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Probably the toughest phase in my life was when I had just given birth to my second son and was working full-time and going to University for my master's degree. During that time I had great support from my
parents, but life was a blur. No question about it, my friends and family occupy a big space in my life..."
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In view of economic sluggishness and continuous decline in growth rates worldwide, how do you see the Geospatial Market today?
Continuing change in the business world is the constant we can count on. Many times in the past, the economy has rebounded from a downward trend to a more positive growth rate. The geospatial market has continued to grow - even through some of the rougher periods, and I believe it will continue to have a positive growth rate. This year and next may not see growth in leaps and bounds, but the geospatial market will sustain a forward momentum.
Standards-based technology developments, homeland security and e-government initiatives, and Web services are increasingly a part of the geospatial landscape for companies wanting to keep pace and survive.
The strong companies that move quickly to compensate for new challenges will be the winners when the economy makes a sound upward trend.
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“Many times in the past, the economy has rebounded from a downward trend to a more positive growth rate. The geospatial market has continued to grow - even through some of the rougher periods, and I believe it will continue to have a positive growth rate... The industry has responded to the integration into business systems and IT with open enterprise applications and the creation of applications that are easy to use by non-GIS users. All of these factors have helped to grow the industry and the market and make readily available geospatial data and applications indispensable commodities.”
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What are new technology trends in Geospatial information and how is it going to broaden the user coverage of this information.
There is an emphasis on data and a push to develop technology and solutions that are open and interoperable, with Web services playing an important role in this development. A key factor in this trend is the embracing of the enterprise model by the IT market.
Organizations have struggled before and since 9/11 to bring islands of information together to help make and support
important business decisions. As a primary asset of an organization, data reaches its full potential when it can be accessed
and shared throughout the enterprise. The Open GIS Consortium (OGC) has made a significant impact on industry development of open architecture and the
integration of standards-based enterprise systems. Open Web services, an important emphasis for OGC, has seen an increase in user interest for several reasons. Standards-based Web services provide an easy-to-use platform for non-traditional geospatial users and eliminate concern about data incompatibility or loss of functionality in conversions. Users can collect, revise, and manage data remotely and in real time, ensuring that information remains accurate and even more valuable. This broadens the importance and use of geospatial data beyond traditional users and thrusts it into mainstream IT.
There has been an ongoing discussion toward integration of Geospatial technology with mainstream IT and interest of some of the major IT players like Oracle, Microsoft and IBM is increasing in GIS. Your comments?
Standards-based databases and data management tools provided by companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle enable easier integration of geoinformation in business systems and the IT environment. Geospatial technology providers can capitalize on the advantage of extended technologies such as security, multi-user access, reliable data availability, metadata availability, and accuracy. Both industries can only be enhanced by the partnership, ensuring growth and a solid infrastructure management system.
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Preetha Pulusani traverses the realms of industry growth rates, integration with mainstream IT and open platforms. She also elaborates on security aspects of data and the need for spatial data infrastructures in this interview.>
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Geospatial information and technology has traditionally been viewed as something exclusively for hardcore professionals and laboratories. In last few years, it has been widely used by civil society in multiple ways. How does it help grow Geospatial industry and market?
Open architecture and Web services have been instrumental in making the use of traditional geospatial data and systems by non-traditional users much more mainstream.
The importance of better and more informed business decisions and easy access, analysis, management, and updating of what was previously unattainable data makes industry growth a byproduct of mainstreaming geospatial information and technology. World events have mandated the availability of what is at times mission- or business-critical data.
The industry has responded to the integration into business systems and IT with open enterprise applications and the
creation of applications that are easy to use by non-GIS users. All of these factors have helped to grow the industry and the market and make readily available geospatial data and applications indispensable commodities.
How do you see international initiatives of building spatial data infrastructures at national, regional and global levels? How do you see contribution of GSDI to this initiative?
The GSDI organization is important to the changing future of geospatial technology. It is also important to countries that would not be able to share or receive critical spatial data in a crisis situation. With members from more than 50 countries, the GSDI organization is working to develop resources to help countries and organizations establish spatial data infrastructures. The organization works to promote common standards, best practices, and worldwide training.
Intergraph supports the GSDI organization and initiated an international grant program promoting and emphasizing the use of OGC interoperability specifications for accessing and applying geospatial information from a local to a global level. New issues arise each day regarding the sharing of data between departments and organizations at local, national, and international levels. Interoperability is the only viable solution for dealing with this situation and improving the critical decision-making process.
How important is the issue of open platforms and compatibility amongst various technology developers? And how important and effective is the role of Open GIS in this regard?
Since its inception, Intergraph has supported the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) and its goals of interoperability.
With open platforms, geospatial data and applications can come out of the back office into mainstream IT and business
systems, giving organizations the information needed to make business-critical decisions.
The OGC's goal is to help educate the business community about the benefits of interoperability and open standards. The geospatial community now has to supply the standards-based technology that will fit current business strategies and the needs of an organization.
Of course during the events of 9/11, the ability to share data between disparate systems was vitally important. Since that time, the demand for systems based on open architecture has increased.
With the continued persistence of OGC and its members, sharing information with other organizations will grow easier and remain a priority.
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“The restrictions are mainly Web-based issues.
The geospatial community has to have the ability to present partial data while keeping the rest of the data secure. For example, showing certain
vectors and not showing sensitive vectors would be an important capability for a Web-based application... It is critical that disparate business systems work together efficiently and be able to aggregate the data needed to complete the tasks required. Security is a priority for all business systems and will continue to be a priority in the geospatial
market, as well as the IT market.”
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Geospatial information has been under some type of restrictions worldwide due to security reasons. How does it affect Geospatial market worldwide?
Although in recent months access awareness has been heightened, the ability to limit access to certain data for security reasons has always been an important aspect of geospatial applications and solutions. The restrictions are mainly Web-based issues.
The geospatial community has to have the ability to present partial data while keeping the rest of the data secure.
For example, showing certain vectors and not showing sensitive vectors would be
an important capability for a Web-based application.
Interoperability plays an important role in accommodating the various security needs of IT departments in the commercial and government sectors. It is critical that
disparate business systems work together efficiently and be able to aggregate the data needed to complete the tasks required.
Security is a priority for all business
systems and will continue to be a priority in the geospatial market, as well as the IT market.
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The GSDI organization is important to the changing future of geospatial technology. It is also important to countries that would not be able to share or receive critical spatial data in a crisis situation... Intergraph supports the GSDI organization and initiated an international grant program promoting and emphasizing the use of OGC interoperability specifications for accessing and applying geospatial information from a local to a global level... Of course during the events of 9/11, the ability to share data between disparate systems was vitally important. Since that time, the demand for systems based on open architecture has increased. With the continued persistence of OGC and its members, sharing information with other organizations will grow easier and remain a priority.
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