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Dimitri


7,479 post(s)
#19-Feb-09 15:43

Just saw this coming across the wire...

http://www.bignews.biz/?id=794585&keys=services-Geospatial-Remote-Mapping

artlembo


3,425 post(s)
#19-Feb-09 18:22

I think www.gisadvisor.com needs to develop a version for India

Gustavo Palminha

1,010 post(s)
#20-Feb-09 06:16

Maybe Manifold will need to support localization soon to hit other markets :)

Regards.


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gkbhat102 post(s)
#20-Feb-09 13:10

It is a good idea. Also please work on a version of IMS on asp.net and Ajax. We have trained many people using your videos, they are good for the beginners. The problem is of large number of ARC students, who would rather sell their "complicated skills", which belong to Neanderthal age, while same thing can be done much more easier with Manifold.

Seeing the piracy problems, I Wonder if Manifold should sell a single or two key student versions at lower prices, which can be affordable by students, promote Manifold through colleges. While multiple sources of ARC pirate software exist in market, I rarely found instances of Manifold version.

We in India believe that pirate copies are pushed by the software companies, for making them popular and get addicted to them. I know about at least one company doing it and then using legal system to force the people to buy it through raids. It is similar to heroin trade.

Dimitri


7,479 post(s)
#20-Feb-09 15:44

Manifold is effectively free to colleges and universities. See http://www.manifold.net/admin/academic_licensing.shtml

gkbhat102 post(s)
#20-Feb-09 12:46

We are one of the earliest users of Manifold in India, but I have not seen many copies anywhere so far. Most of the users are government and private agencies still rely on ARC family and it is hard to break the monopoly due to "institutional benefits" they offer as well as everyone asking for ARC format outputs. Also illegal copies are available everywhere. We have tried to promote Manifold due to simplicity in use, single map file format, and on the fly projection added to the price advantage ( ARCGIS costs anywhere between 20 times that of Manfold, but many institutional clients seem to "like" it that way). After seeing clients interested in bigger budgets for obvious reasons, I find it is going to take time.

We have used it to build a multi-hazard risk atlas, as input to a variety of modeling exercises and also have developed a IMS on asp.net with over 200 maps, but it is hard uphill task with other costlier software vendors having gtheir way in this system. Art Lembos videos are used to train freshers in a matter of days, and it is easy to get going in Manfold. I have lost my bearings in new ARC family products now, since I donot find use for it, expcet for some very specific tasks.

I would say it is an ideal package for small and medium municipalities, which are forced to improve their performance, but Manifold may require different market strategies to address that clientele.

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