Making the move – How federal agencies can embrace the benefits of the new could-based GIS system

Since their inception in the 1980’s, geographic information systems (GIS) have developed in their capability and sophistication, playing an increasingly important and central role in how federal and commercial organizations map, plan and manage real-world challenges through ever-developing technology.

Through its movement to web and cloud computing, alongside integration with real-time information via the Internet of Things, GIS is transitioning to embrace the growing functionality and performance opportunities provided by the internet.

Today, GIS provides an invaluable platform relevant to almost every aspect of modern life and is now a cornerstone for those agencies responsible for planning and delivering public infrastructure. As our world faces environmental challenges including expanding population, climate change impact and pollution, GIS is playing an increasingly important role in how we understand and address these issues, whilst offering a means for communicating risks and solutions through mapping.

What’s new in cloud GIS?

Geospatial technologies provide federal agencies with a suite of digital tools to more effectively oversee spatial and geographic aspects of their projects, adding a valuable dimension to data analysis by visually portraying a project and its distinct spatial connections.

By using geospatial services, agencies can enhance their decision-making processes and optimize asset management, leading to more informed and intelligent choices.

Moving to a new cloud-based operating platform will take all the functionality organizations have come to know from a desktop version, but crucially, deliver significant enhancements and benefits in the shape of:

• greater data insights and sharing,
• compliance,
• better performance,
• more cost efficiencies,
• a more friendly and intuitive user experience, and
• improved security.

The development of interactive web maps enables the full landscape of federal organizations to utilize new perspectives and enhanced details using smart, data-driven mapping styles and intuitive analysis tools to gain location intelligence.

Adding value for federal agencies

The transition of migrating to a new cloud-based GIS system is going to take effort — no matter what type of GIS program you work on or department you are in. The changes are big and can look uncomfortable.

But the benefits are tangible, enabling federal organizations to better map and plan for risk, whilst helping them to meet industry best practices alongside federal security policies, and to enjoy higher levels of security whilst enabling enhanced data sharing and collaboration for more efficient processes.

For those federal agencies hesitating to make the transition from a desktop to a cloud-based system, the longer you wait, the greater the impact you may experience, with investment in ongoing development, security updates and patches of the desktop version gradually being phased out.

The sooner agencies make the move, the quicker they will be able to tap into the benefits of the new system. For those making the change, wider enhancements include:

• training support,
• emergency response,
• application development,
• asset management,
• artificial intelligence and machine learning, and
• 3D visualization and simulation.

National, federal and state governments are complex and multi-layered, covering key areas including public works, land administration, planning and development, alongside risk and emergency planning and management.

One of the key strengths of GIS cloud solutions is its collaborative approach. It enables these diverse, multi-departmental functions to come together, enabling easy data uploading, project sharing and collaboration, both internally and externally.

It isn’t just about keeping up with technology; it’s about reshaping how government departments can work together, make decisions, engage with communities and plan for today and tomorrow.

This unified approach to managing geospatial needs can ultimately lead to more effective and accurate results.

It can also lead to greater cost efficiencies. By using GIS cloud solutions, government can avoid large upfront investments in hardware and software. Instead, they can better scale their usage based on current demand, paying only for what they use. This flexibility is a great advantage for budget management, and can help reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and allow for a more efficient allocation of resources.

Next steps

For any agency, questions and concerns including data security, integration issues and potential training needs for users should be considered and planned for.

Consideration should also be given to how an agency can most efficiently implement the move away from a singular desktop account to a multi-dimensional, multi-user platform delivered through Cloud GIS.

Looking before you leap is important to help map what that transition process looks like, its impact on a department and how the enhanced capabilities provided can be best integrated to help meet organizational responsibilities and objectives.

Andrea Jackman is principal consultant in data science at ABSG Consulting Inc.

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