FEBRUARY 1, 2011 -- Intergraph--a provider of geographic information system (GIS) technology and geospatial infrastructure management systems for utilities, communications companies, municipalities, and transportation agencies, has introduced a new software product for the design and management of fiber-optic networks.
G/Technology Fiber Optic Works 1.0 is designed to streamline the management of fiber-optic infrastructure for utilities, municipalities, agencies, and communications companies implementing a public or private fiber network. Fiber Optic Works is an enterprise-scalable design and asset management system that enables users to manage the circuit complexity of a geospatially dispersed fiber-optic communications network infrastructure.
Fiber-optic networks are a fundamental component of high-speed broadband communications networks required for electric, gas, and water utility Smart Grid communications, fiber to the home (FTTH, FTTx), and intelligent roadway information management systems, says a representative. Each of these systems links sensors, communications, and critical infrastructure through high-speed backhaul communications that can be implemented with a fiber-optic network. G/Technology Fiber Optic Works combines the geospatial mapping and spatial analysis capabilities of GIS with the design and engineering capabilities of computer-aided design (CAD) and the database and reporting capabilities of an enterprise asset management system. These combined capabilities provide a complete, integrated tool for fiber network designers and operators.
G/Technology is a geospatial platform used by utilities and communications companies to manage distribution network infrastructures. As the newest addition to the G/Technology product family, Fiber Optic Works is intended to meet the need for an enterprise data environment designed specifically for fiber-optic networks and reflecting best practice and design standards.
Intergraph's fiber system offers access to network configuration and service data to support business processes in all departments, including planning, engineering, maintenance, and provisioning, according to a company spokesperson. The Fiber Optic Works suite is open and based on the Oracle database technology platform, making it easy to incorporate geospatial data into other corporate information systems.
"The growing global demand for new broadband capacity and communications infrastructure for utilities, municipalities, and communications companies drives the need for superior software tools to speed the design and facilitate the management of fiber infrastructure," says Tony DiMarco, Intergraph's executive director of Global Utilities & Communications. "Intergraph's solutions for utility infrastructure management have been shown to improve design and asset management productivity by as much as 50 percent and provide the ability to 'location-enable' network data for engineering, construction, and customer workflows, dramatically improving efficiency and customer service."