Myrtle Beach recently received more than 9,700 high-resolution aerial photos that Pictometry captured and processed in 45 days.

Pictometry's industry-leading software enables users to easily access up to 20 different oblique images of any property, building, highway, or other feature. Because the images are taken at an angle, users see how buildings and objects relate to each other and get a sense of the proportion and space involved. The software also allows users to measure distance, height, elevation, and area directly from the oblique imagery. Pictometry offers solutions for ESRI, including ArcGIS extension, ArcIMS integration, ArcSDE support, as well as coordinate pass-through capabilities.

"Pictometry offers a type of technology which not only provides an array of useful imagery, but also places geographic information systems data into the hands of virtually every City employee," said Lisa Holzberger, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst for the City of Myrtle Beach. "For example, our Public Works Department can use the imagery to locate water and sewer lines, while the Fire Department can display hydrants and measure the distances between hydrants and buildings. I am looking forward to integrating Pictometry's ArcGIS extension with ESRI's ArcView software. This will allow city employees to view and measure on Pictometry's oblique data within our ESRI environment. We also have plans to add the Pictometry imagery to our existing ArcIMS intranet site," said Holzberger.

Other city departments using Pictometry include the Business License Office, Construction Services, Code Enforcement, Planning, Police, and Parks and Recreation. In a rapidly growing community such as Myrtle Beach, the images help illustrate properties and document conditions before and after construction. Addresses, streets, and parcels all can be located, queried for information, viewed at north, south, east, and west angles, and exported to other formats for presentations to City Council, contractors, and developers.

"I used Pictometry to apply for Community Appearance Board review of one of our new recreation projects," said Matt Goyak, Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Superintendent. "I was able to open and export an image, draw on the image, and show where the structure goes as it relates to the rest of the property."

Additional uses for Pictometry include the ability to compare before and after aerial photos of structures that may be affected by hurricanes or other disasters. The company offers a Rapid Response Program free of charge for customers who experience a Category 2 or greater hurricane. "We hope it is never needed," said Holzberger, "but this program would help the City of Myrtle Beach determine which areas were most affected by the disaster and prioritize the city's response."

In the future, the City of Myrtle Beach plans to integrate Pictometry with the E9-1-1 computer dispatch system. This connectivity could provide dispatchers and emergency responders with a map of the area from which a call for service originates, along with multiple oblique aerial views, potentially improving response efforts.

About Pictometry

Pictometry International is a rapidly growing software company that provides visual information systems. The company's patented imaging process captures georeferenced, high-resolution oblique (at an angle, 3D-like view) and ortho (straight down) Intelligent Images(r) of counties and states. Combined with the company's interactive software solution, users can see everywhere, measure anything, and plan everything. The company has a growing customer base exceeding 125 counties, the State of Massachusetts, the State of Rhode Island, federal government organizations, as well as private business users. Major metropolitan areas using Pictometry(r) include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Applications include 9-1-1, appraisers, assessors, emergency management agencies, engineering, financial institutions, fire departments, GIS, golf communities, homeland security, insurance, law enforcement, planning officials, real estate, and transportation. Pictometry is a second order visualization tool that does not produce authoritative or definitive information (surveying) from its digital, aerial images.

The company is hosting its first annual User Conference, Pictometry FutureView 2006, from October 29 - November 1, 2006 in Orlando, FL. For more information on Pictometry, visit www.pictometry.com.