By Jodie Gosselin, GISP, is the GIS director at Dawood Engineering (Dawood),

Jodie Gosselin

As I look forward to 2024, my industry predictions revolve around the immediate changes I see occurring in AEC firms like Dawood Engineering. Changes that are right in front of me and that I’m working with my team to solve.

In a recent LinkedIn post, I touted how pleasantly surprised I was with ArcGIS Pro’s functionality and capabilities after needing to get into the weeds and use it for data analysis, map production, web sharing, and data management. Having been a die-hard ArcMap user my entire career, I was stubborn in my resistance to change. What I learned from publicly announcing my new-found admiration for ArcGIS Pro is that there are a lot of “closed-door” ArcGIS Pro fans out there.

Although the migration to ArcGIS Pro has been steadily occurring in our community, I predict 2024 to be the year a culture shift occurs and ArcGIS Pro becomes the primary software of all AEC Esri users, and the beginning of ArcMap being phased out by GIS users. A lot of advancements have been made to Pro since it was originally released years ago and the need to toggle between ArcMap and ArcPro is now unnecessary. With the prevalence of ArcGIS web applications and data sharing workflows, ArcGIS Pro has hooked many users with its level of integration into these tasks. More users will start to see and appreciate the other advances that have been made to Pro in other areas like linear referencing, map layouts, and data editing.

Read the rest of GIS Industry Predictions 2024 – Dawood Engineering

By Marc Prioleau is the executive director of Overture Maps Foundation,

Marc Prioleau

Charting the Path Forward: Open Map Data’s Role in Enriching Mapping Experiences

In the last 2 years, I have talked to over 250 companies and organizations that are involved in mapping, location services, and map data building. There is amazingly consistent consensus across the industry:  we, as a group, need to move to open map data, especially for the base layers that must support the ever-growing metadata that drives richer map experiences.

The demand for those richer experiences seems insatiable, which means that application developers need new, more accurate, more timely data. Trying to support all that data on multiple versions of basemaps is becoming  unsustainable.

My prediction is that, in 2024, developers will increasingly opt for open map data to build the foundation for their applications.

Today, map data underpins applications for everything from search, to routing, to logistics, to autonomous driving. As the metaverse builds, and the digital and physical worlds merge, map services will underpin augmented reality and its many expected applications from search to games to software for enterprises.

Read the rest of GIS Industry Predictions 2024 – Overture Maps Foundation

Revolutionizing the World with LiDAR: 2024’s Industry Game-Changer

As we step into 2024, the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology is poised to transcend its automotive roots, marking a paradigm shift in its application spectrum. This year is set to witness LiDAR’s widespread adoption in sectors beyond automotive, particularly in major transportation hubs like airports and in smart city applications such as parking management and smart highways. This article delves into the anticipated technological innovations, market trends, and the integration of artificial intelligence with LiDAR technology, outlining how these elements will collectively redefine industry standards.

Read the rest of Industry Predictions 2024 – Outsight

By Dr. Konrad Wenzel, Director Director of the Esri R&D Center, ESRI Stuttgart

Dr. Konrad Wenzel

1 – AI for Data Understanding and Co-piloting Workflows: AI will continue to play an increasingly important role in the geospatial industry. AI algorithms can analyze large volumes of geospatial data, extract valuable insights, and automate repetitive tasks. This will lead to more efficient and accurate decision-making processes.

2 – Digital Twins and Access to GIS: Digital twins, which are virtual replicas of real-world objects or processes, are becoming a commoditized access to GIS for a larger user community. Digital twins provide a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing geospatial data in a user-friendly manner. This democratization of GIS technology will enable more people to leverage spatial data for various applications.

3 – Continuous Mapping Workflows with Autonomous Sensors and AI: Autonomous sensors and AI technologies are transforming mapping workflows. Drones, satellites, and other autonomous platforms equipped with sensors can collect data in real-time, while AI algorithms process and analyze this data to generate up-to-date and accurate maps. This continuous mapping workflow will enable organizations to monitor changes in the environment, infrastructure, and urban areas more effectively.

Read the rest of Industry Predictions 2024 – ESRI

By Joe Wolfel, Terradepth, CEO

Joe Wolfel

2023 Will be the Year We Gain Greater Understanding of Our Oceans

By necessity, 2023 will see a dramatic increase in the collection and analysis of geospatial data related to our oceans. Whether the goal is better understanding of climate change mechanisms or the responsible development of offshore renewable energy, improved knowledge of the complex marine ecosystem is critical.

Ocean studies have been traditionally stymied by lack of quality marine data – primarily due to the inherent difficulties in subsurface collection operations – and the inability to easily share and analyze the limited ocean data that does exist. Fortunately, 2022 provided a turning point to overcome both these obstacles – and this momentum will only accelerate in 2023.

Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Terradepth

By, Chris Rose, Channel VP and James Eaton, VP solutions consulting, Wejo

Chris Rose

James Eaton

GIS with connected vehicle data will help organizations optimize operations in 2023

GIS will have a growing and more impactful effect across industries in 2023. However, the economic realities of the post-pandemic world and the likely pending recession will be driving forces behind use cases for business optimization in 2023. Connected cars, in particular, will play an important part in how businesses will work to better leverage GIS which feeds into it for better footfall analysis for marketing and pricing and digital twins.

In fact, connected vehicle data has already shown us with real-time visibility that traffic patterns aren’t what they used to be with the how, when, and where people work, having flipped the economy, particularly the retail sector, on its head. With tough economic times likely on the horizon, it is critically important that organizations look to data and solutions that leverage real-time information to understand where people live, work and travel daily. The currency of real-time big data available is driving dynamic decision-making. And organizations that successfully embrace it will be the ones that can optimize their businesses best in 2023.

Read the rest of GISCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Wejo