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8/3/2019 Interview Jack Dangermond
1/7
Geospatial World I January 2011
INTERVIEW
The definition of the geospatialindustry is changing, rather,evolving at a fast pace. I appreciateyour views on the same.Geospatial technology is indeed evolv-
ing rapidly; opening up new opportu-
nities, new applications and new ways
of using geographic information in
society. A 'new modality' is emerging
that uses everything we do now but ina new context. This is similar to what
occurred in the motion picture indus-
try when moving picture technology
was first invented. Initially people
filmed live stage performances and
disseminated them widely. After a
while, people realised that a lot more
could be done and a new modality
emerged, giving birth to movies as we
now know them. When maps were
IN AN EXCLUSIVE WITH
GEOSPATIAL WORLD,
JACK DANGERMOND,PRESIDENT, Esri REFLECTS
ON THE CHANGING
CHARACTER OF GEOSPATIAL
INDUSTRY AND PRIORITY
AREAS FOR Esri
14
A 'NEW
GEOSPATIALMODALITY'
JACK
DANGERMOND
President, Esri
8/3/2019 Interview Jack Dangermond
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Geospatial World I January 2011 15
first automated using CAD systems, people digitised
maps, changed their scales and disseminated them
digitally. This was useful but limited. Digital maps aselectronic drawings gave way to the GIS platform.
This introduced spatial analysis and generation of multi-
ple map products from a transactionally maintained data-
base. The GIS represented a new modality, a whole new
approach for the application of geographic knowledge in
applications.
We are now at a stage where we are again seeing a major
shift in many aspects of the geospatial world. Take for
example measurement. In the beginning, we digitised and
scanned maps. Later, digital imagery was used to extend
map information. Now we are beginning to take full
motion video and integrating with our GIS databases
directly. GIS is integrating real time measurements, such
as traffic, weather, earthquakes and a plethora of dynam-
ic measurements.Another shift is to server GIS and the
use of Web as a platform. We are seeing distributed GIS
services emerge as well as the vision of a "system of
systems" being realised by various organisations with
different mission responsibilities. This is not just aboutconnecting enterprise data to the Web, it is actually the
emergence of Web oriented systems that are designed to
provide shared services and are maintained through
transactions. This is a new emerging architecture that
will support many of the visions of SDI that have been
discussed for decades.
What are you engineering in your products to takeadvantage of these new trends?The new GIS modality has many interesting characteris-
tics; it's distributed, yet can dynamically integrate data.
It involves the Web, crowd sourcing (VGI), templates, wide
scaled access to open data, server based architecturesand easier-to-use user interfaces and applications.
When we step back and look at what's going on
technically, there continues to be the traditional
enterprise computing patterns involving the desktop,
the server and the federated systems.
These patterns are used extensively in utilities, business,
government and natural resources as well as the more
pervasive platforms of cloud computing and device
patterns (i.e. smartphones). We have recently launched
ArcGIS 10.
This new technology integrates all five computing pat-
terns into one system; a complete geospatial ecosystem
for our users. So if you acquire a desktop license, you not
only have the local capabilities but also tens of thousands
of resources such as map services, data services, map
content, search capabilities and discovery and mashup
capabilities.
This means ArcGIS 10 extends from enterprise systems topervasive computing. Our purpose in doing this is to open
up traditional GIS systems, make their accessibility much
easier and provide the knowledge and capabilities of
these systems to users of the more pervasive world
(browsers and mobile devices). This technology shift is
creating the huge modality shift. GIS professionals are
developing new, more pervasive applications and evolving
the geospatial market towards 'GIS for everyone'. What
that means for a GIS professional is that their work done
on a desktop or placed on a server becomes part of an
InterviewGeospatial technology is evolving rapidly - opening up newopportunities, new applications and new ways of usinggeographic information in society. A newmodality is emergingthat uses everythingwe do now but in a new context. It offers acomplete geospatial ecosystem for the users
8/3/2019 Interview Jack Dangermond
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ecosystem or infrastructure available to many. This archi-
tecture blends all five computing patterns and is totally
open and interoperable with other IT systems.
In summary, we are in a time of very rapid change. We
are still making maps and doing analysis on the desktop,
and at the same time GIS is moving to a new level with a
platform that is allowing the realisation of SDI visions.
A significant number of mergers and acquisitionshave taken place in the past five years in geospatialindustry, both of large and smaller companies. Manyclaim it as a process of consolidation. Howdo youperceive this?
This is always going on in most industries. Esri's businessstrategy is to focus on evolving a well designed and
engineered system rather than making acquisitions to
buy market share. We think this is better for our users
and creates a more stable organisation for our users and
employees. Our approach also involves partnering with
other organisations to create a broad ecosystem of
integrated geospatial technologies and applications.
Esri has occasionally acquired technology companies that
made our overall system better or helped our users but
we remain focussed on developing a simple integrated
geospatial platform that's open, interoperable and stan-
dards based.
Acquisition of Intergraph by Hexagon has definitelyinfluenced the ecosystem of the geospatial industryand has affected in some form or other many geospa-tial companies. It has enabled Hexagon to acquiretechnology in almost all segments including GIS,GNSS, imaging, software, hardware and so on.Thereis a strong feeling about the emergence of geospatialcamps in the industry. How do you view this new equi-librium?I don't like the culture and implications of camps. I do
know that technology continues to evolve rapidly and with
this evolution comes changes in business alliances and
more importantly end user capabilities. What has kept
Esri so healthy over the decades is our focus on our cus-
tomers' needs and make a large ongoing commitment to
investment in successful innovation. Also, we work hard
on maintaining an open policy on business partnerships.
While the geospatial industry continues to be competitive,
Geospatial World I January 201116
"GIS for billion people"Today, GIS is being deployed on a new platform
_the Web
and cloud computing-and we all are in the early stages of
adjusting to it. The characteristics of this environment areeasy-to-use technology, more pervasive access, and the
ability to mashup or integrate distributed knowledge. This
means that access to geospatial knowledge will grow
exponentially. Our existing users are gradually adopting
this new paradigm and integrating this platform with
their traditional workflows. So, in addition to running
their enterprises, they are putting up public services and
applications that can be accessed by anyone. This will
ultimately result in a geospatial platform that could
potentially reach billions of people.
Over the last few decades, widespread adoption of GIS has
caused a change in thinking. People can look at overlays of
maps, see new relationships, see different kinds of phe-
nomena, and it creates a new understanding. Up until
recently this has largely taken place in specialised commu-
nities, or with professionals using specific applications.
The next step in GIS evolution means that everyone will
have access to the idea of map overlays and spatial analy-
sis. While traditional GIS has brought greater understand-
ing within organisations, this next step will mean greater
understanding within society at large.
It also means greater collaboration and communication
across organisations. Esri is one participant in this move-
ment and while we are dominant significant player in
terms of research and advancement of the platform, there
is an enormous ecosystem of other players participating. I
am personally very appreciative of the opportunity to
participate and continue playing a part in mak-
ing all of this happen.
8/3/2019 Interview Jack Dangermond
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17
these days we see less competition in some areas and
more cooperation based on a maturity in the knowledge
of what each of the vendors does best. Interoperability
standards have helped in this regard. Vendors have been
trending toward more specialisation and selling into the
areas that they do best in.
In technology business, there are three kinds of technolo-
gy companies: 1) core technology like Intel and traditional
DBMS companies; 2) solutions business and; 3) system
integration. In geospatial areas these three types can be
seen in both software and data. Organisations like Digital-
Globe and GeoEye focus primarily on core data leaving
solutions business to their partners. In GIS, Esri has
focussed on core technology. Our partners, like Telvent or
Telcordia, focus on utility applications.
Esri's business is to provide platform technologies. Our
business success is based on the fact that wedo this very well and have strong developer
oriented platforms and an open and collabo-
rative business partner programme that
helps our partners be successful.
GIS has moved beyond traditionalboundaries and so has the focus andapproach of GIS companies. Bentley,Autodesk and MapInfo, which werevery much in the GIS space a decade
ago, now position themselves as infrastructure, archi-tecture and business intelligence solution companiesrespectively. Howdo you look at these developmentsand in your opinion what is the core value and utility ofGIS in coming times? What would be its peripheralenvironment?We remain focussed on building enabling platform tech-
nology for enterprise and the pervasive geospatial market
is our core business. Many of our traditional competitors
have moved into niche markets with more of a solution
focus. As a result, we see less competition in the geospa-
tial platform business and more partnerships by large
software companies like IBM and Microsoft. Our partners
in selected vertical markets see competition with some of
these traditional GIS compa-
nies.
The improvements in
interoperability
between systems
have had a huge
benefit for end
users. For example,
GIS is increasingly
being integrated
with CAD technology
around specific work-
flows. ArcGIS for
AutoCAD has
made the Auto-
CAD desktop a
powerful
client for the
ArcGIS
Server
While the geospatial industrycontinues to be competitive,these days we see lesscompetition in some areas andmore cooperation based on amaturity in the knowledge of whateach of the vendors does best
Geospatial World I January 2011
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18
and as a result integrated workflows within many of our
clients. In other cases, shifts in technology have changed
the market. For example, with the new support for 3D
data models and analytic tools, the building management
industry has embraced GIS for new applications like facil-
ity management and energy optimization in smart build-
ings. Our users are basically extending their GIS's into
campuses and buildings. With respect to geospatial
enabling of business intelligence, we are seeing that hap-
pen in core companies like IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Ora-
cle. All four of them have the vision of geospatial enable-
ment of simple business intelligence applications using
maps as a "report." This market is small but with the
advent of consumer Web mapping, there is greater
awareness and people are demanding to see their data
visualised in this way. This is a good idea and our server
Geospatial World I January 2011
The concept of GeoDesign started my
career many years ago. The concept
was actually pioneered by my profes-
sor, Carl Steinitz at Harvard Universi-
ty, who will soon publish a defin-
itive text on the field. GeoDe-
sign uses GIS as a platform
for designing geogra-
phies at multiple
scales. Specifically,
the scientific infor-mation that GIS
users collect and
process is used to
guide them in
designing things
and quickly evaluate
the consequences of
alternative designs.
This supports one of the
basic tenets of GIS: better
decision making. I suppose
GeoDesign concepts have been
part of GIS workflows indirectly in
many agencies for decades. From the
dawn of GIS technology, people have
used it in a decision support role. But up
until recently, GIS has not been so well
connected. As an example of a GeoDe-
sign problem, in the US, there are elec-
tion districts, the territories of which
change every ten years. The boundaries
are redesigned by politicians or
lawyers. This is an interesting process
because by changing the boundaries in
various ways one could increase the
probability of winning the election.
People want to know the implications
of various changes in the boundaries. A
new Web application does this. GeoDe-
sign uses GIS layers to guide design;
basic map or analytic models and inter-
active tools to design alternative plans.
While GeoDesign can help us to design
fair and equitable election districts, the
same process can be used in the
designing of land use plans, siting
of retail stores in a region,
highway plans or transmis-
sion plans-GeoDesign
gives us a scientific
framework for evaluat-ing the alternatives and
selecting the best one.
So, GeoDesign is an old
idea. But it is also a
new idea considering
nature or considering
society as part of the
process for creating the
future. GeoDesign is rather
fundamental and you can think
of it at the engineering level like
designing a new road, at town level
like modifying it in a decision support
role. But up until recently, GIS has not
been so well connected. GeoDesign is a
combination of process, technology,
and methodology which allows us to
evaluate quickly the consequences of
alternatives.
GEODESIGN: Designing geographiesfor better decision making
8/3/2019 Interview Jack Dangermond
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technology is now regularly being integrated with sys-
tems such as SharePoint, Cognos, and Business Objects
in a seamless way.
Crowdsourcing is another buzz word at the momentand presumably this is a pre-requisite for 'GIS forBillion People'. What new direction is crowdsourcingtaking worldwide?First, crowdsourcing is an interesting concept that has
been particularly successful with GIS on the Web. One of
the first really successful crowdsourced maps was Open
Street Map (OSM). The concept OSM used was to develop
a well organised classification system of streets (data
model) that allowed crowdsourced observation and easy
data entry. Esri adopted this concept of building an ontol-
ogy on a server and built it into ArcGIS 10 so that users
could set up their own map layer or feature class in the
database and through Web editing tools, easily collectobservation data using crowdsourcing.
This is a significant step because it means that a COTS
product could be used to organise a database on the serv-
er and any organisation could collect VGI observational
data and use it immediately. This has been a key for our
users who desired to do citizen science and crowdsourc-
ing of citizens. The bottom line here is that in order to be
useful, VGI data needs to be collected in a structured
manner so that it can be properly manipulated and ana-
lyzed. GIS users are now learning how to leverage this. So
it's not just a new kind of data source for them to inte-
grate, it's also a new set of methods for them to use.
Another kind of crowdsourcing which is even more excit-
ing to me is crowdsourcing from authoritative sources.
Last year, we started the 'Community Topographic Base
Map'. This is a template that users in various agencies
around the world download, pour their data into and
upload into ArcGIS Online. Our template involves 20 dif-
ferent scales of a topographic map and has been
designed for use in a GIS system. The map is a cache and
has continuous dynamic qualities. It is a beautiful map
and more than 500 organisations have contributed to this
system. We are currently making more than 12 million
maps a day on this system after only a few months. I seethis "community" approach as one way that SDI will be
realised.
Esri is as strong as ever in the GIS market space andis becoming a de-facto standard in GIS. This is greatnews, but it also requires a significant amount oflocalisation of Esri's capabilities. Howdo you foreseeproviding customer support and fulfilling local needsin times to come?In ArcGIS 10, we decided to change our approach towards
localisation with respect to language. So, in addition to
English, ArcGIS now ships in French, Spanish, German,
Chinese and Japanese. We will expand this to include oth-
er languages this year. Within our organisation we have
an initiative called 'One Esri', to consistently spread busi-
ness practices and user support globally. For many of our
distributors, it is like opening the door and walking
straight into Esri headquarters in Redlands, California.
That is the level of service and quality in support and
maintenance our users want everywhere. We are now
working with our distributors to implement the samebusiness practices and customer support, training and
technical support. Technology and globalisation are help-
ing us support our users and help grow our business
partners so they have the same capabilities globally.
In the given economic scenario, we see a significantshift in focus to emerging economies. What arethepriority areas for Esri in this new economic worldorder?Our basic philosophy is to follow what users want us to
Crowdsourcing is an interestingconcept that has been particularlysuccessful with GIS on the Web.One of the first really successfulcrowdsourced maps was OpenStreet Map. Another kind ofexciting crowdsourcing is onefrom authoritative sources
Geospatial World I January 201120
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do. Today, the North American market continues to be
strong for us. While there is certainly less money in gov-
ernment, our users continue to deliver efficiency and
better decision making to their organisations. The result
is that GIS is seen as important even in difficult economic
times. Enterprise licensing has allowed our users to
navigate around and be creative in delivering significant
value to their organisations.
Outside of North America, the Middle East, China, and
Russia are investing heavily and growing enormously.
Latin America (especially Columbia, Peru, Brazil, and
Chile) is certainly another growth market. There are, of
course, changes in the market place from year to year but
frankly, GIS is either sta-
ble or growing all overthe world.
What are thefour major ver-ticals for thegeospatialindustry?The utilities
segment con-
tinues to be a
growth area
globally. We are
seeing both new
utilities' growth and
continued rollover of
competitive technolo-
gies into our platform.
The government sector,
both at the local and
national levels, con-
tinues to grow. Themilitary and
security mar-
ket is grow-
ing and
we
also
see
natural resources, especially in mining, oil and gas and
forestry, growing.
What I am personally interested in is the growing interest
in open data policies and open government. It is an inter-
esting area for new applications of geographic informa-
tion. I also continue to be interested in education, growing
the next generation of professionals. The last area of per-
sonal interest for me is our NGO-NPO programme. Last
year we introduced a new programme which provides
nearly free software to NGOs. Thousands of organisations
have already used this. For a small fee NGOs can get a
free copy of ArcInfo and all of its extensions, downloaded
and delivered on his/her desktop in any country. Likewise,
organisations can get a full ArcGIS enterprise server
license. Our programme goes hand-in-glove with thegrowing open data policies of governments around the
world and delivers many benefits.
You have been focussing a lot on India and your recentefforts have brought tremendous movement in thethinking of political and administrative leadership inIndia. Would you please share your visionfor India?Senior leadership interest is a growing trend around the
world. My sense is that India is very much embracing GIS
as a societal platform. This is also being done in many
countries including China, Indonesia, Abu Dhabi, and oth-
ers. Even the United States is embracing GIS at senior
government levels.
GIS is moving from simple mission to being seen as
important technology infrastructure for governing.
Basically a movement is afoot at the executive level in
governments and corporations that GIS matters.
In India, when I met with many senior leaders, I found a
broad understanding of the power of GIS and how it couldhelp them govern. Geospatial technology has an opportu-
nity in India to deal with the real issues of water, food,
environment, urbanisation, transportation, and comm-
unication in a holistic manner. This could empower and
inspire so many things; increase collaboration, better
communication and improved decision making across
government and society. This could happen with some of
the leadership I met. They have the passion to drive it and
are willing to take risks to make it happen. This will make
India a better place.
Geospatial World I January 201122