Project Will Support Institutional Development and Capacity Building for the Municipalities of Panzhihua and Yibin

SICHUAN, CHINA and TORONTO, CANADA - June 16, 2010 - Shaanxi Institute of Surveying and Mapping of Land (SISML) and ESRI Canada today announced that the companies have won a bid to provide consulting services on the application of geographic information system (GIS) technology to support China's Sichuan Urban Development Project.  Funded through a loan from the World Bank, the project will support institutional development and capacity building for the municipalities of Panzhihua and Yibin.  The companies will assist the cities in the development of GIS-based information management systems to enhance municipal operations including urban planning and emergency management.  The project is expected to be completed by October 2011.

"We are committed to leveraging advanced technology to support the growth of our cities," said Mr. Shi Yi, Vice Director, Sichuan Urban Environment Project Management Office.  "GIS will help us to effectively use municipal information to improve our operations, forecast future community needs and plan accordingly to enhance the quality of life for our citizens."

Panzhihua is a resource-based developing city that links Sichuan Province to the coastal cities and ports in South China and Southeast Asia.  It serves as an important transport hub and commercial material distribution centre on the "Southern Silk Road".  The project will assist the city in leveraging GIS to create standards for managing geographic information to support urban planning, as well as establish an effective platform for emergency management.  In addition, the project will assist Yibin, a port city in southwest Sichuan, to develop an information management system using GIS that will support key municipal operations including urban and transportation planning, and utility and asset management.

"Municipalities worldwide rely on GIS to help them identify and address problems, capitalize on opportunities, manage resources and communicate effectively with the public," said Alex Miller, President, ESRI Canada.  "GIS will provide the cities of Panzhihua and Yibin with a solid foundation for efficient operations and enable them to do more with less."

Municipalities, both large and small, need to manage vast amounts of location-based data including information on land use, zoning, civic addresses and transportation and utility networks.  Using GIS, they can integrate geographic information from various sources and in different formats into the system and display the data using digital maps.  GIS can be deployed on servers, desktops, mobile devices and over the Web, allowing information to be shared efficiently across municipal departments and with the public.  It helps planners and stakeholders perform comprehensive and in-depth analyses, increase collaboration and make informed decisions in designing and planning their communities.

"ESRI Canada has extensive experience in helping all levels of government develop and implement an effective GIS," said Mr. Fuliang Zhang, Vice Dean, SISML.  "Their international expertise, combined with our strength in mapping and surveying, will help us design a scalable system that can support the needs of the cities of Panzhihua and Yibin now and in the future."

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About the Shaanxi Institute of Surveying and Mapping of Land
Established in 1950, the Shaanxi Institute of Surveying and Mapping of Land (formerly known as the Mapping Team of Shaanxi Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources) provides surveying and mapping services in numerous industries in China.  It has expertise in geodetic control surveying, remote sensing, aerial and land photogrammetry, engineering surveying, cadastral surveying, digitalized surveying, underground pipe network surveying, geographic information systems development and map compilation.  Focused on delivering high quality and efficient services, the institute is ISO 9001 certified.  For more information, visit: www.lbxyz.com.

About ESRI Canada
Founded in 1984, ESRI Canada provides enterprise geographic information systems (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission-critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography.  The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from ESRI, Telvent Miner and Miner, Azteca Systems and other technology partners. Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada and has been named as one of the top 250 Canadian IT companies and top 25 IT professional services providers in Canada by the Branham Group.  Information about ESRI Canada can be found at www.esricanada.com.

Media contacts:
China:
Mr. Xiaolong Wang
Chief Engineer
Shaanxi Institute of Surveying and Mapping of Land
+86 (29) 87851722
ppsdaw@sohu.com
www.lbxyz.com

Canada:
Joy Chan
PR Specialist
ESRI Canada
+1 (416) 386-6488
Email Contact
www.esricanada.com