering design, funding and feasibility studies, planning, procurement, construction and multi-technical services, facilities management, maintenance and decommissioning. www.amec.com

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