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This summer we will be exhibiting at the EuroGard VI conference on Chios island in Greece and at the APGA annual conference in Columbus, Ohio.

We will be at both conferences for the full duration, so this year we have more time available to hold private meetings. If you would like to arrange a meeting with us, please get in touch directly with Havard (havard@irisbg.com) or by phone (+44 7872 344743).

EuroGard VI – European Botanic Gardens in a Changing World

May 28th – June 2nd, Chios Island, Greece.

Both Havard and Øyvind will be available from Monday morning until Friday evening. The exhibition will be open for the full duration of the conference.

APGA 2012 – Garden Paths

June 19th – June 22nd, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Havard will be at the conference from Tuesday morning until Saturday evening.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday the 19th 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday the 20th 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

This photo was taken at the EuroGard V conference in Helsinki in 2009.
From left (Phil, Havard and Øyvind).

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IrisBG is a complete botanical collection management solution for botanical gardens, arboreta and large estates. If you ask any botanical garden whether they would like to see their plant collection records integrated with maps, the answer in most cases is, YES PLEASE. One reason why this often is not a high priority, is the perceived high cost of establishing a mapping solution for the garden. In this article, we will show you how you can get started with map integration, and how this approach can provide you with a gradual approach for mapping that you can adapt to the resources you have available.

A more detailed description of how you update maps is available in our video screen cast library. In this document we will focus on maps of your own garden. Recording and displaying locations of accession origin is not covered in this article.

How do I get a basemap for my garden?

If you do not have this already, you will either have to get a digitized map prepared for you by a professional surveyor, obtain publicly available digitized maps for your area or, you can consider using the maps that are available through online map resources such as Bing, Yahoo and OpenStreetMap. The latter alternative will in some cases be satisfactory, or can be used as an easy way to get started. With IrisBG, you can start off with this free option, and move over to your own custom maps at a later stage.

You can choose between a large selection of online map providers, in addition to any compatible Map Server that you have access to. If you have maps of your own, they can be hosted on your own Map Server, if available, or you can use the IrisBG Map Server.

Configuring IrisBG map settings

When you have decided on your basemap, you will have to configure IrisBG appropriately by following these steps.

1. Add custom map providers in the “Definitions.Map providers” screen if applicable.
2. Configure the “Locations Map Settings” for your plant collection in the “Management.Collections” screen. Important settings are:
   1. Default map type for basemap.
   2. Datum/geodetic system (ETRS89, NAD83, WGS84 etc).
   3. Coordinate format.
   4. Coordinates for centre location in your garden.

If you are unfamiliar or unsure about the correct settings for your situation, get in touch with us or consult a GIS expert. Please note that your default basemap can easily be changed later and that you can always change between different map types when viewing the maps. When you have completed the settings, you are ready to record map coordinates for your garden locations and your accession items.

Recording map coordinates for your garden locations

With IrisBG you divide your garden into sections and sub-sections to a desired level of detail that you find practical. When you have decided on your map strategy, your first step will be to record coordinates for your garden locations.

Do I have to record the coordinates for all my accession items? In IrisBG, this is not necessary. When you produce maps in IrisBG, we will use the location coordinates for your garden locations where plant coordinates have yet to be recorded. The benefit of this approach is that you can produce garden maps early on without having to record the location of each individual accession item.

To record your map coordinates for your garden locations, open the “Management.Locations” screen, select the relevant location, and click on the map symbol in the y-coordinates column. You can also type in the x and y coordinates directly. When you click on the map symbol, the garden map is displayed, you can drag the location marker to change location coordinates.

Recording map coordinates for accession items

When you have recorded map coordinates for your garden locations, you may want to start recording location coordinates for some of your important accession, such as important trees etc.

Recording accession item location is done in the same manner as for garden locations. Open the accession, select the accession item and either enter the coordinates or use the map to drag the marker to the correct location. You can also update the map coordinates for your accessions out in the garden using a mobile device with IrisBG mobile.

Reaping the benefits

Already with only your garden location coordinates recorded, you can produce a range of maps from the Report.Maps feature. In addition, you will be able to see in which part of the garden each accession is located. This information is also available without the need for any further preparations, using a handheld device with IrisBG mobile and on the web, for visitors using IrisBG Garden Explorer.

With maps integrated in your system, you will be able to get even more out of your plant collection.

Conclusion

IrisBG has a flexible approach to map integration. You could have a working solution up and running in a day. Start by using already available basemaps online and recording the map coordinates for your garden locations. At a later stage you can introduce your own digitized maps and gradually record location coordinates for important accessions. You can adapt your approach according to the resources you have available.

More details

IrisBG Map Viewer
http://www.irisbg.com/p_mapviewer.aspx

IrisBG Screen cast library
http://www.irisbg.com/p_screencasts.aspx

IrisBG Garden Explorer
http://www.irisbg.com/p_gardenexpl.aspx

IrisBG Mobile:
http://www.irisbg.com/p_irismobile.aspx

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IrisBG is a complete botanical collection management solution for Botanical Gardens and Large Estates. In addition to keeping your plant records up to date, IrisBG also supports numerous ways of producing your plant labels. In this article, we will describe how you can use IrisBG to produce plant labels with QR codes.

What are QR Codes?

A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data. The QR Code may contain information such as a web address, normal text, contact information, Geographic information, business card details etc. With QR Code scanning software available on most modern smartphones, QR codes have been taken up by the marketing industry and by visitor attractions such as museums and botanic gardens.

How can I use QR Codes in my garden?

There are many ways to use this technology. We believe one of the most important reasons for using QR codes, is to enhance the visitor’s experience by making more information available to them. This should not be seen as a replacement of the traditional garden labels, but as a supplement. Also, one must bear in mind that QR codes will exclude visitors who do not have a smartphone. On the other hand, this type of technology can make it much easier to create enthusiasm and interest among younger visitors, such as school children and students. As of July 2011, 35% of American adults own a smartphone according to Pew Research Center, and most forecast’s predicts a steady growth in smartphone adoption worldwide.

In this article, we will focus on the QR Code implementation that is directly supported by IrisBG.

QR Code support in IrisBG

In the diagram below we have tried to illustrate a classic scenario using QR Codes with IrisBG. We will discuss each step in more detail in the following chapters.

1. The garden staff will prepare the plant records in IrisBG. At this stage, you may consider adding links from the taxa information to other web resources such as Wikipedia.
2. The garden staff updates the internet Garden Explorer with the latest data. At this stage QR Code web references are automatically updated to all relevant taxa in your plant collection.
3. Labels with QR Codes are produced and placed out in the garden.
4. Visitors can now scan the QR Code. The smartphone will navigate directly to the Garden Explorer page for the relevant taxon.
   1. The visitor can see details and photos of the taxon.
   2. He/she can read more in depth articles available from other web resources where available.
   3. The visitor can be informed that this plant is for sale in the garden shop.

In addition to integration with IrisBG Garden Explorer, IrisBG mobile can also be used to scan the QR Codes. IrisBG mobile is used by garden staff to update the data records for the plant collection whilst out in the garden. With a Garden Explorer QR code present, the employee can use IrisBG mobile to scan the code, and the data record for the accession is retrieved.

Preparing QR Code information in IrisBG

Details about the QR Code URL Web address can be found in the Taxa screen (see below). You can supply your own URL or it can be a web address to the Garden Explorer page for that taxa. When you upload data to Garden Explorer, all relevant taxa will automatically be given their respective URL. The web address will always stay the same for each taxa, even when there is a name change.

Producing labels with QR Codes

With IrisBG you can produce garden labels

1. Using mail merge with Microsoft Word Templates
2. Or by exporting label data to a spread sheet or other file format supported by your label printer.

When using Microsoft Word Templates, IrisBG can generate QR Codes directly into the produced Word document. If you are exporting label details to file, the label printing software will need to have the capability to produce the QR Code from the QR Code URL that will be available in the exported file.

IrisBG Garden Explorer on a Smartphone

IrisBG Garden Explorer is designed to adapt to the browser platform the visitor is using. With the use of QR Codes, the Garden Explorer will be opened in the web browser on the smartphone. In the example on the right, you will see the taxon page for Ginkgo biloba after the QR code has been scanned.

Things to consider before you begin

• Try to make the QR Codes as big as possible. 2’’ (5cm) square is a good start, but the bigger the better.
• Try out different sizes before you decide.
• Try to have as short a web address to your Garden Explorer as possible. With longer URL’s, the QR Code will automatically be more detailed and, therefore, more difficult to scan.
• Remember that if you move your Garden Explorer web address, you will have to replace all the QR Codes.
• Try out the example label on the first page.

Conclusion

We are very excited about QR Codes and believe that this fabulous technology is very well suited to enhance the visitor experience in any botanical garden.
We will gladly assist you, if would like more information or to discuss in more detail how this technology can be used in your garden.

More details

IrisBG Garden Explorer
http://www.irisbg.com/p_gardenexpl.aspx

IrisBG Mobile:
http://www.irisbg.com/p_irismobile.aspx

References

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code

QR Code features, Denso-Wave:
http://www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/qrfeature-e.html

Why isn’t everyone using QR Codes:
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/28604.asp

35% of American Adults Own a Smartphone, Pew Research Center:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2054/smartphone-ownership-demographics-iphone-blackberry-android

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An “IrisBG” system consists of a Windows Client and a database. The Windows Client can be installed on any PC running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. The database is installed according to your preferences regarding database platform and operating system. This document outlines some of the technical details regarding the use of IrisBG with an internet hosted database. With this setup, IrisBG can be used in a multi-user environment from different locations without the need of a local network. The database is supplied as a service via internet and is managed by Botanical Software Ltd.

The database service

The supplied database is hosted by Microsoft Corporation and managed by Botanical Software Ltd.

The database, known as Microsoft® SQL Azure™, is a cloud-based relational database service. It provides a highly available, scalable, multi-tenant database service. More information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/sqlazure/.

Security model

The database has a dedicated firewall allowing access only from predefined locations/addresses. The database connection uses enforced encryption, which secures all the data traffic.

Data protection and disaster recovery

The service uses a built-in failover to protect the data. This means that the data is protected from loss of data due to machine hardware failure. The data is replicated three times in the storage system. In addition, the data is replicated across at least two geographic datacentres. There is also optional support for clone and/or continuous backup, which can be used in special cases of data loss due to user failure. The optional backup service will come at an additional fee.

IrisBG has many operational features to prevent the user from removing large amounts of data accidently, so we do not expect a high demand for this feature.

Availability

The service is guaranteed with a 99.95% availability (less than an hour downtime per annum). In practical terms, other parts of the infrastructure, such as broadband connection and local computer hardware, are much more likely to affect availability.

Data storage capacity

On a local network database, the storage capacity is only limited by available disk space. With the internet hosted service, we do offer databases sizes up 50GB. As a standard, the service is available with up to 1GB of data storage. Larger storage is available at an additional charge.

An average IrisBG database of 10.000 accessions/20.000 taxa without images will consume approximately 20MB of data storage. For the remaining 980MB there is available space for:

• 400+, 10 Megapixel 24bit jpeg images.
• 600+, 6 Megapixel 24bit jpeg images.
• 950+, 3 Megapixel 24bit jpeg images.

Please also note that large images will upload slower on a low bandwidth. IrisBG does support automatic downscaling of large images.

Performance and end user experience

IrisBG has been tested from two different locations with the following configurations:

* The connectivity was measured by www.speedtest.net, or equivalent.

Test scenarios and results

Conclusion of test results

All common operations will perform satisfactorily even with very lower bandwidth.

End user experience

Overall, the system will behave and feel similar to the more common setup of a database in the local high speed network.

By stress testing the system, we have managed in a very few cases to create situations where the connection has failed. Connection failure is related to the quality of the broadband service, and/or if you leave the program/PC idle for a longer period. We have only managed to recreate this issue in relation to report processing, and the problem is easily resolved by retrying the operation. There are no long delays relating to this issue.

Local PC and broadband requirements

To run IrisBG with an internet hosted database, you will need:

• A local PC running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.
• Internet broadband connection with dedicated IP address¹ and measured broadband speed of recommended minimum of 1MB/0.25MB². Higher bandwidth will increase the user experience.
• Depending on local conditions, it may be necessary to create a local firewall exception for TCP port 1433.

₁ The dedicated database firewall is managed by Botanical Software Ltd.
₂ IrisBG will also operate under very low bandwidths, but the user experience will degrade accordingly.