Centennial, Colorado, 9 April 2014 – CompassData, a worldwide provider of geospatial data and services, has purchased the assets of Spatial Information Solutions (SIS) of Starkville, Miss. CompassData will continue the SIS Map Accuracy Tools product line, which includes the popular Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst software, relied upon by geospatial end users in the defense, civilian government, and architecture-engineering-construction markets.
CompassData will demonstrate the Accuracy Analyst 3.0 and Topo Analyst 1.0 software applications, in booth #2063 at GEOINT 13* being held April 14-17, 2014, in Tampa, Fla.
“We bought the assets of SIS because there is great synergy between our Ground Control Point offerings and the Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst software tools,” said CompassData CEO and Founder W. Brant Howard. “CompassData will continue to offer, support and expand the SIS Map Accuracy Tools product lines.”
The Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst tools are content enhancement solutions that automate map accuracy verification and eliminate manual processing, ensuring consistent quality control of geospatial products. Accuracy Analyst is a simple, fast and complete workflow solution that verifies the accuracy and quality of orthorectified photos and images. Topo Analyst automatically tests and verifies the accuracy of elevation data products, including LiDAR point clouds, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), IFSAR products and other raster elevation data sets.
“Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst have a loyal customer base in the federal government space – both defense/intelligence and civilian – and among GIS users in the architecture, engineering and construction [AEC] sectors,” said Howard. “We are excited to serve these existing clients and expand Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst to new markets.”
For 20 years, CompassData has performed custom GCP collection for clients in the geospatial profession and archived those points in a database for commercial sale to other end users. Among their many applications, the CompassData GCPs are used extensively to verify the accuracy of geospatial imagery and surface model products.
“These software tools require high-quality independent ground control for accuracy verification,” said Howard. “Our GCPs are ideal complements to the automated accuracy verification capabilities of the SIS Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst software.”
As part of its purchase of the SIS assets, CompassData has exclusive licenses to three patents related to satellite/aerial imagery evaluation, 3D surface verification, and change detection that are owned by Mississippi State University, on behalf of Research and Technology Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation that facilitates technology transfer from the University. These patents comprise the foundational technology upon which Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst were built. CompassData will soon begin development of new products based on the patented technology, according to Howard.
About CompassData
Established in 1994, CompassData specializes in providing ground control points (GCPs), remotely sensed imagery, and QA/QC services and software. With 26,000 archived GCPs, the CompassData archive is the largest commercially offered database of photo-identifiable GCPs in the world available for off-the-shelf delivery. CompassData performs custom ground control collection, capturing and delivering points of guaranteed quality anywhere in the world within two to six weeks of order placement. DO200A-certified GCPs and orthoimagery are used to support aviation mapping projects, with over 450 airports in the archive (and growing daily) available for off-the-shelf delivery. GCPs are used extensively to orthorectify or correct aerial, satellite and UAS imagery as well as LiDAR data. CompassData GCPs and patented QA software are utilized to verify the accuracy of imagery, LiDAR and GIS data sets. Remote sensing satellite operators also rely on GCPs to calibrate newly deployed sensors. For more information, contact Jeff Barker at 303-627-4058 or jeffb@compassdatainc.com or www.compassdatainc.com.