I love this quote from Skip Cody’s recent OnWebMapping Predictions 2012.

For the coming year, Cody makes several predictions that bode well for cloud computing and open source, which takes me back that great quote. Online maps are everywhere and as with any product or technology, consumers are eager for the next version: easier access to more information that is available anytime, anywhere. A point on a map is just not going to satisfy anyone; they want rich, interactive content. But meeting this demand presents some challenges: the “Google free lunch is over” for applications, the need for more data and better compatibility across browsers and devices.

Open Source applications combined with cloud-based services are going to be the need-to-have tools for “dynamic, content-based” maps that are within reach financially and practically for organizations of any size.  Companies can take advantage of powerful but less expensive open source applications via the cloud.  Accessing pre-built applications via the cloud frees up resources to focus on other key business initiatives. And if they have the expertise and resources, companies can customize open source applications to meet specific needs. Open source is about possibilities, not limitations.

Of course the mapping applications are just part of the equation.  Without great content or data behind the maps, you’re right back to that point on a map in 1995. I’ll spare you any number of clichés about data and mapping, and simply take another quote from Cody, “I predict that 2012 will bring GIS back to the consumer and they won’t even know it.” Great data is out there and cloud technology makes it feasible to get those layers into your mapping applications, without the need for a large infrastructure to support it. You can host your application and all the data you want via the cloud and serve that to consumers who really don’t care where the application lives.

And finally, I have to agree with Cody’s prediction number 5: “HTML 5 (Duh).” I have had many debates on the need to migrate to HTML 5 and the nay-sayers always outnumber me claiming that HTML 5 is all hype and we’ve got a couple of years before it matters. I think it matters now. I manage a relatively small website and since last year, the number of visitors using a mobile device grew more than 150 percent. The idea that consumers are accessing online maps from a desktop at home or at work is, well, so 1995. They’re taking the web with them on laptops, tablets, netbooks, smart phones, etc., and if your app doesn’t work on their device, they’ll just move on to another URL.

Happy 2012!

Hello Geo tech Professional... Welcome to our final news update for 2011. I hope all of you celebrating Christmas had a nice break with family and friends and good luck in your efforts as you gear up for an awesome 2012! Moving forward, the news updates have been trickling in and as a result there isn't a ton of new activity to share. However, that means this is a great time of the year for us to share a few recaps and reminders of some of the coolest and most useful moments that we shared with you over the past year. To complement our news recap today I've put together a couple of interesting summaries including the second community roundup of tidbits that I like to call the Carnival of Geospatialists - some cool tips from the community to share in here! Additionally, videos have been very popular on the site this year so we've shared a Top 10 list of the most popular videos according to your views - enjoy.

From the AnyGeo Blog... Here's just a quick smattering of some of the latest updates to the blog (blog.gisuser.com); A look at the history of NORAD Santa; A look at the GISuser Social Layer; a look at America's best performing cities; Living Social Wants To Know Are You Hungry? You Could be Their next Intern At Hungry Academy - a great opportunity for a tech internship. As our final newsletter for 2011 we would like to take the opportunity to wish all of you a happy, safe and propserous New Year. Good luck and safe travels to all. Enjoy all the updates and please do keep us informed by reaching out to us at info@gisuser.com on Twitter @GISuser via facebook at facebook.com/gisusers on Google+ or seek "GISuser" on LinkedIn. Remember, the Career Center is still busting with activity and this is a great time of the year to shop for a new career! Happy New Year...
 

Hello Geo tech Professional... Welcome again to our twice weekly Geo news roundup. To begin, are you a photo nut by chance? I know I am and so I'm always glad to share some cool photo / photog related goodies with you whnever I can. For example, just this week National Geographic has announced details of their photo contest for 2011 and have select the best photo of the year. Some amazing entries from around the globe... see all the winners HERE and Users also can download wallpapers and jigsaw puzzles of contest entries. On a related topic, I was fortunate enough last week to score myself a special PR/blogger invite to a special exhibition at our local museum. Now in its 47th year, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is run by London's Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine. The exhibition showcased the best of the best from more than 40,000 submissions received from around the Globe. The entries were truly stunning and the stories that accompanied each submission were often captivating. See more details here and check out my photos from the gallery HERE - note, the public usually isn't allowed to photograph inside the museum so that was a bit of a treat.

My Cool GeoNew Picks... Moving forward, here's a few news items of interest that hit GISuser.com over the past couple of days that we found rather interesting: Red Hen Systems announces MediaMapper Mobile Google compatible Android device app - a fine mobile app from my home away from home, Fort Collins, CO based Red Hen Systems; Blue Marble to Develop Coastal Adaption to Sea Level Rise Modeling Tool for U of Southern Maine - tool will be used to create a GIS model of cost avoidance strategies to protect against asset damage from sea level rise due to storm surge and coastal flooding; Keystone Pipeline's GIS Connection - GIS Degree is Safe Bet for Professionals in the oil Industry - The Keystone Pipeline Project has been a hotly debated topic in Washington and around the country. See more details in the links provided below... oh, and if you're interested in an interesting webinar this morning, a live webcast by Latitude Geographics (think Geocortex) will run at 10 AM PST on Migrating from Web ADF to RESTful Technology - Don't miss this one!

From Glenn's AnyGeo Blog... Here's some fun, casual, and maybe a Geeky updates and tips of interest from the blog (blog.gisuser.com); The Apple 4S Siri Santa Video - this is simply awesome! Winner of National Geographic Global Photography Competition Announced - be sure to see all the winners; 2012 O'reilly Where2.0 Event Registration is A Go - register and save! Factual Rolls Out Even More Places (and restaurant data) For App Developers via enhanced Places API - all these items are on the blog along with loads more! Are you searching for a career? Be sure to use our fine Career Resource with a number of new listings added just this week including this position for a Business Development Manager - Professional Services with Esri.
 

Dotchkov, Chief Technical Officer for Skygone Inc., explains the advantages for deploying desktop GIS in the Cloud. He describes a secure, private environment for accessing data, analysis and services that leverages scalable resources for faster processing and data storage that benefits new and existing GIS users. This data-centric approach enables organizations currently leveraging desktop-based GIS technology as part of their enterprise GIS workflow to not only continue to leverage their software investment on an off-premise, cost-saving cloud infrastructure; but to also gain productivity and workflow improvements in the process.

What are some of the advantages for using desktop GIS in the Cloud? And why is now a good time for small to medium sized businesses to deploy their GIS in the Cloud?

It’s a data-centric model. Our Cloud platform allows us to host any component of the GIS infrastructure. The model consists of data, server applications and Web services that are closely coupled with a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).  It enables applications fast access to the data for analysis and geoprocessing with the ability to store results in the database and instantly publish results as a Web service internally or externally on the Web.

Data is multiplying and so is data collection. Traditional IT is struggling with scalable resources for collection and dissemination of data. You can store and manage all your data in a central repository and because the virtual desktop is in the same environment, it’s very easy to optimize your workflow and data repository. There’s no need to download data for analysis to your local desktop, work on it and upload it back to the server. Data is “local” within the Cloud, just like it would be on your LAN. Access is faster and there are no barriers because of bandwidth. The Cloud is a way to secure your data investment by giving your applications an environment to grow and by scaling resources with no upfront capital investment.

However, you can be easily misled by the Cloud hype and think that it will solve all of your current IT issues. Being on the Cloud doesn’t mean your work is done. Being successful with your Cloud deployment still requires maintenance; you continue to do the same work but in a slightly different fashion. Your workflow most likely changes for efficiency and to adapt to the versatility of the platform. It’s important to learn about the Cloud platform and tools made available by the Cloud provider because it can help enhance your application service levels. Managed correctly, the Cloud environment can improve your workflow processes making your infrastructure more accessible and easier to use.

The Cloud is especially powerful for small to mid-sized organizations that may not have the resources—people, software, hardware—to support powerful GIS analysis and data processing. It essentially gives them access to computing resources similar to those of larger organizations.

Are there any special considerations for new users or companies who are considering GIS for the first time?

Yes, and we are here to make it easy for them. We have created a catalog of the most popular GIS applications that are instantly deployable from the GISMarketplace. For those who are new to geospatial technology, there are no up-front costs because they’ll be leasing a virtual infrastructure of applications, servers and data storage. They can buy infrastructure with pre-installed applications and storage space and pay as they go. With Skygone, the cost is known before deployment unlike other business models where users do not know costs until they receive their bill. They can also borrow our expertise to set up their geoprocessing environment, saving them money because they don’t need to hire the IT staff needed to set up and maintain the applications and infrastructure. Based on our experience, we can give them a pre-packaged solution that gets them up and running instantly. And because they are new to GIS applications, they can chose from a variety of GIS platforms for desktop editing and Web services like Geomajas and Geoserver for example without a long term commitment. So they can change platform and they can infinitely scale their environment in terms of data storage or number of applications. Again, because of our expertise and experience, in addition to commercial products like Esri we can also recommend other open-source solutions that are cost effective and accessible from any GIS applications or any combination of platforms.

What about organizations that are currently using desktop GIS applications? Could they migrate these to the Cloud?

Like new users, experienced GIS analysts will appreciate easier access to their data and processes because it’s in the same environment. They’ll also be able to expose and leverage their data to additional tools that they might want to deploy within the Cloud.  Regardless of which desktop GIS platform they’re using, they can deploy others so that they have a mix of platforms accessing the same data. And like with any client, we can offer our expertise in helping keep their data in interchangeable, standard formats.

Desktop GIS applications and analysis need a great deal of processing power and often an older workstations can slow processing times or limit what you’re able to accomplish. In the Cloud, processing ability is not limited by your desktop, laptop or tablet PC. You only need your local machine to access or log on to the Cloud-based application via a Web browser. All the processing takes place in the Cloud, so from a GIS desktop user perspective, the only thing that changes is how they “launch” the desktop application. That and they’ll enjoy streamlined access to data and tools and possibly faster processing now that they’re not limited by their local machine’s capabilities or bandwidth to the data.

In addition, it’s an attractive path to transition from desktop to Web services. Once data is collected and edited in your Cloud desktop environment, you can easily publish it as Web services to another user within the Cloud or to an external website.

Don’t forget that in any disruptive technology such as the Cloud, there is a price to pay and in this case it is re-organizing your workflow to adapt to the Cloud platform. Yes, you will realize tremendous values, but only after your business model adapts to it.

Earlier, you described an environment with three components: the desktop GIS application(s), data storage and a server for publishing Web services. Not all organizations are interested in or need to publish services; can they still leverage the Cloud environment without the third corner in your triangle?

Yes, many people do not need to publish services right of way, but that doesn’t mean they can’t leverage a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). That’s your choice and it’s that kind of flexibility that makes this Cloud environment so attractive. On the other hand, if they start out with just the desktop application and data, they can deploy the server at any time. This is especially helpful for organizations that have not used or deployed Web services before because getting the Web server set up can be very complicated. We can provide them with a pre-packaged solution that they can use instantly. We take care of the backend and ensure that the server environment has been set up correctly and to meet their needs. Again, having the flexibility as a company to enter into the Cloud environment at a very low cost and grow as needed shows the value of this technology. It also shows the capability of a Cloud platform to handle your whole application life-cycle from development to production.  

Let’s talk about data. Why is moving your data to the Cloud a good move?

In this case, I think the most compelling reason is easy access to your data because it’s in the same environment as your desktop application and your Web servers. With this type of set up, it’s a simple process to add tools or users who need access to the data. When your data storage is centralized you can grant access to a variety of users. This eliminates data duplication and can improve accuracy.

Beyond easier data access, processing time is also improved when the data resides in the Cloud. Processing is done locally and not impacted by network or bandwidth limitations of the data.

Another reason for creating a central data repository in the Cloud is the ability to expand storage capabilities. GIS data can grow very quickly in a very short amount of time.  To understand more, check out this interview with our CEO Ryan Hughes about Big Data in the Cloud.

Finally, how do software licenses come into play when you’re accessing applications via the Cloud?

If you already have desktop GIS software licenses, you can bring those to the Cloud. However, vendors have to provide a Cloud licensing model designed to leverage scalability within the Cloud. Some, not all vendors have such licensing models in place. Without a new licensing model, you’re subject to the same limitations as an old-fashioned, out-of-the box software license. For example, a General Public License (GNU) can take advantage of the scalability and resources-on-demand options offered within the Cloud. Another example, if you have an enterprise license similar to the Esri ELA license, you’re not limited to scaling your computer resources.

As a Cloud provider we encourage vendors to change licensing so their software products takes advantage of the on-demand scalability that Cloud infrastructure provides. As the Cloud adaption rate increases among organizations, we hope the vendors will feel the pressure to prioritize their adaption to new licensing models, which will bring standardizations, efficiency and seamless Cloud deployments.

When it comes to Big Data, LiDAR point cloud data can be as big as it gets. Working with LiDAR data presents unique challenges not only to database administrators, but to analysts as well who need hassle-free access to the data.

ERDAS APOLLO, offered exclusively on theGISmarketplace in a month-to month, pay-as-you-go subscription, enables organizations to centralize, manage and disseminate massive volumes of geospatial data.

Check out this article and video on ERDAS labs to learn more.

On Friday, Cloud Evangelist and Cloud Commons Community Manager Derek Stevens talked with Ryan about big data in the cloud and some important issues to consider when storing and backing up large datasets in the cloud.

"Well, when you talk about big data, I really kind of put it in two categories. There's big data that's generated outside of the cloud that needs to be moved into the cloud and that's kind of a workflow issue, as we put it," says Ryan in the interview. He talks about cost-effective ways to move large amounts of data into and out of the cloud. He then explains the second category of data.

"So, there's also a different category of data and that's big data generated inside the cloud. That means either through processing or updates or data products being made from other data that's sitting on the cloud and that data's a little easier to deal with."

Ryan also discusses how GIS is well-suited to the Cloud becasue big data is enherent to creating maps on the web, more so now that satellite imagery and aerial photographs are common to online mapping. And because processing via the Cloud is scalable, it's a natural for the kind of demands a GIS can put on back-end systems. Says Ryan, "...we're talking about the promise of unlimited processing, unlimited data storage and consuming as you need and the ability to buy more as you need it without incurring a large capital upfront investment." 

Visit Cloud Commons to read the entire transcript of Big Data in the Cloud – Skygone Interview Transcript or to download the audio file.

Matt Ball asks a good question in his article from September 9. And although he wrote it to set up the State of the Map (SOTM) and Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) events held last week in Denver, the question is always relevant.  But before he describes three key reasons why, he reminds us:

“GIS got its start largely as open source software from academic research labs, and really got a jump start with spatial data provided openly and freely by government agencies (at least here in the United States)…But, with the move to the Web in earnest for some time now, today’s open movement feels like getting back to the roots with great inroads being made in enabling software for Web mapping and online open data collection and distribution.”

The reasons:

Low Barriers: the web and free and open source software mean that almost anyone can access geospatial technology, and “meaningful work can be done in even the poorest and hardest to reach places”

Belonging and Tinkering:  sharing and collaboration lead to creative—and sometimes faster—problem-solving that benefit many, rather than a select few

More Openings: with its proven track record, governments worldwide are choosing open source software to save money and take advantage of the flexibility it provides; likewise, researchers are moving in the same direction and feel that “open source may improve software engineering”

Read the entire article and then ask yourself, "What am I waiting for?"

Although the cloud is not a new, more and more organizations are asking, “to cloud or not to cloud?” And after Amazon’s cloud collapse in April, some may be wondering if moving to the cloud is the right move.

In his April 22, 2011 blog post “What We can Learn from Amazon’s Cloud Collapse,” Ben Par (Mashable), referred to the breakdown in service as “cloudgate” and “cloudpocalyse.” Despite these ominous terms, Par is optimistic not only about the future of cloud computing, but also of the benefits it offers today. He says, “This incident is no reason for us to shun cloud computing, though. Its benefits (scalability, cost reduction, device independence, performance and more) far outweigh its cons.”

As Par points out, scalability is a key benefit. You can take advantage of that scalability throughout your relationship with a cloud computing provider. For example, you can easily increase resources without the headaches that come with purchasing and configuring additional hardware for what might be a finite time period. And when the project is complete? You could be looking at room full of servers that are “collecting dust” and becoming obsolete with every tick of the clock.

On the Cloud Central blog, Kristoffer Sheather (Cloud Central), not only makes a clear Business Case for the Cloud, but also does a good job of describing what cloud computing is. He, too, talks about flexibility and the rapidly changing nature of computers and computing in general. Because of the cloud’s inherent flexibility if offers powerful options for large and small organizations. As he says, “small business get what big companies have” and “enterprises get enterprising” while keeping a tight rein on capital expenditures.

So, do you cloud?