Press Release – geoConvergence is now an Esri Gold Partner in the Esri Partner Network
geoConvergence is now an Esri Gold Partner in the Esri Partner Network
ArcGIS Infrastructure Migration for the Indiana Geographic Information Office
ArcGIS Infrastructure Migration for the Indiana Geographic Information Office About Indiana Geographic Information Office (GIO)The GIS Office contributes to the quality of Indiana as a place to live and work by cultivating statewide geographic information resources (relationships, data and technology) so that individuals and organizations across the state have suitable access to accurate and relevant geographic information and technology. The ChallengeFor well over a decade, Indiana’s Geographic Information Office has managed a library of over 300 geospatial datasets for access and use by state government employees and the public. The infrastructure that supported the library consisted of two on-site ESRI ArcGIS servers that were load balanced with Oracle as the database backend. Datasets were accessed via hundreds of services. The servers had to be provisioned with high enough virtual memory to be able to host the large number of services. This combined with the high volume of traffic was pushing the limits of the existing hardware. In addition, connectivity was cumbersome for users who were required to access the library via Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology. The SolutionThe state wanted an alternate solution that would be scalable, cost-effective, and allow users to connect securely to the data and services from any location without using VPN. Collectively, these challenges strongly favored a solution that would migrate the infrastructure to the cloud and resolve issues related to: Scalability.The load on the servers varies through the day and week. An autoscaling environment provides both cost and performance optimization. Accessibility.Users needed to connect to ArcGIS Enterprise securely using State credentials and single sign-on access protocols without VPN. Performance.The burden on ArcGIS server could be reduced by offloading processing and employing ArcGIS Datastore. Security.The solution should allow implementing SSO with the existing Azure AD in use by the State. Capacity.Avoiding the overprovisioning of machines by using a tiered architecture with independent scaling. geoConvergence designed a cloud infrastructure to overcome these challenges and meet future needs such as: collaborations with various state agencies, the deployment of an open data portal using ArcGIS Hub and the eventual realization of a “system of systems” promoted by Esri’s visionary leader, Jack Dangermond. Working closely with the GIO, the architecture was designed not only to be scalable but also highly available and resilient. geoConvergence used CloudFormation templates to automate the deployment of the various ArcGIS Enterprise infrastructure components which were specifically architected for the AWS Cloud. ArcGIS Enterprise was then connected to the Azure AD for security and single sign-on access. A close examination of user workflows identified the opportunity to streamline operations by removing Oracle and the enterprise geodatatabase from the architecture and employing an ArcGIS Data Store and hosted feature layers instead. Additional performance was gained by implementing distributed and partner collaborations to avoid duplication of data that were already published by collaborating agencies. Ultimately, geoConvergence was able to partner with the GIO’s office to create a versatile and efficient ArcGIS Enterprise platorm that is secure and scalable. “The State of Indiana needed to modernize our system of data hosting and delivery to take advantage of the latest technologies and capabilities that align with the longterm strategic vision. The first step was migrating our GIS Infrastructure to the AWS Cloud, laying the foundation to establish a secure and scalable platform for the future.” Megan Compton, State of Indiana GIOgio@iot.in.gov
geoConvergence Earns Esri ArcGIS Indoors Specialty Designation
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Company Receives Designation for Indoor Mapping Technology Contract Work at NSWC Crane Was Critical in Achieving this Esri Designation Odon, IN – March 25, 2021″ geoConvergence, an SBA 8(a) Certified Small Business, earned Esri’s ArcGIS Indoors Specialty designation in recognition of their knowledge and expertise in indoor mapping for use in creating connected workspaces. GIS incorporates geographical features to map, analyze and assess real-world problems. ArcGIS Indoors can be used to map and analyze the interiors of office buildings, warehouses and other structures for a variety of commercial and government purposes. “We’re honored to be among a handful of Esri Partner Network companies to earn this designation,” said Prem Radhakrishnan, geoConvergence co-founder and CEO. “The demand for indoor mapping technology continues to grow exponentially and our partnership with Esri allows us to help customers modernize their workplace operations and create smart buildings for efficient workforce and space management.” In 2020, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane’s Global Deterrence and Defense (GX) Department awarded geoConvergence an SBA 8(a) Direct Award contract to provide indoor mapping of a 150,000 square foot structure using ArcGIS Indoors. Capabilities such as space management, scenario modeling, and asset tracking were included in the solution. The GX Department at NSWC Crane was instrumental in geoConvergence attaining the Esri Indoors Specialty designation. NSWC Crane also leveraged the SBA’s 8(a) program that allowed them to shorten the contracting life cycle from possibly years to days/months. Firms certified in the SBA 8(a) program are eligible for receiving direct contract awards from the Federal Government to ease the burden of contracting and help small businesses grow. “We’re grateful to the leadership at NSWC Crane that engage with a small business like geoConvergence,” explained Radhakrishnan. “Opportunities like this help both the government obtain critical services while enabling small, disadvantaged businesses to make meaningful contributions and to grow.” About geoConvergence:geoConvergence is an SBA 8(a) certified, minority-owned small business. The firm specializes in the design and implementation of world-class Geospatial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Space Management solutions by leveraging technical skills in Software Development, Cloud Engineering, and Data Analytics required to create secure, effective, efficient, and resilient solutions in today’s highly connected network environment. geoConvergence has also earned the following Esri Specialties: Release Ready, Federal Small Business, and ArcGIS Online. For more information, visit https://geoConvergence.com. Tweet