misa prairies 2013 - flexibility in delivering gis services

Jack Be Nimble

Be Flexible When Delivering Spatial Services and Data:

St Albert Case Study

MISA Prairies 2013

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Flexibile GIS Service Provision:A St. Albert Case Study

• Seeing a spectrum of solutions• What guides us?• Putting ideas into practice• Challenges & Opportunities

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Then vs Now• THEN: Prix Fixe

• Desktop software• GIS portal• Static maps

• NOW: Buffet!

• Desktop software• Cloud solutions• COTS server software• Widgets• Multi-view/multi-platform• Map/data services• Mobile platforms• Custom maps/analysis

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The GIS Solution Spectrum

Software Applications Information Data

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Know Your Clients

Software Applications Information Data

Greater Flexibility RequiresGreater End-User Skills

More Tailored Solutions RequireGreater Background Efforts

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What Problem Are You Solving?

Software Applications Information Data

Undefined orPoorly Defined;

Generic

Clearly Defined;Narrower Scope

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GIS in St Albert

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Our GIS Service Philosophy• Know your clients and their business• Don’t reinvent the wheel• Borrow from other industries• Catch up from the front• Be early adopters• Be Leaders in the Region• There’s nothing wrong with cherry-picking• The cloud is good. Say “yes” to the cloud.

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Our Guiding Principles• Corporately aligned• Integrated• Engaged• Open• Accessible• Business Driven• Secure• Managed Risk• Maximizing Potential

• Empowering• Efficient• Shared• Creative• Proactive• Forward Thinking• Prioritized• Value-Added• Service-Oriented

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Think Like an End User• They aren’t GIS people• Design to their level of understanding• Make it intuitive; don’t tell them it’s an app• Sprinkle spatial information, widgets and

apps throughout a website• Don’t do a one-size-fits-all portal

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Software and Applications• Desktop GIS Software• Desktop Plug-Ins• Desktop/Network COTS Applications• Cloud Applications• COTS Server Software• ESRI Web Application Templates• Embeddable Widgets

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Information• Maps• Compiled Reports• Charts• Tables/spreadsheets

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Data• Raw Data

– Open Data Catalogues– Multi-format delivery

• Web Map Services• Feature Data Services• Data provision to third party resellers and

repackagers

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Putting Actions to the Words

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Using COTS Server Software• Essentials, Optimizer• One site, multiple platforms• One site, many viewers• One parent site, multiple children

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Going With the Cloud• Pictometry Online• ArcGIS Online for Organizations

Let someone else worry about software upgrades and server maintenance

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Multi-Solution Web Mapping• Fully functional portal• ESRI application templates• Embeddable widgets

– ArcGIS.com– Google Maps

• Maps & Apps portal• Using cached map services

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ESRI Application Templates

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ESRI Map Widgets: ArcGIS.com• Let ESRI generate your code for you• Multiple basemaps• Upload your own information

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Google Maps?• We don’t use it any more• Free doesn’t mean FREE• The platform is a constantly moving target• It requires large amounts of development

hours to develop something sophisticated• Their basemap gets stale, has errors• It’s not as flexible as it may seem• It’s easier to make something nicer

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Reaching Everyone• Initially desktop computers - Silverlight• Now using iPads – HTML5, cloud apps• iPhones – HTML5, cloud apps• Field data collection desired

– Custom or specialized apps– HTML5 viewers

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Give Me Data• Open Data catalogue – coming soon• Third party data vendors• ESRI Community Maps program• Web map services• Feature data services

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Give Me Tools• Desktop GIS software still has a place

– Flexible in its use– Runs custom models– Specialize plug-ins– Custom mapping– High end analysis

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Challenges• Constantly changing technology landscape• Complex knowledge requirements• Fiscal and staffing constraints• Keeping up with the latest and greatest• Being on the bleeding edge• Misconceptions about the cloud• Politics• Patriot Act

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Early Adoption Opportunities• Being first can have its benefits

– PR wins– Extra help– The opportunity to influence development

direction– Getting to stay on the platform longer

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Sometimes delivering value means reaching for the easy solution so that time can be better spent on other tasks

Cloud Solutions

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Complex Isn’t Necessarily Better• A static map instead of an interactive map• A widget instead of a portal• Processes instead of software integration

• Make sure you have an adequate ROI for your efforts!

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Check It Out• Maps & Apps Catalogue• http://maps.stalbert.ca/

• Land-Scape Public GIS Portal• http://gis.st-albert.net/SilverlightViewer_1_4/viewer.html?

• Art in Public Places Tour• http://maps.stalbert.ca/apps/cultural/publicart/

• Recreation Facilities Profile• http://maps.stalbert.ca/apps/recreation/facilities/

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Tammy KobliukGIS Coordinator

Corporate GIS, I.T. Services

tkobliuk@st-albert.net780-459-1730