• Goal
• What is the Leica Geosystems HEAK Program?
• Who Can Participate?
• What is Remote Sensing and Image Processing?
• Why Leica Geosystems ERDAS Imagine?
• Site Licence Fee Schedule
• What's Covered
• What's Not Covered
• Contact Information

The goal of the ERDAS site license is to ensure that image processing technology is available for research and teaching at the University of Kansas (KU). This is accomplished by providing faculty, staff, and students with cost-effective access to a broad array of image processing technology, including the industry standard ERDAS Imagine software, under Leica Geosystems Higher Education Annual Kit (HEAK) program.

The Leica Geosystems HEAK program is a contractual agreement between The University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. (KUCR) and Leica Geosystems under which KU access to ERDAS Imagine image processing software is provided in exchange for an annual maintenance fee. The HEAK program enables substantial cost savings compared to past costs of the individual KU users already using ERDAS products. Broad participation in the program means lower annual costs for all. The Kansas Applied Remote Sensing (KARS) Program serves the role of coordinating activities under the site license; while administration of the site license, including billing, is handled by KUCR.

Participation in the HEAK program is available either for individuals at KU (e.g, individual researchers or teachers) or for KU administrative units (e.g., departments or research programs). The site license allows students to use the software on university owned computers, but does not allow them to install it on their personal computers.

Remote sensing, in the broadest sense, is the process of observing objects from a distance. More specifically, remote involves data gathering from airborne and spaceborne cameras and imaging instruments. Image processing refers to the extensive array of computer tools for enhancing, classifying (mapping), and managing geo-referenced image data. Applications of remote sensing are many and varied, and can be found in virtually every academic subject. Visit the website The Remote Sensing Core Curriculum for more information about remote sensing and image processing.

Teaching and training in image processing techniques at KU have been conducted with ERDAS Imagine software since the early 1980s. Leica Geosystems is recognized as a world leader in image processing and its products have become an industry standard. Leica Geosystems flagship product, ERDAS Imagine, is widely recognized as a powerful and complete image processing package. Visit the Leica Geosystems website for more information about image processing, ERDAS Imagine, and ERDAS Imagine add-on products.

The Higher Education Annual Kit provides a one-year license for ERDAS Imagine software running on both Unix and Windows workstations. There are a number of Levels at which a university may participate as indicated in the following table.

Currently, KU is participating at the Level 3 option. Call the HEAK program Site Administrator below for current campus pricing.

Software included under the HEAK:

• IMAGINE Professional which includes: Viewer, Import/Export, Raster Editor, Map Composer, Mosaic, Image Interpreter, Spatial Modeler, Model Maker, Classification, Rectification, Image Catalog, Radar Interpreter, and On-line Documentation
• IMAGINE Vector
• IMAGINE VirtualGIS

Software NOT included under the HEAK and fee per license:

• IMAGINE Developer's Toolkit ($1,000)
• IMAGINE OrthoMax Professional ($2,000)
• IMAGINE Subpixel Classifier ($1,000)

• These costs cover access to software, all upgrades, and online documentation. One copy of the distribution media is provided to each participating department/unit.
• Support for ERDAS Imagine software is coordinated by the Site Administrator. Support questions are initially sent (email preferred) to the Site Administrator who forwards the questions to Leica Geosystems. Leica Geosystems will then contact the unit/individual requesting support to resolve the problem.

Please send inquires concerning participation in the Leica Geosystems HEAK program or technical questions to the Site Administrator:

Jerry Whistler
Research Associate
Kansas Applied Remote Sensing
phone: 785/864-1513
fax: 785/864-1534
email: whistler@ku.edu