So you want to Integrate your Desktop, Web and Mobile GIS Apps

Many of our clients use desktop GIS applications such as ArcMap. Some have developed Web GIS applications. One common theme across all clients with whom we work, is an increasing need to integrate their GIS data and applications.

The emergence of cloud and mobile technology has meant we can now bring together desktop, Web and mobile GIS. Providing an integrated, complementary GIS. Now field staff, analysts, Web users and executive all can have access to the same data.

Think about that for a moment.

No more working in isolation. A new shared GIS environment, data accessible from anywhere using any device.

Sounds expensive?

GIS has never been more economically, nor provided such wide benefits.

Integrate your Desktop, Web and Mobile GIS Apps – Client Examples

Let’s put some meat on the bones here with some examples.

Real Estate GIS

We have a real estate client who came to us with the following question:

“We are reliant on ArcMap to collate and work with data collected manually by our agents. This is a time consuming, inefficient process. We would like to improve how we collect data, and be able to share this data with other agents and the general public”

Decode the question: we would like to move to a cloud based GIS and integrate our desktop software with Web and mobile. Very cool.

Starting with data preparation, we are working with this client, publishing their data to ArcGIS Online, building a custom mobile data collection app for iPads and Android tablets, and a public facing Web application. This new integrated GIS environment will dramatically change our clients business, and help with their aggressive growth plans.

Natural Resource GIS

Another of our clients had a slightly different problem. Again their initial question:

“We have a mix of people working in the field; both GIS and non-GIS trained using a combination of expensive Trimble mobile devices and pen and paper respectively. The data is manually combined in the office and shared as shapefiles across the organization. We would like improve how we collect, combine and distribute our data.”

Intuitive mobile GIS applications (targeted at GIS and non-GIS folk alike) running on low cost mobile devices (Apple and Android) accessing data in the cloud was our read on this request. That is just what we are building out for this client. An efficient, reduced cost environment widening the scope and reach of their data. This project has evolved in unexpected and interesting ways. As the client has realised the benefits of integration other requirements have emerged; executive dashboards, and various focused web GIS applications.

We talk often in this blog about the revolution we are experiencing in the world of GIS. Integration and access to GIS applications is at the heart of this revolution. Improving how our clients work, and widening the reach and use of the technology we love is very exciting.

Tags: Android, ArcGIS Online, integration, IOS, mobile

Categories: ArcGIS Online, cloud GIS, Mobile ArcGIS, Web and mobile GIS

This entry was posted on Friday, March 28th, 2014 at 8:00 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.