RESTON, VA, April 10, 2008 - MAPPS ( www.mapps.org), the association of private geospatial firms, has announced that it will host its second annual "Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards," a competition recognizing the professionalism, value, intergrity, and achievement that member firms have demonstrated over the previous year.

"The Awards Program is an opportunity for MAPPS member firms to exhibit the high-quality work that is being conducted in the geospatial community," said John Palatiello, MAPPS Executive Director. "The awards program demonstrates the cutting edge technology and professional expertise that MAPPS member firms implement in projects serving their clients and the general public."

The awards will provide recognition and an opportunity to showcase the projects completed by MAPPS member firms at the association's annual meeting, July 19 to 23, 2008 at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards program has six categories: airborne and satellite data acquisition; photogrammetry/elevation data generation; remote sensing; GIS/IT; small projects; and technology innovation. The submissions will be reviewed by a distinguished and impartial panel of five judges to be named at a later date. A Grand Award will also be presented from the six award winners to represent the MAPPS Project of the Year.

The 2007 MAPPS Project of the Year was awarded to Merrick & Company (Aurora, CO) for their "Environmental LiDAR Applications in Colombia, South America" project. The project was conducted for the Maritime Directorate (DIMAR), a division of the Colombian Navy. Merrick & Company collected and processed high-precision topographic data and imagery in four sensitive coastal areas which comprise approximately 10% of the 3,500-kilometers (2,400-mile) of coastline using LiDAR and digital aerial photography. The firm had to overcome increased operating cost due to the worst hurricane season on record and safety issues caused by the FARC guerillas (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia).

The 2007 category winners were "Torini 2006 IFSAR Mapping Project" by Intermap Technologies, Englewood, CO in the Photogrammetry/Elevation Data Generation category; "SAV Mapping for Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Environs" by Photo Science, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL in the Remote Sensing category; "AT&T Digital Land Base" by Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Beaver, PA in the GIS/IT category; "Washington County E-Docs Asset GIS" by Aerial Services, Inc., Cedar Falls, IA, in the Small Projects category; "Dallas Area Rapid Transit" by Bohannan Huston, Inc., Albuquerque, NM, in the Technology Innovation category; and "Environmental LiDAR Applications in Colombia, South America" by Merrick & Company, in the Airborne and Satellite Data Acquisition category.

The 2008 contest is open to all MAPPS Member and Associate Member firms. The deadline for submitting entries is May 16, 2008. To learn more information about MAPPS and the Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards program visit www.mapps.org/AwardsProgram.

Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. Current MAPPS memberships span the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Active Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are either companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States or based outside of the United States. MAPPS provides its members opportunities to network and develop business-to-business relationships, information sharing, education, public policy advocacy, market growth, and professional development and image enhancement. For more information on MAPPS, please visit www.MAPPS.org.

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Contact
Nick Palatiello
MAPPS Marketing Communications Manager
703-787-6996