NIIT-Esri JV rolls out cloud-based GIS platform

Esri India, a joint venture between NIIT Technologies Ltd and US-based Esri Inc., has launched a cloud-based geographic information system (GIS) platform to provide tools to users to create and publish maps and applications on demand for visualising and sharing geospatial information.

The GIS platform, called ArcGIS Online (AGOL),  provides open GIS capabilities to any user allowing access to any application, anywhere, anytime on any device. It facilitates sharing and use of geospatial content within groups of an organisation, as well as between organisations and the public.

This platform can be used in many government programmes such as public safety, health, utility, infrastructure, and business applications like site suitability and location analytics. Individuals can benefit from improved citizen services.

Globally, AGOL has been used in solving many significant challenges such as organising and providing open access to global environmental information, more effective and coordinated responses to large-scale natural disasters and enabling more efficient operations for global business enterprises.

"Early adopters of ArcGIS Online have realised immediate benefits from extending their geographic information to reach more people within their organisation and beyond," said Dean Angelides, corporate director, international operations at Esri Inc.

NIIT Technologies is an IT firm with customers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. It offers services in application development and maintenance, managed services, IP asset or platform solutions, and business process outsourcing to organisations in the financial services, travel and transportation, manufacturing/distribution, healthcare and government sectors.

ESRI Inc. is a provider of GIS mapping and solutions and produces and markets ArcGIS suite of software. From 1980 onwards, ArcGIS has emerged from its initial tool-box of geographic processing modules to a rich suite of desktop and server-based GIS tools that powers GIS projects/programmes, spatial data infrastructures, decision support systems, management information systems and image and map portals across the world.

(Edited by Prem Udayabhanu)