EASy interview (continued)

EC - What should we NOT expect EASy to do?
DK - EASy does not include a tool box of statistical analyses; however,
data in the system can be exported as Excel spreadsheets, ASCII files,
and Access databases, and Bitmap raster imagery. EASy can also providea home for models,but the budget for use of the software is insufficientto import such computer code. We will however import the results ofmodel calculations if the output is provided in the formats listed above.

EC - What will EASy do that Arcview won't do? Why should we be doing this?
DK - EASy is 4 dimensional (Arcviews treatment of time and the 3rd dimension is awkward), and Netviewer (Internet mode of operation) is superior to ARC IMS. (We have not done a detailed side by side comparison, so it is difficult for me to elaborate.) I also believe that the project will be developed more economically. Any GIS application of your project (whether it be EASy or any other GIS) will improve communication among participants and communication with your funding agency. I have been told that the development of a GIS was stated as one of the goals of the project, but this must be confirmed by Myrna.

EC - Hmm. If that is true, there should have been something in the general budget... Anyhow... You said something about the budget for use of the software. If we are paying for development of EASy, will we also have to pay for the program?
DK - You will not have to pay for the program. You will simply send us data that will be imported into the GIS and then made available to participants in the project via the Netviewer that will be running on a server at USC or any other site you select.

EC - Will this end up as a for profit venture and do we, as investors, expect a return?
DK - The funds provided for this work are insufficient to produce a profit...equivalent to several months of graduate (post graduate) salary. The major benefit we see in doing this work is to obtain exposure, and to try out our capabilities in a new arena...the land.

EC - Who are the people involved in developing it, and what is NCSA?
DK - Well, we are actually SSA (not NCSA). SSA stands for System Science Applications, a small company in Redondo Beach California. The company and its employees are described at the company's website.

EC - What is the time frame?
DK - We will begin work at the beginning of next year. The time frame will depend upon on how quickly the participants supply data. It will take no more than one or two months to build the project, but our experience suggests that there will be several additional months of ironing out details.

EC - Will it work on both PC and Mac platforms?
DK - The desktop version runs on PCs (Windows OS) and only those Macs that have Virtual PC loaded. However, the application we propose to develop will simply require participants to view the project over the Internet using Internet Explorer. The site will be password protected if desired, and all data can be downloaded in the formats that I stated above. We do not plan to pass out the software and thus will not ask participants to learn how to use the desktop version.

EC - Thanks a lot. I am sure we will have more questions, but for now, is there anything else?
DK - We've put together a longer document describing the program in more detail. Perhaps you could put that up with a link, too.