ESRI's GIS software links geographic information (where things are) with descriptive information to solve real-world problems such as estimating risk exposure to property from natural and man made disasters, providing bank branch and ATM location analysis, helping emergency response teams save lives, and much more. GIS allows users to input, manage, analyze, and visualize spatial information. More than 80 percent of all data, such as customer addresses, has a geographic, or spatial, component. Upon integration with WebFOCUS, GIS users can then input data from disparate databases and spreadsheets into ArcGIS and transform it into valuable business information. With WebFOCUS, ESRI software users have the functionality needed to satisfy their diverse reporting requirements and to enable them to easily interpret and communicate complex business data.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program uses the software combination to integrate its databases and to network offices and service programs. The Mapping Analysis Program (MAP) gives policy officials and program managers' access to key program data and the ability to analyze it in a geographic context.
Currently MAP uses iWay software's ETL Manager to access and store the various accounting and management information system data sets. The data are then transferred to the map server using ESRI's spatial database management software, ArcSDE. Maps are then generated on demand by ArcIMS, ESRI's Internet mapping software. This allows program managers and officials to monitor the number and location of USDA funded community projects by various government agencies. With the newly added capability of WebFOCUS users will be able to drill down to further details about specific areas and see the status of grant applications and project implementation. The outcome is compelling visual reports.
"MAP provides policy makers and program managers fast access to data originating from multiple systems to produce dynamic geographically enhanced reports. This integrated application gives public officials real-time usable information for making better decisions," says Norman Reid, associate deputy administrator, USDA Office of Community and Development.
"With Information Builders' business intelligence capabilities integrated into ESRI's ArcGIS suite, customers will benefit from a 'big picture' perspective through sophisticated data analysis and reporting from one common tool," says Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "The combined strengths of ESRI's thematic mapping capabilities and our WebFOCUS software provide a fully integrated solution to help overcome data management challenges."
Adds Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI, "Our partnership with Information Builders enables ESRI customers like USDA to leverage their existing GIS analysis tools with business intelligence reporting to help them make better decisions."
About ESRI
For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,400 business partners. ESRI's goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com.
About Information Builders
Information Builders turns data into business information for real-time delivery to the extended enterprise. The company's WebFOCUS product enables organizations to leverage the power of the Internet to reach employees, partners, suppliers, and customers, to deliver interactive and actionable information to the point of business. Cited by GartnerGroup as a "rock of business intelligence," Information Builders' award-winning technology has successfully provided quality software and superior consulting services for 27 years to more than 11,000 customers sites, including most of the Fortune 100 and U.S. federal government agencies. Headquartered in New York City, the company employs 1,900 people worldwide, has over 350 business partners, and generated revenues exceeding $300 million in 2001. For more information, visit www.informationbuilders.com.
About iWay Software
iWay Software, an Information Builders company, is a market leader in middleware that accelerates business integration. With facilities to integrate systems in real time, near-real time, or on a scheduled basis, iWay provides a complete reusable infrastructure for EAI, B2B, e-commerce, and mobile business. iWay's experience with complex information systems led to the development of prepackaged Intelligent Adapters to connect to more than 200 packaged applications, transaction systems, legacy data, relational databases, and e-business formats, without writing custom code. iWay Software integration solutions significantly reduce the time, cost, effort, and risk of integration projects throughout the enterprise. For more information about iWay software, visit www.iWaysoftware.com.
ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, GIS by ESRI, ArcGIS, ArcSDE, ArcIMS, www.esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.