Mobile GIS & LBS 
Matt Sheehan
Matt holds an MSc in Geography and GIS. He has been working with clients solving problems with GIS for over 17 years. Matt founded WebMapSolutions whose mission is to put innovative, intuitive GIS driven applications into the hands of new and existing users. Is Mobile GIS about to take off thanks to Hybrid Laptops?December 6th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
When you have time this holiday season pop into Best Buy. Wander into their laptop section and be prepared for a surprise: 80% of all laptops on sale are 2 in 1 hybrids. What is a 2-in-1 hybrid? They combine the features of a laptop and tablet into a single device. So one device which provides the best of both worlds. Hybrid laptops are having a huge impact on the computer market. The the 2-in-1 segment will see shipments worldwide jump 86.5% in 2015. These new devices will dramatically affect mobile GIS in 2016 and beyond. Why? The Evolution of Mobile GISLet’s step back for a second. Laptop and PC sales have been in decline for a number of years, as mobile devices have become increasingly more popular. Consumers were the first to jump in, replacing their (clunky) home computers with new, portable, easy to use smartphones and tablets. Society is being transformed by mobile; always connected is today’s mantra. Read the rest of Is Mobile GIS about to take off thanks to Hybrid Laptops? Today we need to all be GIS salespeopleDecember 2nd, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
Sales I hear you say. Yikes! But its true: today we need to all be GIS salespeople. Why? GIS is still our technology. Our little secret. The in-crowd get the value and power of a GIS. The multitude of questions GIS can answer. Business questions: saving money, making money. Want your boss and colleagues to know your true value: sell GIS. Want your GIS company to grow (exponentially): stop fishing in the same pool, go after the 90% who know nothing about GIS but (without knowing) need it desperately: sell GIS. What are my Mobile GIS Options?November 18th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
In this post we will provide a quick overview of the 4 options currently available for developing a mobile GIS applications. The most appropriate approach should be determined by your project requirements. Mobile Web GIS AppsWeb technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. HTML5/Javascript is today the most popular client application technology. Helped by advances in browser technology, HTML5/Javascript now dominates the Web development space, sweeping away technologies like Flash/Flex and Silverlight. With a worldwide development community, 3D and offline are now part of the HTML5/Javascript landscape. There are today many Javascript frameworks available for building mobile applications. Responsive design allows one mobile web app to automatically style itself based on the device being used. New-tilities: GIS and Overcoming the Challenges faced by Electric CooperativesNovember 11th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
New-tilities is a new term which refers to the changing world confronting electric cooperatives. Major technology trends are revolutionizing the electric utility industry. New opportunities are being created and threats to the old way of doing business. Electric coop are wrestling with change. GIS or geographic information systems is at the centre of these changes. New developments in GIS are making it easier for electric coops to better manage their organizations. In this article we will dig a little deeper. New-tilities: GIS and Overcoming the Challenges faced by Electric CooperativesWhat is GIS?GIS is a system which provides ways to visualize and analyse business critical data geographically. There are 3 core pieces to a GIS: 1. Centralized Authoritative Data In simple terms GIS provides a central, single source of coop mission critical data. One place to look for asset data for example: poles, fuses, transformers, switches, substations etc 2. Maps Maps provide an intuitive way to visualize, explore and search for organizational data. Maps are a key output from a GIS. Show me the location of pole x, share outage information for the public on a map etc. Below we have located an asset, the pop up shows the associated data.
Read the rest of New-tilities: GIS and Overcoming the Challenges faced by Electric Cooperatives Our GIS Emphasis Should be Business Outcomes not MapsNovember 9th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
Its time again to revisit maps. In the surprisingly popular blog post “Please stop calling me the mapping guy” I took exception at being pigeon-holed. I (we) are far more valuable to organizations than simply being seen as producers of maps. We are solution providers. Maps are simply a key output from our work: intuitive and easy to understand. In this post I will broaden the conversation. Our GIS Emphasis Should be Business Outcomes not MapsWhat are business outcomes? There are 5 key components: 1. Profitable growth Five words: growth, engagement, sustainability, productivity, agility. Technology is a key driver behind business outcomes. Innovative organizations are looking for competitive advantages; how to do things better, more efficiently, faster. Business outcomes are not applicable just to private companies, all organizations are focused on improvement. GIS should be one of the core technology drivers behind business outcomes. It should be a mission-critical business system. And yet adoption remains slow. Why? Read the rest of Our GIS Emphasis Should be Business Outcomes not Maps Offline Mobile GIS: Finding a Location which has no AddressNovember 4th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
Ok so I often say in this blog “we live in exciting times”. GIS is coming out of the shadows. Innovation is taking off. New thinkers are bringing fascinating ideas forward. I became very interested in work being done by a UK based company called what3words. After meeting Chris Sheldrick the co-founder, we thought it worth spending time looking at their technology and ways to integrate it with ArcGIS. Read the rest of Offline Mobile GIS: Finding a Location which has no Address Water Utilities: GIS has Changed Have You?October 26th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
Water utilities both big and small are faced with a range of different challenges. A recent American Water Works Association (AWWA) report listed but a few: 1. Condition of water/wastewater infrastructure New technology is today helping to provide solutions to these challenges. Key among these technologies is GIS. Water Utilities: GIS has Changed Have You?GIS is not new. It is a technology which today is undergoing dramatic changes. Changes which are making it easier to afford, access and use. So what are these changes? Changing Workflows is the key to Commercial GIS SuccessOctober 19th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
GIS is widely understood to be mapping technology. Answering questions like “How do i get from A to B?”. It is true that maps are the common output from a GIS, but in reality the technology answers any and all location based questions. In the commercial sector these are often questions which today go unanswered. But, as we will discuss in this post, staying focused on and changing workflows is the key to commercial GIS success. Changing Workflows is the key to Commercial GIS SuccessLet’s start by discussing what we mean by workflows with some examples: Property Listing in Real EstateWorkflow: “Today to list a new property on our web site or listings service, we first visit the property and make notes, take pictures. Next we input this information into a computer system. Once completed we update our web site with this new information, and share the listing with public property listing services.” Challenge: Getting a new property listed so we can start marketing and selling can take up to a week. Read the rest of Changing Workflows is the key to Commercial GIS Success GIS and Commercial Real Estate Disruption In 2015October 12th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
GIS and Commercial Real Estate Disruption In 2015Commercial real estate (CRE) has been slow in adopting new technology. The expense involved, and the time required to learn how to use the technology as well as incorporate it into daily operations are common reasons. But in an ever more competitive environment, those not looking to improve their workflows are rapidly being left behind. Commercial real estate is about closing deals. The smoother the process the better. New technology is helping to provide dramatic improvements in process. There are signs that 2015 will be a watershed year in terms of new technology and CRM. Digital mapping is becoming increasingly more popular across the real estate industry. The technology itself has been experiencing rapid evolution, and is now more user-friendly, accessible and affordable. With the popularity of mobile devices, new apps are becoming available which provide access to both digital maps and location based analysis to CRM agents, brokers and clients. In this article we will discuss some of the applications of digital mapping technology in CRM. Read the rest of GIS and Commercial Real Estate Disruption In 2015 Will you be using GIS and maps for your 2016 election campaign?October 5th, 2015 by Matt Sheehan
With the 2016 elections just around the corner, we wondered how many organizations will be using maps and GIS (or location intelligence) to help boost their campaign. If you aren’t we will discuss in the article how WebMapSolutions are helping a number of different organizations boost their election campaigns. Will you be using GIS and maps for your 2016 election campaign?
Read the rest of Will you be using GIS and maps for your 2016 election campaign? |
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