MapInfo Pro Raster is here

MapInfo are set to launch their new Pro Raster product, which will be the first of its kind to allow a desktop GIS to handle massive datasets at high speed. This is thanks to an industry first product; a raster grid-based engine and data format.

For those of you who may be familiar with some of the other products in this space, this new capability will be a successor for Vertical Mapper and our Engage 3D products. The new engine and grid data format will also be incorporated into the Discover 3D product line and Spectrum Spatial.

Uses for raster grid based analysis:

Raster grid based analysis has many uses. We’ll go into a bit more detail next month but for now, here are a few example applications:
• Wireless telecommunication companies analyse signal strengths along with other data (such as information from drive testing) to plan, design and optimise their wireless network.
• Public sector organisations at all levels of government make wide use of various environmental data, especially elevation, in a variety of applications. This includes both planning for and responding to emergencies. Analysis of the impact that building and construction may have on the environment and people can also benefit from grid based analysis.
• Public safety organisations can produce “hot spot maps”, a form of grid map that represents crime or other types of incidents. This can be used for strategic or tactical initiatives to prevent and reduce crime or mitigate other types of incidents (auto accidents, fires, etc).
• Insurance companies employ grid based analysis, for example, an understanding of elevation to better understand the risk to their portfolio. A low elevation can represent a flood risk while a high elevation might represent a risk from wind damage.