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Geospatial World I January 2011

INTERVIEW

The definition of the geospatialindustry is changing, rather, evolving at a fast pace. I appreciateyour views on the same.Geospatial technology is indeed evolv-ing rapidly; opening up new opportu-nities, new applications and new waysof using geographic information insociety. A 'new modality' is emergingthat uses everything we do now but ina new context. This is similar to whatoccurred in the motion picture indus-try when moving picture technologywas first invented. Initially peoplefilmed live stage performances anddisseminated them widely. After awhile, people realised that a lot morecould be done and a new modalityemerged, giving birth to movies as wenow know them. When maps were

IN AN EXCLUSIVE WITH

GEOSPATIAL WORLD,

JACK DANGERMOND,

PRESIDENT, Esri REFLECTS

ON THE CHANGING

CHARACTER OF GEOSPATIAL

INDUSTRY AND PRIORITY

AREAS FOR Esri

14

A 'NEW

GEOSPATIAL

MODALITY'

JACKDANGERMONDPresident, Esri

Geospatial World I January 2011 15

first automated using CAD systems, people digitisedmaps, changed their scales and disseminated them digitally. This was useful but limited. Digital maps aselectronic drawings gave way to the GIS platform.

This introduced spatial analysis and generation of multi-ple map products from a transactionally maintained data-base. The GIS represented a new modality, a whole newapproach for the application of geographic knowledge inapplications.

We are now at a stage where we are again seeing a majorshift in many aspects of the geospatial world. Take forexample measurement. In the beginning, we digitised andscanned maps. Later, digital imagery was used to extendmap information. Now we are beginning to take fullmotion video and integrating with our GIS databasesdirectly. GIS is integrating real time measurements, suchas traffic, weather, earthquakes and a plethora of dynam-ic measurements.Another shift is to server GIS and theuse of Web as a platform. We are seeing distributed GISservices emerge as well as the vision of a "system of systems" being realised by various organisations with different mission responsibilities. This is not just aboutconnecting enterprise data to the Web, it is actually theemergence of Web oriented systems that are designed toprovide shared services and are maintained throughtransactions. This is a new emerging architecture thatwill support many of the visions of SDI that have been discussed for decades.

What are you engineering in your products to takeadvantage of these new trends?The new GIS modality has many interesting characteris-

tics; it's distributed, yet can dynamically integrate data. It involves the Web, crowd sourcing (VGI), templates, widescaled access to open data, server based architecturesand easier-to-use user interfaces and applications. When we step back and look at what's going on technically, there continues to be the traditional enterprise computing patterns involving the desktop, the server and the federated systems.

These patterns are used extensively in utilities, business,government and natural resources as well as the morepervasive platforms of cloud computing and device patterns (i.e. smartphones). We have recently launchedArcGIS 10.

This new technology integrates all five computing pat-terns into one system; a complete geospatial ecosystemfor our users. So if you acquire a desktop license, you notonly have the local capabilities but also tens of thousandsof resources such as map services, data services, mapcontent, search capabilities and discovery and mashupcapabilities.

This means ArcGIS 10 extends from enterprise systems topervasive computing. Our purpose in doing this is to openup traditional GIS systems, make their accessibility mucheasier and provide the knowledge and capabilities ofthese systems to users of the more pervasive world(browsers and mobile devices). This technology shift iscreating the huge modality shift. GIS professionals aredeveloping new, more pervasive applications and evolvingthe geospatial market towards 'GIS for everyone'. Whatthat means for a GIS professional is that their work doneon a desktop or placed on a server becomes part of an

InterviewGeospatial technology is evolving rapidly - opening up newopportunities, new applications and new wways of usinggeographic information in society. A ‘new modality’ is emergingthat uses everything wwe do now but in a new context. It offers acomplete geospatial ecosystem for the users

“

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ecosystem or infrastructure available to many. This archi-tecture blends all five computing patterns and is totallyopen and interoperable with other IT systems.

In summary, we are in a time of very rapid change. Weare still making maps and doing analysis on the desktop,and at the same time GIS is moving to a new level with aplatform that is allowing the realisation of SDI visions.

A significant number of mergers and acquisitions have taken place in the past five years in geospattialindustry, both of large and smaller companies. Manyclaim it as a process of consolidation. How do you perceive this?

This is always going on in most industries. Esri's businessstrategy is to focus on evolving a well designed and engineered system rather than making acquisitions tobuy market share. We think this is better for our usersand creates a more stable organisation for our users andemployees. Our approach also involves partnering withother organisations to create a broad ecosystem of integrated geospatial technologies and applications. Esri has occasionally acquired technology companies thatmade our overall system better or helped our users butwe remain focussed on developing a simple integratedgeospatial platform that's open, interoperable and stan-dards based.

Acquisition of Intergraph by Hexagon has definitelyinfluenced the ecosystem of the geospatial indusstryand has affected in some form or other many geospa-tial companies. It has enabled Hexagon to accquiretechnology in almost all segments including GIS,GNSS, imaging, software, hardware and so on. Thereis a strong feeling about the emergence of geospatialcamps in the industry. How do you view tthis new equi-librium?I don't like the culture and implications of ‘camps.’ I doknow that technology continues to evolve rapidly and withthis evolution comes changes in business alliances andmore importantly end user capabilities. What has keptEsri so healthy over the decades is our focus on our cus-tomers' needs and make a large ongoing commitment toinvestment in successful innovation. Also, we work hardon maintaining an open policy on business partnerships.While the geospatial industry continues to be competitive,


"GIS for billion people"

Today, GIS is being deployed on a new platform _ the Weband cloud computing-and we all are in the early stages ofadjusting to it. The characteristics of this environment areeasy-to-use technology, more pervasive access, and theability to mashup or integrate distributed knowledge. Thismeans that access to geospatial knowledge will growexponentially. Our existing users are gradually adoptingthis new paradigm and integrating this platform withtheir traditional workflows. So, in addition to runningtheir enterprises, they are putting up public services andapplications that can be accessed by anyone. This will ultimately result in a geospatial platform that couldpotentially reach billions of people.

Over the last few decades, widespread adoption of GIS hascaused a change in thinking. People can look at overlays ofmaps, see new relationships, see different kinds of phe-nomena, and it creates a new understanding. Up untilrecently this has largely taken place in specialised commu-nities, or with professionals using specific applications.The next step in GIS evolution means that everyone willhave access to the idea of map overlays and spatial analy-sis. While traditional GIS has brought greater understand-ing within organisations, this next step will mean greaterunderstanding within society at large.

It also means greater collaboration and communicationacross organisations. Esri is one participant in this move-ment and while we are dominant significant player interms of research and advancement of the platform, thereis an enormous ecosystem of other players participating. Iam personally very appreciative of the opportunity toparticipate and continue playing a part in mak-ing all of this happen.

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these days we see less competition in some areas andmore cooperation based on a maturity in the knowledgeof what each of the vendors does best. Interoperabilitystandards have helped in this regard. Vendors have beentrending toward more specialisation and selling into theareas that they do best in.

In technology business, there are three kinds of technolo-gy companies: 1) core technology like Intel and traditionalDBMS companies; 2) solutions business and; 3) systemintegration. In geospatial areas these three types can beseen in both software and data. Organisations like Digital-Globe and GeoEye focus primarily on core data leavingsolutions business to their partners. In GIS, Esri hasfocussed on core technology. Our partners, like Telvent orTelcordia, focus on utility applications.

Esri's business is to provide platform technologies. Ourbusiness success is based on the fact that wedo this very well and have strong developeroriented platforms and an open and collabo-rative business partner programme thathelps our partners be successful.

GIS has moved beyond traditionalboundaries and so has the focus andapproach of GIS companies. Benttley,Autodesk and MapInfo, which werevery much in the GIS space a decade

ago, now position themselvves as infrastructure, archi-tecture and business intelligence solution companiesrespectively. How do you look at these developmentsand in your opinion what is the core value and utility ofGIS in ccoming times? What would be its peripheralenvironment?We remain focussed on building enabling platform tech-nology for enterprise and the pervasive geospatial marketis our core business. Many of our traditional competitorshave moved into niche markets with more of a solutionfocus. As a result, we see less competition in the geospa-tial platform business and more partnerships by largesoftware companies like IBM and Microsoft. Our partnersin selected vertical markets see competition with some ofthese traditional GIS compa-nies.

The improvements ininteroperabilitybetween systemshave had a hugebenefit for endusers. For example,GIS is increasinglybeing integratedwith CAD technologyaround specific work-flows. ArcGIS forAutoCAD hasmade the Auto-CAD desktop apowerfulclient for theArcGISServer

While the geospatial industrycontinues to be competitive,these days we see lesscompetition in ssome areas andmore cooperation based on amaturity in the knowledge of whateach of the vendors doess best


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and as a result integrated workflows within many of ourclients. In other cases, shifts in technology have changedthe market. For example, with the new support for 3Ddata models and analytic tools, the building managementindustry has embraced GIS for new applications like facil-ity management and energy optimization in smart build-ings. Our users are basically extending their GIS's intocampuses and buildings. With respect to geospatial

enabling of business intelligence, we are seeing that hap-pen in core companies like IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Ora-cle. All four of them have the vision of geospatial enable-ment of simple business intelligence applications usingmaps as a "report." This market is small but with theadvent of consumer Web mapping, there is greaterawareness and people are demanding to see their datavisualised in this way. This is a good idea and our server


The concept of GeoDesign started mycareer many years ago. The conceptwas actually pioneered by my profes-sor, Carl Steinitz at Harvard Universi-ty, who will soon publish a defin-itive text on the field. GeoDe-sign uses GIS as a platformfor designing geogra-phies at multiplescales. Specifically,the scientific infor-mation that GISusers collect andprocess is used toguide them indesigning thingsand quickly evaluatethe consequences ofalternative designs.This supports one of thebasic tenets of GIS: betterdecision making. I supposeGeoDesign concepts have beenpart of GIS workflows indirectly inmany agencies for decades. From thedawn of GIS technology, people haveused it in a decision support role. But upuntil recently, GIS has not been so wellconnected. As an example of a GeoDe-sign problem, in the US, there are elec-

tion districts, the territories of whichchange every ten years. The boundaries

are redesigned by politicians orlawyers. This is an interesting processbecause by changing the boundaries invarious ways one could increase theprobability of winning the election.

People want to know the implicationsof various changes in the boundaries. Anew Web application does this. GeoDe-sign uses GIS layers to guide design;basic map or analytic models and inter-active tools to design alternative plans.While GeoDesign can help us to designfair and equitable election districts, the

same process can be used in thedesigning of land use plans, siting

of retail stores in a region,highway plans or transmis-

sion plans-GeoDesigngives us a scientific

framework for evaluat-ing the alternatives andselecting the best one.So, GeoDesign is an oldidea. But it is also anew idea considering

nature or consideringsociety as part of the

process for creating thefuture. GeoDesign is rather

fundamental and you can thinkof it at the engineering level like

designing a new road, at town levellike modifying it in a decision supportrole. But up until recently, GIS has notbeen so well connected. GeoDesign is acombination of process, technology,and methodology which allows us toevaluate quickly the consequences ofalternatives.

GEODESIGN: Designing geographiesfor better decision making

technology is now regularly being integrated with sys-tems such as SharePoint, Cognos, and Business Objectsin a seamless way.

Crowdsourcing is another buzz word at the momentand presumably this is a pre-requisite for 'GIS forr Billion People'. What new direction is crowdsourcingtaking worldwide?First, crowdsourcing is an interesting concept that hasbeen particularly successful with GIS on the Web. One ofthe first really successful crowdsourced maps was OpenStreet Map (OSM). The concept OSM used was to developa well organised classification system of streets (datamodel) that allowed crowdsourced observation and easydata entry. Esri adopted this concept of building an ontol-ogy on a server and built it into ArcGIS 10 so that userscould set up their own map layer or feature class in thedatabase and through Web editing tools, easily collectobservation data using crowdsourcing.

This is a significant step because it means that a COTSproduct could be used to organise a database on the serv-er and any organisation could collect VGI observationaldata and use it immediately. This has been a key for ourusers who desired to do citizen science and crowdsourc-ing of citizens. The bottom line here is that in order to beuseful, VGI data needs to be collected in a structuredmanner so that it can be properly manipulated and ana-

lyzed. GIS users are now learning how to leverage this. Soit's not just a new kind of data source for them to inte-grate, it's also a new set of methods for them to use.

Another kind of crowdsourcing which is even more excit-ing to me is crowdsourcing from authoritative sources.Last year, we started the 'Community Topographic BaseMap'. This is a template that users in various agenciesaround the world download, pour their data into andupload into ArcGIS Online. Our template involves 20 dif-ferent scales of a topographic map and has beendesigned for use in a GIS system. The map is a cache andhas continuous dynamic qualities. It is a beautiful mapand more than 500 organisations have contributed to thissystem. We are currently making more than 12 millionmaps a day on this system after only a few months. I seethis "community" approach as one way that SDI will berealised.

Esri is as strong as ever in the GIS market space andis becoming a de-facto standard in GIS. This iis greatnews, but it also requires a significant amount oflocalisation of Esri's capabilities. How do you foreseeproviding customer support and fulfilling local needsin times to come?In ArcGIS 10, we decided to change our approach towardslocalisation with respect to language. So, in addition toEnglish, ArcGIS now ships in French, Spanish, German,Chinese and Japanese. We will expand this to include oth-er languages this year. Within our organisation we havean initiative called 'One Esri', to consistently spread busi-ness practices and user support globally. For many of ourdistributors, it is like opening the door and walkingstraight into Esri headquarters in Redlands, California.That is the level of service and quality in support andmaintenance our users want everywhere. We are nowworking with our distributors to implement the samebusiness practices and customer support, training andtechnical support. Technology and globalisation are help-ing us support our users and help grow our businesspartners so they have the same capabilities globally.

In the given economic scenario, we see a significantshift in focus to emerging economies. What are thepriority areas for Esri in this new economic worldorder?Our basic philosophy is to follow what users want us to

Crowdsourcing is an interestingconcept that has been particularlysuccessful with GIS on the Web.One of the first really successfulcrowdsourced maps was OpenStreet Map. Another kind ofexciting crrowdsourcing is onefrom authoritative sources


do. Today, the North American market continues to bestrong for us. While there is certainly less money in gov-ernment, our users continue to deliver efficiency and better decision making to their organisations. The resultis that GIS is seen as important even in difficult economictimes. Enterprise licensing has allowed our users to navigate around and be creative in delivering significantvalue to their organisations.

Outside of North America, the Middle East, China, andRussia are investing heavily and growing enormously.Latin America (especially Columbia, Peru, Brazil, andChile) is certainly another growth market. There are, ofcourse, changes in the market place from year to year but

frankly, GIS is either sta-ble or growing all over

the world.

What are thefour major ver-ticals for thegeospatialindustry?The utilitiessegment con-tinues to be agrowth area

globally. We areseeing both new

utilities' growth andcontinued rollover of

competitive technolo-gies into our platform.The government sector,

both at the local andnational levels, con-tinues to grow. The

military andsecurity mar-

ket is grow-ing and

wealsosee

natural resources, especially in mining, oil and gas andforestry, growing.

What I am personally interested in is the growing interestin open data policies and open government. It is an inter-esting area for new applications of geographic informa-tion. I also continue to be interested in education, growingthe next generation of professionals. The last area of per-sonal interest for me is our NGO-NPO programme. Lastyear we introduced a new programme which providesnearly free software to NGOs. Thousands of organisationshave already used this. For a small fee NGOs can get afree copy of ArcInfo and all of its extensions, downloadedand delivered on his/her desktop in any country. Likewise,organisations can get a full ArcGIS enterprise serverlicense. Our programme goes hand-in-glove with thegrowing open data policies of governments around theworld and delivers many benefits.

You have been focussing a lot on India and your recentefforts have brought tremendous movement in tthethinking of political and administrative leadership inIndia. Would you please share your vision for India?Senior leadership interest is a growing trend around theworld. My sense is that India is very much embracing GISas a societal platform. This is also being done in manycountries including China, Indonesia, Abu Dhabi, and oth-ers. Even the United States is embracing GIS at seniorgovernment levels.

GIS is moving from simple mission to being seen asimportant technology infrastructure for governing. Basically a movement is afoot at the executive level ingovernments and corporations that GIS matters.

In India, when I met with many senior leaders, I found abroad understanding of the power of GIS and how it couldhelp them govern. Geospatial technology has an opportu-nity in India to deal with the real issues of water, food,environment, urbanisation, transportation, and comm-unication in a holistic manner. This could empower andinspire so many things; increase collaboration, bettercommunication and improved decision making acrossgovernment and society. This could happen with some ofthe leadership I met. They have the passion to drive it andare willing to take risks to make it happen. This will makeIndia a better place.
