MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: Business Computing, New Straits Times (page 29)

The National Map Library offers a number of references and unrestricted maps, aerial photographs, surveys, digital data and mapping information.

The automated map management system will enable the National Map Library to offer efficient service to Government agencies, the private sector and general public. The system offers automated searches for digital maps, as well as plan, manage and control the map sales office business operation. The department will continue to digitise the map collection for areas outside the Klang Valley for this purpose.

"Further development on the system, and digitisation of maps of other areas in Malaysia will depend on the approval for the allocation of this project in the budget next year," says Kamariah Jaafar, chief librarian at the National Map Library.

She adds that the RM722,000 allocation for this project this year has all been spent. The hardware solutions of two servers and six workstations took up about RM200,000, while the software solutions took up about RM100,000. The remaining were spent on services such as scanning, networking, customisation and cabling. Kamariah says that the proposed allocation for this project is expected to be about RM400,000 next year.

The division will also be opening up the scanning of the maps for tender next year. The 45 pieces of Klang Valley maps available in the system now were scanned by New Technology and Innovation Sdn Bhd (NTI), which was also the systems integrator in this project.

According to Gina Phan, NTI's general manager for corporate marketing, it took about three months to complete the implementation in March this year.

The hardware installed includes a Sun Ultra Sparc (RISC) Server with 512 MB RAM and a Hewlett Packard NetServer E60 with 128MB RAM and 9.1 GB disc storage for the sales server.

The library server runs on the Solaris 2.6 operating system, while the sales server uses Windows NT 4.0. The software consists of the Virginia Tech Library System (VTLS), and map sales administration system. The VLTS offers functions such as collection of bibliographic data of the maps, description of the maps, circulation and indexing. The map sales administration system is a point-of-sales (POS) system that keep track of the inventory items and amount.

The system also runs on a client-server platform. The Z39.50-compliant client allows user-definable indices, keyword searching on any word in the record, volume level and proximity searching.

Meanwhile, The Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia's e-commerce site, based on secure electronic transaction (SET), is expected to be launched in September this year. The department is expected to be launched in September this year. The department is expected to partner with RHB Bank to offer this service, where customers can purchase maps online.

Installation of the MEPS SET merchant system has already been completed in the department.