The GIS Lens 
Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. GISCafe Unveils Comprehensive Geo Week Conference CoverageFebruary 22nd, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
February 22, 2025 – GISCafe, the premier source for geospatial news and insights, is proud to announce its extensive coverage of this year’s Geo Week Conference. From in-depth interviews with industry leaders to thought-provoking articles on emerging trends, GISCafe captured the pulse of the event, showcasing the innovation driving the geospatial sector. Geo Week Event HighlightsGeo Week set new benchmarks this year by breaking attendance records and delivering an unprecedented experience for geospatial professionals. Held February 10–12, 2025 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, the event drew a record 3,222 professionals from over 3,600 registrants representing 49 countries. The sold-out exhibit hall—featuring 215 leading exhibitors—became the largest in Geo Week’s history, while the celebration of World Lidar Day underscored global achievements in lidar technology. This dynamic convergence of technology, networking, and expert insights cemented Geo Week’s status as the go-to platform for exploring how data, maps, and advanced technologies can inform solutions to complex challenges. In-Depth Video InterviewsAt Geo Week, GISCafe conducted a series of exclusive interviews with key industry figures. CompassCom CEO Brant Howard discussed the company’s growth strategy and the transformative impact of emerging technologies on data communications. His interview highlighted CompassCom’s commitment to empowering professionals through robust, reliable solutions that address modern geospatial challenges. Watch Interview
Read the rest of GISCafe Unveils Comprehensive Geo Week Conference Coverage Wingcopter Expands Beyond Cargo, Eyes LiDAR Surveying MarketFebruary 17th, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
German Drone Maker Ventures Into Long-Range Infrastructure InspectionWingcopter, the German drone manufacturer known for its cutting-edge cargo delivery drones, is taking a significant step into the geospatial industry. At GEO WEEK, a leading trade show for geospatial technology, the company announced its expansion into long-range beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) LiDAR surveying. With this move, Wingcopter aims to revolutionize the way critical infrastructure such as power lines, pipelines, railways, and remote terrain is mapped and inspected.
The expansion builds on Wingcopter’s years of experience in developing eVTOL drones capable of long-range, high-payload operations. The company’s flagship drone, the Wingcopter 198, will now be equipped with advanced LiDAR and camera systems, allowing for precise and efficient data collection over vast areas. With a single flight, the drone can survey up to 37 miles while carrying a 10-pound sensor payload, covering as much as 2,560 acres in just 42 minutes. The announcement comes as Wingcopter continues to advance its FAA type certification process in the United States, a critical step in proving the drones’ reliability. At the trade show, Ansgar Kadura, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Wingcopter, spoke about the company’s evolving vision and how surveying aligns with its broader mission. “For years, we have been focused on developing reliable drones for cargo delivery, particularly in medical logistics,” Kadura said. “But with the maturity of our technology and the reliability we have achieved, we felt the time was right to expand into new applications. The long-range capability, high payload capacity, and reliability of our system make it ideally suited for LiDAR-based infrastructure inspection.” Read the rest of Wingcopter Expands Beyond Cargo, Eyes LiDAR Surveying Market GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – GeoSapientJanuary 30th, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
By John L Kelley, CEO and CoFounder, GeoSapient, Inc.  John L. Kelley GIS and AI integration.GeoSapient explores the intricacies of geocomputing data, processes, and applications, going beyond the rise of space and airborne resources. GIS Applications Transformed by Disruptive Generative AI Agents GIS and Artificial Intelligence (AI) together revolutionize spatial analysis and decision-making. Let’s begin with a brief overview of AI Agents. Autonomous AI software, AI agents, execute tasks, make decisions, and supply insights. Data (at rest and streaming) allows these agents to learn, reason, and adapt to changing environments. There are two categories of AI Agents. Processing vast amounts of text and structured data is the providence of Large Language Models (LLMs) which can power sophisticated analysis and predictions. Lightweight and optimized for specific tasks, Small Language Models (SLMs) are perfect for localized geospatial queries or particular feature extractions. Agents will enable autonomous feature extraction from satellite imagery, accurately identifying roads, buildings, and water bodies. SLMs complement this by supporting targeted tasks like specific urban trend predictions or localized disaster risk modeling. Their combined effort allows for (near) real-time data-driven actions through real-time spatial decision-making. Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – GeoSapient GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – Mach9January 20th, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
By Max Leung, founding Solutions Engineer at Mach9  Max Leung Accelerating infrastructure decision-making with AI feature extraction From infrastructure modernization to climate resilience, geospatial insights are powering how infrastructure is designed, built, and maintained globally. As 2025 begins, geospatial data stands at the forefront of critical decision-making, empowering organizations to solve complex infrastructure and safety challenges. Here are the key trends shaping the geospatial industry and its broader implications.
Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – Mach9 GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – NearmapJanuary 15th, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
By Don Weigel, General Manager of Government and Commercial, Nearmap  Don Weigel Technological Innovations Technology continues to rapidly evolve, and 2025 will be no different. Three specific use cases that I think will see technological innovation this year are:
Many different industries are leveraging location intelligence and embedding those solutions within systems to allow for deeper insights and learnings, empowering industries to respond to their surroundings in a more meaningful way. One of those ways is when planning and designing future-ready cities. Location intelligence data can help users better visualize what a city should look like—ensuring special care is made to consider growth patterns, traffic flow and accuracy. Generative AI combined with location intelligence for city planning and real estate development will lead to more alternatives that drive better decisions and ultimately better environments for citizens and developers alike.
Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – Nearmap GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – NoteworthyJanuary 8th, 2025 by Sanjay Gangal
By Juliet Su, Product Development Manager, Noteworty  Juliet Su GIS Data in 2025: The Foundation for Utility Distribution Grid Modernization and ResilienceAs utilities embrace the challenges of the ongoing energy transition, geospatial data collection and analytics are emerging as foundational elements for modernizing grid operations and enhancing resilience. To meet the ever-increasing need for accurate, high-quality, and up-to-date geospatial information, utilities are shifting away from legacy boots-on-the-ground inspection methods in favor of more innovative solutions, such as drones, asset-mounted hardware, vehicle-mounted inspection systems, and other smart grid monitoring technologies. Utilities that effectively integrate and scale these technologies will be better positioned to navigate the demands of widespread electrification, ensuring a smarter, more resilient grid for the future. The Scope of the Challenge The scale of distribution infrastructure is immense, presenting challenges distinct from those of its generation and transmission counterparts. In the United States alone, estimates from groups such as EEI and the American Galvanizers Association suggest there are between 140 and 180 million utility poles. Each pole, often equipped with transformers, insulators, switches, and other hardware, contributes to billions of distinct assets utilities must manage. Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – Noteworthy GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – vHiveDecember 31st, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
By Yariv Geller, Co-Founder and CEO of vHive  Yariv Geller 1. Technological Innovations: What major technological advancements or innovations do you foresee occurring in your industry in 2025, and how do you plan to adapt or lead in these areas?In 2025, the telecom industry is at a crossroads of innovation and opportunity, driven by the need for efficiency, cost reduction, and smarter operations. Technological advancements are making existing workflows more efficient, accurate, scalable, and cost-effective, ensuring measurable results – today, while setting the stage for future workflow improvement as part of a broader digital transformation agenda. The focus in 2025, as we see it, will be on using technology not only as an acceleration vehicle, but also as an ecosystem connector, bridging gaps across the different players and creating shared value for TowerCos, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), construction contractors and maintenance providers. Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2025 – vHive Geospatial Predictions for 2025 – KOREMDecember 18th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
By Jonathan Houde, CTO at Korem  The geospatial industry, similar to the broader technology sector in general, has experienced another remarkable year of innovation. Geospatial solutions are continuously evolving to address complex challenges and unlock new opportunities for businesses. Many of 2024’s predictions have started to materialize, with advancements spanning GeoAI, cloud data warehousing, expanded data availability, and more. While it’s challenging to narrow down such a wide range of innovation, this article will focus on 5 key trends shaping the future of location intelligence in 2025. Generative AI Expanding into Geospatial Applications Generative AI (GenAI) has continued to generate buzz, evolving from hype to tangible use cases on geospatial applications. From generating code to analyzing and summarizing data, GenAI’s outcome represents a significant productivity boost. Bringing Precision to the Field: How Trimble’s MX60 is Transforming Asset Data Capture and GIS IntegrationNovember 27th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
In a cozy, tucked-away corner at the bustling Trimble Dimensions Conference in Las Vegas, I sat down with Karl Bradshaw and Gareth Gibson, both of whom play pivotal roles in shaping the trajectory of Trimble’s geospatial and reality capture technologies. Bradshaw, the Market Manager for Mobile Mapping, and Gibson, the Marketing Director for Mapping & GIS Solutions, came armed with an infectious enthusiasm and an array of details about Trimble’s latest innovation: the Trimble MX60. It was clear from our conversation that for them, the MX60 wasn’t just another product—it was a leap forward in the way we understand and interact with the physical world around us.  The Trimble MX60 offers improved positioning and optics, making it ideal for transportation infrastructure and road analysis and comprehensive asset management for utilities. Bradshaw wasted no time in setting the stage. “Reality capture has evolved tremendously within Trimble,” he began. “We’re moving beyond static methods and into a realm where the devices do much of the heavy lifting. With the MX60, we’ve created a platform that collects mass data and makes it available for a range of practical applications.” He elaborated on how the MX60’s mobile mapping capabilities allow it to capture high-definition images and detailed 3D point clouds with stunning accuracy. The camera system, he emphasized, was a key development for utility companies, municipalities, and other sectors dependent on reliable asset data. Bentley Systems Enhances Carbon Analysis Capabilities to Tackle Infrastructure’s Carbon FootprintNovember 13th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
 Chris Bradshaw Vancouver, B.C.— In a decisive step towards making infrastructure more sustainable, Bentley Systems announced the launch of its new Carbon Analysis capabilities at the Year in Infrastructure Conference. The enhancements, available in the iTwin Experience platform, are aimed at simplifying carbon impact assessments, enabling engineers to systematically integrate carbon analysis into their design processes. The new features promise to streamline the traditionally complex task of carbon reporting by automatically aggregating data, integrating carbon metrics, and offering 3D visualizations of carbon impacts. Chris Bradshaw, Bentley’s Chief Sustainability Officer, unveiled the Carbon Analysis capabilities at the conference, underscoring their role in addressing a critical aspect of global emissions—embodied carbon. “Given that up to 80% of today’s greenhouse gas emissions are linked to infrastructure, it’s essential that we find ways to significantly reduce the carbon impact of new construction projects and renovations,” said Bradshaw during an interview. “Our new capabilities help engineers visualize carbon data and make informed decisions early in the design process.” Tackling Embodied CarbonEmbodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gases emitted during the construction of an asset, accounting for everything from material extraction to manufacturing. These emissions represent a significant portion of infrastructure’s environmental impact—often well before an asset is even put into operation. As Savina Carluccio, executive director of the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure, highlighted, “By 2050, embodied carbon from new infrastructure could account for nearly half of the world’s carbon footprint.” Bentley’s Carbon Analysis capabilities provide a “cradle-to-gate” assessment of embodied carbon, offering a more comprehensive understanding of an infrastructure project’s environmental cost. The system simplifies the integration of carbon data by linking Bentley’s iTwin platform with third-party carbon assessment tools, such as EC3 and One Click LCA. This approach allows users to dynamically visualize carbon impact changes across different design iterations, facilitating real-time decision-making. |
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