Author Archives: Matia Piccolo

GeneGIS GI

Mapping the Future. 

Although geo information has become an essential prerequisite for businesses, the growth potential of this technology is yet to be harnessed completely. Industry experts predict that the geographical information system (GIS) market will be worth 14.62 billion dollars in 2020, with an annual growth rate of 11.4 percent. From logistics to infrastructure management, commercial planning, to environmental conservation, traffic flow management and socioeconomic planning, GIS continues to expand further into other areas, and plays an important role in delivering different services. With the growing reliance on data that capitalizes analysis and decision making, GIS will extend to new technological landscapes such as 4D mapping. GeneGIS GI, a specialist in geographical information and communication technologies (Geo-ICT) offers a full range of services to follow the entire lifecycle of a project based on geographical data. From the acquisition of data, processing, and integration, to the development of applications, the company offers topnotch solutions for the environmental, territorial, logistics and transport, energy utilities, cultural heritage, and R&D sectors. Salvatore Cincotti, President at GeneGIS GI, shares his valuable insights on their range of services that follow the entire lifecycle of projects based on geographical data. The company develops and implements map-based technologies, area, and object monitoring, surveying with drones and satellites, logistic tracking and tracing to name some.

Please give us a brief overview about your company?

GeneGIS GI was founded in 1977 as an IT company focused on Geospatial science. During its initial stages of inception, it was named GESP Srl, and over the years we have gone through an extensive M&A with some of the major market players and have established an impeccable track record. Through these mergers, we gained technological and market supremacy. We integrated specialty technologies in environmental monitoring as well as GIS development. We focus our core business towards GeoICT, providing a full range of services for carrying out GIS projects, from data acquisition to the development of software applications, involving image processing, drone surveys, as well as logistic tracking and tracing. Our experience with public administrations and private companies located across 20 countries including Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Comoros, Kenya, Honduras, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad, Austria, and Belgium, to name a few, is worth mentioning. With more than 80 professionals as well as a satellite ground station, GeneGIS GI might reasonably be considered as one of the most reputed Geo-ICT solution providers in Europe, with a pervasive global reach and experience.

What are some of the trends and also challenges that you expect to have an impact in the ESRI Solutions space?

We think that the integration between GIS and BIM is transforming the way of representing the territory, especially going towards “near-real-time” data processing, which would allow much faster controls at different layers of requested information from clients. This year, the transformation of BIM solutions will have a powerful effect on the GIS market, and we think that the new ESRI product called ArcGIS Indoors could give us a powerful tool to compete at a high level in this emerging space. In my opinion, the major challenge that we foresee in the next few years is catering to the growing demand for new experiences of user interaction within GIS efficiently. New technology frontier such as virtual reality will redefine this landscape. Additionally, technology challenges including the VRGIS having to process complex data demand and incorporate spatial query functions so that desired multi-dimension information can be found more easily. GeneGIS GI has established some very interesting ties with booming start-ups in the VR arena to leverage this opportunity.

What are the services and solutions GeneGIS GI offer?

GeneGIS GI utilizes the ESRI global solution for sharing inputs and outputs within IT architectures of various kinds such as on cloud, on-premises, different devices, web, mobile, and desktop. We scale the system based on managed information and the number of users involved. Additionally, our firm guarantees the realization of every phase in the life cycle of a GeoICT project. From data acquisition to processing and output, support activities of training, assistance, technical support, and knowledge transfer, we support the whole process flow. We support aerial surveys— both airborne or with the use of in-house built drones, road mapping data acquisition, clouds of points for the definition of 3D environments, and remote sensing data. The services offered by the management of our ground station in supplying remote sensing data are worth mentioning. Satellite data is acquired and provided through strategic agreements with international partners and leaders in the field of earth observation services. We have gained a long-time experience and knowledge in the in-field survey activities, carried out using measurement equipment with the support of proprietary mobile apps. The efficiency of the data collection is improved by the use of specific ESRI mobile apps such as Survey 123 and Collector; developed to create smart forms with skip logic, defaults, and support for multiple languages. Using ESRI core engines contained in the ArcGIS suite, we develop customized platforms in accordance with the requested needs. Management and maintenance of spatial data are executed using ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS products. And are eventually improved by giving proper ESRI extensions—Spatial Analyst, Network Analyst, Image Analyst—or customized vertical applications developed by GeneGIS’ team exploiting libraries provided by ESRI. Data can also be processed using an ETL suite called FME Software.

Could you please cite one case study on how you have enabled clients to overcome hurdles and attain desired outcomes?

We implemented a GIS system for the West-Qurna oil field located in Iraq, managed by the Russian company Lukoil. It was necessary to implement GeoICT applications based on the ESRI solution which made it possible to work out various problems concerning territorial and environmental management. What does the future hold for your organization? GeneGIS group is actively pursuing to have a worldwide presence. We have a strong footprint in Italy and now we target to grow in all five continents by partnering together with other entities. GeneGIS aim towards provisioning our services and cover the entire value chain of the GeoICT area. Through this, not only can we offer our clients independently assembled products, but a complete and holistic system in which various components are integrated perfectly. We believe that our technical expertise is the cornerstone of our success which is also supported by years of experience.