Redlands, California — June 11, 2010 — Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures, Second Edition, published by ESRI Press, details the European Union's (EU) ongoing efforts to develop comprehensive, multinational spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). Designed as a reference for geographic information system (GIS) professionals and decision makers, the new edition promotes a general understanding of SDI concepts and provides examples of practical applications.

This revised edition of the book presents an overview of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive, which provides the framework for EU community member states to implement regional SDIs, and the processes involved in SDI development and implementation. Benefits include greater access to current data, the reduction of redundant data, the development of collaborative projects, and comprehensive cost savings. The included case studies demonstrate how organizations across Europe are working together to maximize access to GIS data through the creation of SDIs.

"GIS applications span a very broad range, and new uses are emerging all the time," says Ian Masser, author of Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures. "However, it must be recognized that the full potential of GIS can be realized only if the necessary SDIs are in place at the local, national, and transnational levels."

Masser served as chairman of the Association of Geographic Information Laboratories for Europe (AGILE), president of the European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI), and president of the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association. Since retiring from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in the Netherlands, Masser has held visiting professorial positions in Malaysia, England, Australia, and the Netherlands. Masser has authored seven books on the subject of GIS.

Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures, Second Edition (ISBN-13: 9781589482661, 108 pages, $34.95) is available at online retailers worldwide, at www.esri.com/esripress, or by calling 1-800-447-9778. Outside the United States, visit www.esri.com/esripressorders for complete ordering options, or visit www.esri.com/distributors to contact your local ESRI distributor. Interested retailers can contact ESRI Press book distributor Ingram Publisher Services.

About ESRI Press

ESRI Press publishes books on GIS, cartography, and the application of spatial analysis to many areas of public and private endeavor including land-use planning, health care, education, business, government, and science. The complete selection of GIS titles from ESRI Press can be found on the Web at www.esri.com/esripress.

About ESRI

Since 1969, ESRI has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, ESRI software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. ESRI applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. ESRI is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www.esri.com/news.



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