After the introduction of a new software release --especially one with as many new advanced features as Release 7-- I am always curious to find out if the new developments are indeed being applied by the users and if they become accepted in their day-to-day work. A very nice way to find out about this is for me to attend a users' group meeting and hear people present projects in which the latest software developments have been successfully applied.
Another, a bit more stressful, way to find out that new features are used in practice, is when users contact me to report a bug they ran into when trying to do some advanced modelling. When this happens (and it did a few times in the recent months), we all try our best to solve the problem as quickly as possible. In this process, we often have to rely a lot on the users who reported the problem. We ask them to provide all kinds of information, and sometimes even to send us their data, so that we can reproduce the bug on our system. I am always impressed how promptly and how patiently such requests are followed up, and, for once, I would like to take this opportunity to thank these users for their efforts.
Heinz Spiess, Editor
EMME/2 Support Center
Haldenstrasse 16
CH-2558 Aegerten
SWITZERLAND
Tel: (41) (32) 53 20 57
Fax: (41) (32) 53 57 86
Since the first installations of EMME/2 in North America and Europe, more than ten years have passed. In that period of time the acceptance of EMME/2 in 48 of the world's countries has given a global dimension to our work. While the majority of EMME/2 users are still to be found in North America and the countries of Europe, we count now a significant number of users in Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The dialog that we have established with users in diverse locations, each with specific planning issues and planning traditions, has enriched our appreciation of the particular uses made of EMME/2 and of the competence of the persons who use it. We look forward to continue these contacts during formal and informal occasions during the coming year.
There are new developments that you will read about in this issue, which I am sure will show that we are continuously striving to provide new and exciting features in EMME/2 and add as well to the computing platforms that we support.
Michael Florian, President
INRO Consultants, Inc.
5160 D'ecarie Boulevard, Suite 610
Montr'eal, Qu'e H3X 2H9
CANADA
Tel: (514) 369-2023
Fax: (514) 369-2026