FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1997 Public Information Office CB97-75 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Dr. Joel Morrison 301-457-1132 Census Bureau, ESRI Announce Partnership The Commerce Department's Census Bureau today announced it has entered into a public/private partnership with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) of Redlands, Calif., to investigate new technology that would enable the Census Bureau to update its digital map database and develop new products to enhance the display of its socioeconomic data on maps. The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with ESRI, the second for the Census Bureau, continues a new era of collaboration between business and government. It began last fall when the Census Bureau signed its first CRADA with Geographic Data Technology (GDT). The agreement with ESRI, signed March 5, will allow the Census Bureau to conduct research using state-of-the art spatial-data-processing software, i.e. computer tools to manipulate features on computerized maps. This software will assist the Census Bureau in updating and enhancing its spatial database, TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system). The goal is to ensure that Census Bureau staff can utilize the latest software technology to manipulate the information in TIGER and deliver products to the public. The Census Bureau-ESRI CRADA also covers the research, development and marketing of user-friendly software. The partners will work to combine current data the Census Bureau collects about the nation's people and its economy, cartographic information from TIGER, and the latest mapping and geographic information system (GIS) tools from ESRI. The resulting software product will enable users to display graphically Census Bureau data in new and innovative ways and help policy decision-makers. In addition to its role in thematic mapping, emergency-vehicle routing, and market research, TIGER will play an integral role in generating the address list to be used in Census 2000 and in the Census Bureau's numerous survey activities between censuses. ESRI, founded in 1969, develops, sells and supports several GIS software products and provides a full range of GIS consulting services.-X-The Census Bureau--pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries, and institutions.
