GREENBELT, MD, 30 July 2008 – ASRC Management Services (ASRC MS) of Greenbelt, MD, managers of the Prime Vendor Contract (PVC) effort for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Office of Global Analysis (OGA), International Production Assessment Division, IPAD (formally known as PECAD), announces TerraGo® Technologies as the latest addition to the Prime Vendor Contract.
           
Under the Prime Vendor Contract, TerraGo will be providing the USDA FAS crop analysts with its product which converts complex geospatial data into interactive, user-friendly geo-enabled PDFs. This will allow USDA FAS analysts to share complex geospatial information maps quickly and easily with others.
 
Robert Tetrault, USDA FAS, Satellite Imagery Archive Manager, states, “The use of the GeoPDF allows the analysts to speed up their work flow and communication process especially when they are facing their stringent monthly reporting deadlines”.
 
ASRC Management Services, a subsidiary of Alaska’s Arctic Slope Regional Corp., has several contracts in its portfolio for providing various management and support activities with government agencies including USDA, NASA, and USGS. Global Marketing Insights, Inc. Cleveland, OH, is responsible for negotiating and managing the on-going prime vendor contract vehicle with ASRC MS.
           
ASRC Management Services is an 8(a) Alaskan Native-owned Corporation that provides a full array of GIS consulting and design services, ASRC Management Services specializes in enterprise needs assessments, and ongoing geodatabase and GIS maintenance, which requires extensive and specialized knowledge of the GIS software, computer networking, database systems and GIS-related technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS) and mobile mapping applications.
 
ASRC Management Services provides GIS business solutions that use the most appropriate and cost effective technologies to achieve both short and long term goals for clients and works with clients to continually identify improvements that will positively affect their business operations.
 
OGA/IPAD is responsible for global crop condition assessments and estimates of area, yield, and production for grains, oilseeds, and cotton. Their primary mission is to target, collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, objective, useful, and cost-effective global crop condition and agricultural market intelligence information.  One of OGA’s key missions is to provide unbiased commodity estimates and forecasts to create a marketing edge for U.S. producers in world markets.  (Source: USDA and NASA) The Prime Vendor Contract vehicle allows them to obtain agriculture analysis data products using satellite imagery and ancillary information quickly and cost effectively.
           
Dr. Bradley Doorn, remote sensing coordinator for the FAS’ Crop Assessment Division stated, “The premise of this contract is to promote efficiency. We are trying to make the best use of every dollar the taxpayer gives us.” FAS requests from ASRC MS which type of data product they need. Then ASRC MS obtains quotes from the vendors on the Prime Vendor Contract list for the final data products required.  “The Prime Vendor Contract helps the USDA achieve our goal – which is to have a contract in place that allows us to access products provided by the commercial industry and get the best price and performance possible. The Prime Vendor Contract managed by ASRC MS provides the USDA FAS with the best possible global agriculture analysis data products at the best possible prices and meet our stringent delivery specifications,” states Dr. Doorn.
 
About ASRC MS:
Established in 1972 Arctic Slope Regional Corporation provides a wide range of capabilities in the commercial and government sectors with lines of business in:  Aerospace, Base and Range Operations, Construction,  Security, Engineering, Professional Services, Communications,  Information Technology Services, Field Services and GIS and Geospatial Services. ASRC MS is responsible for the management and development of the Prime Vendor Contract in coordination with the USDA FAS team. For more information contact Don Brown, Program Manager, ASRC MS at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 202-720-6593 J. Edward Kunz, ASRC MS Geospatial Program Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 301-837-5354.
 
About USDA FAS:
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has the primary responsibility for USDA’s international activities—market development, trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection and analysis of statistics and market information.  As such a primary mission of FAS is to target, collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, objective, useful, and cost-effective global crop condition and agricultural production information. The purpose is to provide unbiased commodity estimates and forecasts to create a marketing edge for U.S. producers in world markets. For more information contact Brad Doorn, Technical Remote Sensing Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 202-690-0131.
           
About TerraGo® Technologies:
As the pioneer of geo-enabled PDFs, TerraGo Technologies removes technology barriers to broaden the access and application of geospatial data. TerraGo’s advanced tools and technology leverage PDF and the Adobe platform to enable geospatial applications that meet the needs of all types of end users, regardless of GIS expertise. This process enables GeoApps, the use of geospatial PDFs and other portable content formats to create real-world applications of geographic data. Providing complete end-user focus, unmatched GeoApp expertise and geospatial data source independence, TerraGo makes it cost effective to easily build and deliver GeoApps for use by anyone, anywhere. TerraGo serves more than 600 customers and a quarter-million users, including government agencies at the local, state and federal levels, regulated industries and other private enterprises. For more information, visit www.terragotech.com .
           
About Global Marketing Insights, Inc.:
Global Marketing Insights, Inc. provides a wide range of business planning and market research services, including targeted product/service market studies and competitive market research. Global Marketing Insights, Inc. provides strategic planning and market research to government agencies and private sector firms seeking to develop their geospatial business interests. Global Marketing Insights Inc. continues as a subcontractor to ASRC MS providing market research and business planning capabilities. Global Marketing Insights, Inc. is the author of the 2005-2015 International Remote Sensing Study and the 2006-2016 Asian Remote Sensing Study and is currently completing the market research for Africa under a US Geological Survey Contract.   For more information contact Sherry Loy, Geospatial Market Specialist at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 216-525-0600.