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news Maptek recognised as Top 10 company (June 2008)
Maptek has been named one of the 10 best companies to work for in Colorado, in a survey sponsored by Colorado Biz magazine. Employees answered questions online about job satisfaction, relationships with managers and coworkers, corporate communication and benefits. Around 50 people work in the Maptek office in Lakewood, one of 12 Maptek offices globally. Maptek started its Denver office with a handful of people in 1985, serving the local mining industry with innovative software and hardware products. Announcing the Top 10 listing, HR Director, Todd Husak said ‘It's our employees that make or break our environment. We appreciate everyone who arrives at work with an open mind, a generous spirit, and a desire to be the best.' 'We ask a lot of our employees and they consistently deliver beyond expectations. They are truly amazing and I am privileged to work among them.’ ‘Whether Maptek wins or not, how we as a company respond to the survey results is the important thing here,’ he added. ‘As always, we treat all employees’ needs and desires seriously, and will endeavor to address any concerns or suggestions that may arise once we receive the survey feedback.’ Maptek rewards its staff with a competitive salary, an excellent benefits package, profit sharing, bonuses, and most importantly, a friendly workplace that values creativity and individual contributions. Maptek employees enjoy 100% Health, Dental, and Vision family premiums, generous vacation allowances and public holidays, including one ‘floating’ day, and paid ‘fun’ days for charitable and social events, as well as free access to transport and top level sporting amenities in Denver. The Top 10 rating confirms what many Maptek employees feel. The mix of mining and software specialists with administrative, marketing and business professionals makes Maptek an interesting place to work. ‘To restate the obvious, it’s the people’, said Software Engineer, Bill Blattner. ‘Working with some very intelligent and thoughtful people has enabled me to endure the bad times and appreciate the good ones. The mutual respect between fellow workers and clients has humbled me.’ ‘The opportunity to work on projects that help solve real problems is very fulfilling. Add the ability to have some fun, and you have a place I have called work for 20+ years,’ Bill added. At the other end of the longevity scale is a group of interns from the top mining schools who’ve already picked Maptek as a great place to work. Part-time at Maptek while completing their degrees, they can then step into a great mining career. ‘As an intern, I got to know the ins and outs of this company, how it worked, why it worked, and I was able to see the vision of where it was going. I got to know each of the employees on a personal level all the way up to the CEO,’ said Mining Engineer, Brandon Frederickson. ‘I knew that based on the management alone, this was a special place. However, I don’t think it was until I was interning at another location that I realized just how special Maptek was. Having the CEO not only know my name and face, but also my wife and child, and actually care about me as an employee and a human being was something that I didn’t expect to find anywhere,’ he added. At Maptek, employees enjoy everything wonderful about the mining industry, without the isolation. The best schools and the best of Colorado living are only a short drive away. Located centrally in Lakewood, the Maptek office provides easy access to bike paths, the Rocky Mountain Range, skiing, reservoirs, and world class dining and shopping. Staff feedback emphasized company loyalty, saying that Maptek managers ‘exhibit leadership where most companies only know how to manage’. Management really listens and values employee suggestions, improving the company to ensure clients and employees are happy. Todd Husak, who joined Maptek last year, is impressed by Maptek’s integrity and demonstrated commitment to its values. Speaking of great corporate citizenship, I've worked for hospitals and non-profits that talk about their commitment to good causes, but I'm proud to state that Maptek and its employees represent the most giving organization I've had the privilege to be a part of. ‘The employee survey will help Maptek to become an even better place to work,’ said Barry Henderson. ‘It focuses attention on one of our corporate values - to foster continuous improvement and ongoing learning through achieving the highest standards of excellence in our people, products and performance.’ Training tomorrows's mining engineers (June 2008)Maptek conducted a Vulcan training session for professors at the University of Chihuahua, Mexico, in April 2008. The professors appreciated the chance to become familiar with the Vulcan tools that they will pass onto their students. Professor Angelica Mena, head of the Geology Laboratory, was impressed with Vulcan’s ease of use, workflow setup, data access and reporting tools.
After the introductory training, Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Career Coordinator, J. Alfredo Márquez, commented that ‘giving students the opportunity to access the best technology available shows we are concerned about providing excellence in academic programming’. ‘We are committed to developing the capabilities of our professors, and we understand the importance of Vulcan in the formation of competent mining professionals,’ Ing. Márquez added. Maptek has supplied more than 500 academic licences of Vulcan software to premier universities around the world. Installing Vulcan in the learning environment benefits both students and their future employers. Graduate mining engineers and geologists can apply the knowledge gained and effectively hit the ground running when handed a task.
Maptek I-Site Studio™ now imports Optech point cloud data (March 2008)Maptek™ has enabled direct file import functionality of Optech ILRIS-3D point cloud data (IXF format) into its I-Site™ Studio software. Maptek I-Site Studio offers an impressive range of software tools developed specifically for laser scan data processing. Large point datasets can be efficiently interrogated, modelled and manipulated on a desktop PC or field laptop. ILRIS-3D is a laser-based ranging and imaging system for the commercial survey, engineering, mining and industrial markets. I-Site Studio software is the newest option for Optech customers aiming to meet or exceed their point cloud data processing objectives. The direct import of Optech’s ILRIS IXF data into I-Site Studio allows Optech system users to realise the benefits of the most effective solution for point cloud data processing. Advanced Design Center opens at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (March 2008)The Maptek™ sponsored Advanced Mine Design Center was opened at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City on February 15, 2008. The Mining Engineering and Management Department at the School of Mines is a leading institution that has focused heavily on mine design by leveraging Maptek Vulcan software. With student numbers climbing to 80, they recognised the need for a state-of-the-art mine design lab to accommodate 25 computer stations and a global communications center. Maptek sponsored the remodelling of 2 rooms to create the newly designed lab, which is also used for geomechanics design activities. Features of the new center include video conferencing facilities, a plasma screen, and a projector networked to tablet PCs and desktops. The Maptek Advanced Mine Design Center has been a great way for Maptek to support the mining industry. We have had a long relationship with the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and see this as an investment in our continued partnership and in the quality education of future mining industry professionals.
Maptek sponsors AMIRA optimisation research project (March 2008)Maptek has joined other suppliers in co-sponsoring an AMIRA research project looking at underground mine design and schedule optimisation tools. AMIRA International Ltd is an independent association of minerals companies which facilitates research projects addressing industry issues, and fosters the development of a stronger industry research base. Maptek will provide Maptek Vulcan licences, training and support to the Planning and Rapid Integrated Mine Optimisation project, which will focus on developing more efficient computational methods when complex infrastructure branching is needed for distributed ore zones. Australian Sales Manager for Vulcan, Steve Sullivan, who conducted training in Vulcan’s underground functionality for University of Melbourne and Alford Mining Systems researchers recently in Melbourne, Victoria, said that Maptek is pleased to be involved in the project. ‘We have always invested heavily in R&D and we see this as another way to continue to add value to our products.’ Sponsors Barrick, Rio Tinto, CVRD Inco, Xstrata, Oxiana and BHP Billiton are joined by supplier sponsors Maptek, GijimaAST, Datamine and AMC Consultants. More information about Project 884 can be found at www.amira.com.au under current projects. When the results of the research are commercialised our customers will be among those who will benefit from this. Mining Engineer award (December 2007)
Innovation grant for Maptek (December 2007)
As laser scanning moves into the mainstream of modern survey practice, customers are increasingly seeing the benefits of an integrated solution to their surveying needs. A company such as Maptek, with a 26-year history providing high technology solutions to the mining industry, is ideally placed to deliver this.
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Mines and Money 2007 (November
2007)
Maptek showcased the Maptek I-Site 4400LR laser scanner for the first time in the UK at our booth at Mines and Money, held in London in November. The application of I-Site for volumetric auditing and as an exploration tool for re-commissioning old mines was well received. Strong interest was shown in Maptek Vulcan and Maptek I-Site products at the tradeshow. Paul Williams, Finance Director of Angus and Ross PLc (left) receives his free prize from Duncan Lee, Maptek General Manager, Europe & Africa |
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Maptek MineSuite version 4.7 released (November 2007)
A strong focus on improving the user experience has led to the release of Maptek’s MineSuite Version 4.7 software. User guides and manuals are now available as bookmarked PDF documents, a simple click away via Help on the MineSuite console.
Enhancements to the Online mapping module include a ‘stacking’ function for map icons which make it easier to discern which processes are being rendered when they overlap. This feature is also available in the Map Replay.
Mapping Replay now allows users to select which online events are to be replayed, and location states can be configured to display in different colours. Setup is now performed with a wizard, and the replay controller is more compact.
Online expressions can be formatted for easier readability and the text pane spans the full width of the panel. Loading of certificates has been sped up by creating an on-demand list.
Reporting Explorer is fully supported as the primary method for managing reports, and CSV Batches can now be emailed via the Task Scheduler.
A ‘Today’ button has been added to the manual data entry shift selector, so that users can quickly navigate back to the current shift if they have scrolled the list of shifts. Delay propagation is more comprehensive and is now recursive, with all configured rules being applied to any process which is the target of a propagated delay.
The system can now log user name and timestamp providing a means of auditing modifications to data
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| MineSuite version 4.7 screenshots | ||
Maptek Users Conference brings customers and staff together (November 2007)
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| The Maptek 2007 Users Conference took place
October 29-31 at The Inverness Hotel in Englewood, Colorado. |
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More than 60 people from various mining companies joined Maptek staff for the 3-day users conference held at the Inverness Center in Engelwood, Colorado, at the end of October.
Engineers, geologists, consultants and educators attended, from Albian Sands Energy Inc., Barrick Gold Corporation, BHP Billiton Ekati, Bureau of Land Management, Chevron Mining Inc., Cleveland Cliffs (Michigan, Northshore, United Taconite, Cliffs Mining Services, Hibbing-Taconite, Wabush/Scully sites), Iron Ore Company of Canada, McIntosh Engineering, Newmont Mining, Peabody Engineering, Petro-Canada, Phelps Dodge, Queenstake Resources Ltd, Rio Tinto Minerals (London, Denver, Perth), Somincor, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, SRK Consulting, Stillwater Mining Company (Nye, East Boulder mines), Thiess Australia, Kennecott Exploration, Minera Los Pelambres, Peabody Energy (PRCC), Thiess Pty Ltd and The University of Utah.
The program catered for engineers on Day 1 with Maptek Vulcan case studies covering haulage profile, Chronos and IDS scheduling, pit optimisation, ore blending, tailings dam design and Maptek I-Site for underground surveying.
Day 2 focused on new technology and customer feedback, with sessions run by Marketing Director, Matt Pesce, and Vulcan Product Manager, Steve Uecker, as well as new software developments introduced by Fernando Rodrigues, leader of Vulcan Technical Services in Denver.
Day 3 featured geology-focused talks covering grade control, block modelling, geological modelling and tetra modelling, as well as surveying and mine planning applications featuring I-Site.
The event was a great chance for networking between Maptek customers and staff. Client ideas, such as the interactive editing tool for underground ramps, which displays grades dynamically while maintaining control on operational constraints, were incorporated into the Vulcan Version 7.5 release.
The Vulcan Olympics brought out the competitive streak in users, with finalists Andy Connell, Paul Jones, Ryan Barnett, Luis Sierra, Allan Schappert, Chris Hunter and Ziggy Hladysz losing out to winner Michael Wilkins (top right).
The success of Maptek’s recent Users Conference represented the culmination of hard work and dedication on the part of our clients, business partners and Maptek staff from all parts of the world. Maptek employees from Australia, Europe, South America and North America provided attendees with access to a wide range of skills, knowledge and expertise.
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Maptek was able to deliver the breadth and quality of content offered during the conference with the input of our customers who provided outstanding presentations detailing how they use Maptek products to achieve best practices in their work. I offer my thanks to each and every attendee in making this the finest Maptek Users Conference to date.
Barry Henderson, CEO
The 2007 Users Conference attracted clients from hard rock and coal operations, and open pit and underground mines. I am sure everyone was able to take away something useful; we certainly look forward to seeing our clients again at the next conference.
Tony Peterson, Technical Services Manager, Denver
XI Maptek Users Conference in South America (September 2007)
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Maptek customers from Chile, Brazil and Ecuador plus staff and students from the universities of Antofagasta, Santiago, La Serena, Catolica del Norte and Chile attended the highly successful XI Maptek Users Conference in Viña del Mar in August. These 60 participants joined Maptek staff from Brazil, Chile, USA and Australia. Presentations from Maptek Vulcan users highlighted the range of applications for our products from mine planning, grade control, geotechnical studies, grade estimation through to pit optimisation. Maptek I-Site presentations proved how Maptek’s latest laser scan data software tools provide simple and accurate solutions to real mining situations. Customers gained new insights into how to derive maximum benefit from Vulcan and I-Site by listening to expert Maptek staff. At the conference dinner, Maptek Sudamérica Senior Vice-President Marcelo Arancibia presented an award to long-standing Maptek customer, Hugo Urrutia (right), who has been using Vulcan for 10 years. Mr Urrutia has more than 40 years experience in mining and is a qualified Civil Mining Engineer and Member of the Mining Engineers Institute of Chile, with a Diploma in Strategic Contract Management. He has worked for Pelambres Mining Company since 1998, and is currently Long Term Planning Senior Engineer in the Planning and Development Management Office. This was one of the most successful conferences that I have experienced since joining Maptek. It exceeded our expectations in both support and the content of users papers. The customer focus group was excellent, allowing us not only to see what we are doing well but also to identify how we could do better. We will continue to improve, and to differentiate ourselves based on the high quality application support we provide to our customers.Marcelo Arancibia |
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Applied Geostatistics course (August 2007)
The 6th Citation Program in Applied Geostatistics was held in the Maptek Denver office from July 9 to August 3. The accredited course combined academic knowledge of modern geostatistical tools with industry experience, focusing on mining. The course was attended by a wide range of mining professionals, from those running grade estimations to experienced users who needed a deeper knowledge of the theory and practice of geostatistics.
Instructors were Dr Clayton Deutsch, Professor and Director of the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Alberta, and Eric Gonzalez, Regional Manager for Maptek Mexico and the Caribbean. Dr Deutsch teaches and conducts research in geostatistical methods applied to resource estimation and grade control. Eric is a Mining Engineer who has been using Vulcan software since 1996, specialising in the Geostatistics package. He completed the Geostatistics Citation in 2003.
Applied Geostatistics courses are also conducted by Maptek in Chile and Perth, Australia.
Renewed focus on customers (June 2007)
Customers are the centre of our business. Providing the mining
industry with excellent products and services has been the driving
force behind Maptek for more than 25 years. As our industry grows
in size and complexity, the challenges and pressures we face are
increasing to unprecedented levels.
At Maptek, we regard our customers’ problems as our own. It
is our job to help you be successful! As Maptek’s new Director
of Global Marketing, Matt Pesce’s top priority is to ensure
that Maptek understands and responds to customers’ changing
needs. In order to accomplish this, Matt is initiating a program
to get input from customers and others in the industry.
Matt invites you to contact him with ideas, questions and feedback
(good and bad) or to volunteer to participate in this process. You
can reach him at matt.pesce
maptek.com
or via telephone at 1-303 763 4919. We’re excited to work
with you to shape the future!
Read about global conference on computer applications in mining (APCOM) (June 2007)
The 33rd International Symposium on the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry (APCOM) was held in Santiago, Chile in April this year. As the Platinum sponsor, Maptek was well represented at the event which hosted almost 300 delegates from across the minerals industry globally. For full report, download pdf (175 KB)
Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership selects Vulcan/I-Site for oil sands mine (May 2007)
Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership (Petro-Canada, UTS Energy & Teck Cominco) has chosen Vulcan for geological modeling and mine planning software and services. It will be used in the initial modeling and planning stages of the Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership Fort Hills oil sands mine. Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership also purchased I-Site Studio 3.0 to be used in handling massive LIDAR datasets and processing them to create suitable topographic models for Vulcan.
The Fort Hills project is located in north-eastern Alberta in the Athabasca Oil Sands Basin. The lease area is located north of the city of Fort McMurray and is adjacent to and north of the Syncrude Mine. This oil sands project has an expected life in excess of 40 years with operations planned to begin in 2011.
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Maptek sponsors computer lab at South Dakota School of Mines (January 2007)
Maptek has announced that it will be sponsoring a state-of-the-art computer lab and global communications centre at the South Dakota School of Mines Department of Mining Engineering and Management.
The Maptek Advanced Mine Design Centre will begin construction immediately and should be ready for students by the fall of 2007. Additional enhancements will be made over the next three years with expected completion by 2010.
This new centre will enhance the faculty’s ability to promote and teach the technical aspects of the mining industry. Due mainly to South Dakota’s recent enhancement of the curriculum to include mining business and management and the resulting increase in enrollment, students are forced to share computers in a cramped classroom. The new facility will be twice the size and will enable 25 students access to computers. Other features of the new centre include:
• Video conferencing capabilities for distance education
and global communications
• Dedicated wall space for both a large plasma screen and
blackboard
• A ceiling mounted air projector that is networked to all
tablet PCs and desktops
• Ergonomic seating and new equipment furniture
• New flooring and improved lighting
• Air conditioning and updated heating and ventilation
South Dakota’s mining program is the fifth largest in the nation with a current enrollment of 60 students and expected enrollment of 80 students in 2008. This new centre will help the school continue to produce high quality, trained engineers for the mining industry.
Established 25 years ago, Maptek offers a range of cutting edge software and hardware technologies. Vulcan software, a 3D geological modelling system, is currently used for modelling and mine planning at more than 600 sites worldwide. It will also be used as a teaching tool at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
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