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New Partnership with Forth Valley GIS |
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We have entered into a collaborative agreement with Forth Valley GIS which will use the collective resources of both companies to offer a national GIS training service that encompasses both commercial GIS products as well as OpenSource solutions.
Existing customers will have the opportunity to further their GIS knowledge, whilst those new to GIS training can be certain that the service they receive at either location will be of the highest quality and will deliver real value for money in the current economic climate.
In addition to a comprehensive program of pre-set courses, both Forth Valley GIS and Salford GIS will also continue to offer bespoke training courses to customers with specific needs.
Chief Executive of Forth Valley GIS Alan Moore commented; “This partnership gives both companies the chance to offer existing and new customers a wider range of training options; allowing them to undergo training that best meets their individual business needs”.
Salford GIS Director Rob Knight echoed these sentiments; “By offering a range of training options over a wider geographical area, both companies can better deliver a truly valuable service. The combination of commercial and OpenSource training means there really will be something for everyone.”
The collaborative training venture will start with the launch of commercial GIS courses from January 2012 onwards.
See below for details of the new Quantum GIS training course.
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Open Source Training Courses |
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As part of our new collaboration with Forth Valley GIS, we are now able to offer training on the leading Open Source GIS solution, Quantum GIS (QGIS).
The course is ideal for users who are completely new to GIS, or those who already have experience using GIS software and are now looking to make the transition to an open solution. As usual, the course is taught by means of tutor-led teaching and hands-on exercises. |
To begin with, we shall be offering two one-day courses in QGIS, which can be taken separately or back-to-back as they will run on consecutive days.
The first course (Part 1) covers data analysis and map creation and will show you how to add GIS datasets from various sources, symbolise and present your data as well as how to query your data based on both location and attributes.
Part II will show you how to create new shapefiles and databases from scratch and learn how to incorporate domains into your data. Multiple data capture techniques are taught, and users are also shown how to use the range of geoprocessing tools available to get more from their data analysis.
The first courses will take place in Salford on 22nd & 23rd February 2012, with regular courses thereafter in both Salford and Stirling. Full details will be on the training pages of our website shortly, but if you would like us to send you more details just email training@salford-gis.co.uk.
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Training Packages |
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Don't forget that you can save money by opting for one of our training packages, which allows you to buy blocks of training in advance and then use them up over the year as required on any Salford GIS course, public or private (minimum 4 people on a private course).
Priced at just £200 per delegate day, training packages can be bought in blocks of 10 (so £2000 would buy you 10 delegate days to be used over a period of 12 months), so why not secure your GIS training budget now?
Call Rob on 0161 278 2440 to discuss your requirements, or email training@salford-gis.co.uk.
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Map Production and Analysis Bureau |
A commonly used saying states that a picture is worth a thousand words. Some have expanded on this to add that a map is worth a thousand pictures. That is certainly our belief and judging from recent projects it is a belief that is also held by many of our customers. However, many organisations lack the time, resources and/or skills to create those all important and informative maps for use in reports, meetings and consultations or for general public consumption.
At Salford GIS we have the skills and tools readily available to help out and if you don’t already have access to the relevant background mapping and data then we can always source this for you.
Typical projects in which we have been involved include:
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Mapping the involvement in sport at local, regional and national levels
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Analysing customer data and creating optimum sales territories
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Producing consultation maps for potential wind farm locations
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Mapping the results of oil and mineral exploration surveys
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Capturing drainage area boundaries for private Internal Drainage Boards
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Mapping telecommunication exchange areas across Europe
For those organisations that only make use of GI tools and systems on an ad-hoc basis and perhaps lack the necessary in-house skills then our data analysis and map production bureau services can provide a quick and cost-effective means of delivering your mapping needs.
To find out more, just give Chris a call on 0161 278 2445 or email him at chris@salford-gis.co.uk
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National Transport Authority - Dublin |
In Summer 2011 Salford GIS were commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in Dublin to help with the development of a Geospatial Information Strategy.
The NTA is a newly established state body with a remit to provide better and more sustainable ways for people to travel. This is achieved through a planning, co-ordination and monitoring role with other statutory agencies over the provision of public bus, tram, rail, taxi and ferry services at a national level. The NTA is currently consulting with partner organisations, stakeholders and customers on a Draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area to cover the period up to 2030. The proposed Geospatial Information Strategy will underpin the Transport Strategy and enable NTA to adopt an appropriate co-ordinated approach to the collection, storage, management and use of spatial data.
Salford GIS examined many of the business processes and data flows and helped evaluate the range and provenance of relevant datasets. Salford GIS have made recommendations regarding the ongoing management of these datasets and the standards that should be adopted based around the use of appropriate national standards for public transport and network data. As a result we were able to propose a means of building and maintaining an Enterprise Geodatabase for use by both internal users and external stakeholders that would form the basis of a National Public Transport database.
For more information on our consultancy services email Chris Nelson or call 0161 278 2445.
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Winter/Spring Training Schedule |
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Our training courses remain as popular as ever, providing relevant, stimulating training with upcoming public courses at Salford are scheduled as follows:
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Winter/Spring 2012 Schedule
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SALFORD COURSES |
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Quantum GIS Essentials |
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Part 1: 22 Feb |
Part 2: 23 Feb |
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MapInfo Introductory
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10/11 Jan |
7/8 Feb |
6/7 Mar |
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17/18 Apr |
15/16 May |
12/13 Jun |
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MapInfo Advanced
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19 Jan |
26 Apr |
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MapInfo SQL
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15 Mar |
21 Jun |
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ArcGIS Introductory
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17/18 Jan |
20/21 Feb |
27/28 Mar |
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27/28 Apr |
30/31 May |
26/27 Jun |
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ArcGIS Advanced
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28/29 Feb |
8/9 May |
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STIRLING COURSES |
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Quantum GIS Essentials |
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Part 1: 20 Jan |
Part 2: 27 Jan |
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Part 1: 28 Mar |
Part 2: 29 Mar |
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Starting Out with ArcGIS 10 |
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25 Jan |
20 Mar |
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Data Capture in ArcGIS 10 |
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26 Jan |
21 Mar |
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Extending Your Skills in ArcGIS 10 |
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22 Mar |
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ArcGIS v9 to v10 Conversion |
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23 Feb |
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Introduction to MapInfo |
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Part 1: 21 Feb |
Part 2: 22 Feb |
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Good Mapping, Bad Mapping |
As GIS professionals, we spend a lot of time promoting the benefits of presenting data spatially. And with the explosion in Local Based Services we are seeing ever more examples of such presentation, which led us to consider whether it's really such a good idea in all cases.
From our point of view, the whole idea of spatial presentation is to make complex data more accessible, and to enhance interpretation and dissemination.
The following two examples are, perhaps, at different ends of the spectrum in terms of usefulness!
Good Mapping?
This example is a delightfully simple demonstration of how to utilise open-source web-based mapping technologies for the presentation of statistics. It's clean, easy to understand and with a clear sense of purpose.
http://opendatacommunities.org/imd_mapper/map.html
Bad Mapping?
This example, on the other hand, might cause one to question whether, just because something can be mapped, should it be mapped?
http://www.techcitymap.com/index.html#/
And finally, one that might split opinion (as it did in our office). Mapping Twitter trends might seem a little pointless at first sight, but in fact looks like a great way of showing the current most "newsworthy" (in Twitter terms at least) topics regionally.
http://trendsmap.com
Guess what's obsessing Liverpool & Manchester?
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