GIS Technology to help accelerate efficiency development and growth

GIS Solutions Ltd. is the sole authorised distributor for ArcGIS software developed by ESRI (Environment Systems Research Institute – Redlands, California USA). Since commencing the distributorship last year they see a lot of potential in Sri Lanka for GIS technology. GIS Solutions has ambitious plans to cover all possible sectors of GIS in Sri Lanka.

The nation’s large scale development initiative and infrastructure projects and the growing interest from non-traditional local GIS sectors like banking and plantations are indications of the market potential and growth.

Sri Lanka is no stranger to ESRI’s ArcGIS technology, which has been in use locally for over 20 years. Government sector agencies and departments are currently major users of GIS technology, be it for infrastructure development or Utilities Sector Management. Even during the tsunami catastrophe this ESRI donated GIS technology helped speed up the relief operations.

GIS Solutions is committed to ensuring more and more users both in government and private sector adopt this technology and reap its benefits to enhance their decision making, operational efficiency, save cost and in the long run increase the nation’s overall productivity and output.

Today’s national and business challenges require a geographic approach, be it climate change, urban growth, sustainable agriculture, water quality and availability, international and national security, energy, epidemiology/disease tracking, natural hazards: seismicity, weather events, emergency management  or business-related location-based analysis

GIS shows data in a meaningful manner on a map be it a building plan (map)- for building management (BIM) or a city map or area map or even a country map, etc., so that planning and decision making can be done taking in to account the ‘whole’ picture from a location viewpoint

A nation can greatly benefit from having its own National Spatial Database Infrastructure (NSDI), especially at a time where Government departments/agencies across the board face budget tightening. The effective use of such a data base on a GIS platform helps to reduce duplication of effort among agencies, reduce costs and helps development.

Developed countries like the US and UK and even Asian countries like Singapore, India, Indonesia and China have been reaping the benefits of having a NSDI. ArcGIS has been the preferred GIS technology choice for these NSDI owing to its reliability and superior analytical and imagery capabilities and ‘big data’ capabilities (ability to integrate large database on to a map – to perform analysis).

“Despite the increasing consumption of mapping technology, we need to remember that spatial analysis is what makes GIS a truly powerful solution and that analysis is what solves real problems.  People don’t want just ‘dots on maps,’ they want them to become ‘smart dots on maps’ – data coupled with analysis that solves problems through understanding. This is why GIS is considered one of the fastest future growth areas of Information Technology,” stated Ashani Jayasinghe, CEO of GIS Solutions Ltd.

The market for GIS is rapidly expanding as governments seek to standardise systems and improve interoperability. The Sri Lankan Government too has been considering this initiative for some time now.

ESRI officials Dave Byers – Regional Manager Asia Pacific and Mike Quinn – Senior Manager International Business Development spoke at length on GIS technology which helps varied sectors of the Government in facilitating high quality accurate decision making.  

GIS Solutions is the sole authorised distributor in Sri Lanka to market the ArcGIS range of GIS technology products, appointed by the global GIS technology leader ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute).

GIS Solutions’ vision is to sustain leadership as the provider of the world’s leading Geographic Information Systems software technology solutions in Sri Lanka, whilst being the catalyst for facilitating its clients’ organisational and operational efficiencies and growth by providing services and products that enhance their planning, managing and decision making.

The focal point of its operation is to:

Provide organisations with the GIS technology tools and support to achieve overall industry excellence in various domains.

Propagate geo information technology amongst all stakeholders to help achieve overall higher levels of efficiency

Support the nation’s growth and development through state-of-the-art digital mapping  and analysis technology

GIS Solutions is a subsidiary of Just In Time Group

ESRI inspires and enables people to positively impact the future through a deeper, geographic understanding of the changing world around them. They have to their credit an estimated 350,000 clients worldwide, 3,000 employees, 10 US offices, 1,600+ business partners, 80 international distributors worldwide. ESRI has been in existence since 1969 and was founded by Jack Dangermond and his wife Laura.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara