WALLINGFORD, Oxfordshire, UK, Feb. 7, 2007 -- The city of Ghent in Belgium has chosen Wallingford Software's InfoNet database management solution to manage its sewer system information after a stringent comparison process in which it was chosen in competition with four other packages on the market.
The city has purchased two copies of the solution and has also required its surveyors to use InfoNet, because the solution's data validation capabilities will allow the city to minimize the acceptance time for submitted external work, streamlining the checking procedures needed to satisfy its quality assurance scheme.
This stipulation has resulted in the Inter-municipal Association for Water and Sanitation, TMVW, buying four copies of InfoNet as well as a copy of InfoWorks CS, Wallingford Software's wastewater system solution. This will be used to help the city undertake the new baseline inventory of its entire sewerage network. A surveyor working for the city has also purchased a copy of InfoNet. Some 26,000 manholes will have to be surveyed over a two-year period as part of the inventory.
The award dates back to a decision made by the city in 2005 to create a sewer asset management system. With TMVW, the city's ICT supplier Digipolis and consultant Hydroscan, the city drew up a list of needs and wishes and searched the market for possible solutions, shortlisting five potential suppliers including Wallingford Software.
All five companies were invited to run tests to prove that their solution would be able to fulfil the list of needs and wishes. Following this process the city chose InfoNet as the best solution, both technically and financially.
Using the tools in InfoNet, the surveyors will be able to validate the data they collect to an extremely high level, ensuring that it is consistent and accurate and ready to be accepted by the QA system.
Digipolis Gent's GIS coordinator Marc Leysen explains: "We actually ran the business analysis, supported by a specialised consultancy bureau. Based on the resulting set of requirements for the information system and its supporting software environment, we then organised a selection procedure including a live demonstration with oriented questions and specific tasks to be performed on actual data.
"Key users were obviously part of our selection committee. InfoNet came out as the most complete, powerful and reliable system and was therefore chosen for purchase for the city of Ghent."
Digipolis will also facilitate the operation of the software system - hardware, license serving, training, primary software support, and integration with the city's GIS environment.
Wallingford Software develops leading water resource management software for the worldwide water industry. Recognised for its technical superiority and unrivalled capability, our software is the software of choice for many leading water engineering consultancies, utilities and government bodies throughout the world.
Wallingford Software is the only supplier of water resource software in the world to offer integrated solutions to support planning and operations across the disciplines of water supply, wastewater and river and coastal management. Our product design philosophy means that our solutions are functionally rich and incorporate as standard many applications and features that our competitors consider as optional add-ons.
Based in the United Kingdom, Wallingford Software (www.wallingfordsoftware.com) has offices in the United States, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and Australia, and a network of approved distributors throughout Europe, Asia and South America to provide sales and support services to Wallingford Software customers worldwide. Wallingford Software is the software products and systems company within the HR Wallingford Group.
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Also see:
-- "Practical focus of Australian user days popular with users"
-- "Japanese Water Supply exhibition raises profile of InfoWorks WS"
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