The release of Bentley Systems' MicroStation GeoGraphics iSpatial (iSpatial) has brought together powerful elements of computer-aided design and GIS. MicroStation has become an industry standard for creating, editing and managing graphical data deployed in a wide variety of automated mapping and facility management projects.

In the same way that MicroStation extends computer-aided design into an integrated engineering platform, iSpatial transforms MicroStation into a comprehensive GIS environment with data collection, editing and analysis tools. Through its integration with Oracle's database technology, iSpatial allows users to integrate engineering and mapping applications on a single software platform and extends the industry standard data capture and editing tools in MicroStation with a solid database interface and powerful spatial analysis functionality.

At the core of iSpatial is its feature-based design, allowing users to interact with data in familiar terms. Access to features is handled through the iSpatial's Feature Manager tools, which provide a concise and intuitive interface for multiple users to interact with features. This allows users to focus on the task at hand, rather than on the detailed mechanics of data entry and manipulation.

iSpatial's interaction with Oracle means that multiple users are able to access relevant data, via conventional methods or using the Internet. In addition, users only have to access the Oracle database - they are not required to access iSpatial itself. This allows companies to cut costs, as they will not have to purchase user licences for every project team member who needs to access data.

When data retrievals are conducted, iSpatial only accesses the relevant information, allowing for a fast and streamlined data retrieval process.

Oracle technology also allows users to back up their entire data set on a separate server, ensuring that their data is kept secure and will not fall prey to infrastructure failures or downtime. Equally, the Oracle database environment ensures a high level of security. Users are required to have the correct access privileges in order to access information.

iSpatial also includes a migration tool that allows the migration of data from disparate database formats. The migration tool filters data sets to ensure that imported data will comply with predefined Oracle rules, resulting in a seamless conversion process.

Bentley Systems South Africa

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