Reflections on APCOM

Attending APCOM in Wollongong,Australia recently has reminded me what a vibrant, dynamic business we operate in. The breadth and depth of the technical sessions reinforced the importance of research and scientific rigour in our industry if we are to apply innovation to products that help people work more efficiently.

Research and development is a very important aspect of the Maptek business. Each year we put almost 20% of revenue back into product development. As a result, we are about to release two new products which will change exploration practices, and improve drill and blast accuracy.

BlastLogic is a new system for collating and analysing drill and blast data and performance. It is being developed in close collaboration with a large Australian mining company to ensure we are on track with the needs of modern operations.

Eureka gives us a product which specifically targets exploration, another exciting market which we look forward to ‘exploring’.

These products are set for release in the first quarter of 2012. We will also maintain our focus on mine planning and laser scanning – sticking with what we know and do well.

2012 will see the start of a redesign of Vulcan modules with the aim of introducing new mine planning functionality, as well as making our current product more robust.

Major architectural changes will mean Vulcan can run more efficiently on 64 bit systems and open the way for developing a platform for mobile applications and tablets. Seamless data import/export will make our software the complete package. We need to force change and keep up with technology. Maptek has always set the standard and will continue to do so.

In addition, we are revamping our scheduling tools. Two major projects are targeting short term scheduling for both underground and open cut operations. A global development approach will make sure we hit the mark for all our customers.

The I-Site 8800 laser scanner has been a great success. Now we have the I-Site 8400 which addresses the need for a laser scanner with a shorter range and onboard controls for quick topographic and volumetric stockpile surveys. We will continue to work towards the next generation of technology, building on our current capabilities and forging new territory in terrestrial laser scanning.

I am surprised at how quickly Maptek has grown from a company of just 20 people to over 300 staff. It is great to see how we evolve as we grow and I look forward to the next phase of growth as we continue to develop solutions and bring them to market to satisfy our customers’ needs.