Learn how Managed Cloud Services can support GIS teams within infrastructure management industries
Managed Cloud Services (MCS) and Cloud technology can significantly enhance infrastructure management by providing scalable storage for large geospatial datasets, enabling real-time data access, facilitating collaboration across teams, and offering powerful analytical tools to optimize infrastructure planning, maintenance, and decision-making, all while reducing the need for costly on-premise hardware and maintenance burdens. GIS teams that unlock the power of the Cloud with MCS can focus more on data analysis and less on managing physical infrastructure.
Infrastructure industry challenges
Transportation
A few key challenges Transportation GIS teams encounter include:
- Infrastructure planning and maintenance: How to manage and maintain vast networks and geospatial data of roads, railways, bridges, and transit systems.
- Real-time traffic & incident monitoring: How to provide real-time data that is needed to manage traffic congestion, accidents, and other incidents for public safety.
- Public transit & route optimization: How to optimize routes, schedules, and service areas to accommodate demand while minimizing delays.
- Data integration: How to anage and integrate data from multiple transportation modes (road, rail, air, sea), especially for large metropolitan areas and regional authorities.
- Regulatory compliance: How best to comply with various regulatory requirements related to safety, environmental impacts, and public accountability
Managed Cloud Services Providers (MCSP) can help:
MCSPs provide Cloud-based GIS solutions that allow transportation agencies to map and manage infrastructure assets (roads, bridges, etc.) across large geographic areas. By using real-time GIS data, agencies can monitor asset conditions, schedule maintenance, and prioritize repairs to avoid costly breakdowns.
The Cloud enables real-time traffic monitoring systems to collect and analyze data from sensors, cameras, and connected vehicles. Large-scale data processing enables better traffic flow, faster incident response time, and continuous live updates to the public.
MCSPs can centralize data from different transportation modes (road, rail, air, sea) into a single Cloud-based GIS ecosystem. This integration enables better coordination and planning across networks.
MCSPs ensure secure storage and easy access to historical and real-time data, making it easier to generate reports for regulators and the public.
How Nevada DOT strategically modernized with Managed Cloud Services
How MassDOT gained efficiencies with cloud deployment
Boosting transportation efficiencies with Managed Cloud Services
Telecommunications
A few key challenges the Telecommunications GIS teams encounter include:
- Network expansion & optimization: How to expand, upgrade, and optimize network infrastructure to meet increasing demand for bandwidth and coverage.
- Geospatial data management for network planning: How best to leverage GIS for planning and maintaining fiber optic networks, cell towers, and 5G infrastructure.
- Customer experience: How to consistently deliver the best customer experience — optimize service delivery, resolve network issues, and manage outages.
- Remote infrastructure management: How to manage infrastructure in remote areas and ensure secure data transmission across distributed assets.
- Data overload: How to manage the vast amounts of geospatial data from customer usage patterns, tower locations, and network performance metrics.
Managed Cloud Service Providers can help:
The Cloud allow telecom companies to store and process large volumes of data without concerns about physical storage limitations.
MCSPs can deploy remote monitoring solutions that use cloud-based GIS to track the performance of towers, cables, and wireless infrastructure, providing real-time updates on asset health and usage.
By combining GIS with customer service tools, telecoms quickly identify and resolve network issues affecting customers, leading to faster resolution times and enhanced service delivery.
With custom architecture, seamless ArcGIS implementation, and comprehensive management, this turnkey collaborative Cloud-based GIS solution ensures telecoms can streamline their processes and unlock the full potential of the ArcGIS system. Solution on Esri.com
Security was a major motivator for Astound Broadband when it came to making the leap from on-premise infrastructure to the cloud. Prior to joining the cloud, the system was outside of the control of the GIS group, so there were frequent disruptions
Vodafone partnered with Esri, AWS and ROK Technologies to develop a nationwide digital twin for its UK mobile network. The platform is designed to enhance Vodafone’s nationwide 5G rollout and supplemental services. This digital twin is the first UK national digital twin to be built to support telecom infrastructure deployment. Read more at Esri.com
Utilities (Water, Electric, Oil & Gas)
A few key challenges Utility GIS teams encounter include:
- Large-scale asset management: How to manage vast networks of infrastructure, including pipelines, power lines, and facilities, often across broad geographic areas.
- Real-time monitoring & predictive maintenance: How to keep up with the need for continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure to prevent outages, leaks, or breakdowns.
- Regulatory compliance: How to meet the strict regulatory standards such as NERC-CIP for the power sector or EPA regulations for water utilities.
- Outage response & disaster recovery: How to quickly restore services after natural disasters or technical failures.
- Data integration: How best to manage and maintain vast amounts of real-time data from IoT sensors, SCADA systems, and GIS platforms.
Managed Cloud Service Providers (MCSP) can help:
Cloud infrastructure enables utilities to scale GIS resources dynamically, handling large datasets from sensors and smart meters without the need for constant hardware upgrades.
MCSPs facilitate the real-time processing and analysis of data from IoT devices and SCADA systems, allowing utilities to detect and respond to potential issues proactively.
Cloud-based disaster recovery solutions ensure that critical GIS data and applications are quickly restored after outages, minimizing downtime and service interruptions.
MCSPs help utilities centralize GIS data in the cloud, making it easier to integrate information from various systems and provide a unified view of infrastructure operations.
Schneider Electric & ROK Technologies partner to help Utility GIS teams migrate ArcFM and ArcGIS systems to the Cloud
GIS Water Panel Discussion
Hear from water utility GIS leaders, Mr. Forbuss at Rogue Valley Sewer Services and Mr. Gerberry at Del-Co Water Company as they share their Cloud stories in this co-sponsored Esri Water webinar.
Navigating the Disaster Response Cycle
Emergency management depends on leveraging vast amounts of data at the right time, with the right teams to take the right action. That is a lot of “rights” to get right.
Check out more infrastructure resources at Esri.com
Learn more about Infrastructure Management from Esri and download their eBook, The Geographic Approach to Infrastructure Management Creating the Modern, Resilient, and Sustainable Future of Infrastructure. READ MORE >
Esri created a downloadable worth checking out, Three Steps to Prioritize Infrastructure Investment with GIS. READ MORE >
And don’t forget to check out Esri’s annual IMGIS (Infrastructure Management & GIS) Conference! READ MORE >
Infrastructure Management FAQs
How does an MCSP manage the underlying infrastructure for GIS applications
MCSP manages all aspects of your Cloud infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, and databases. We ensure the infrastructure is optimized for GIS workloads by configuring it for performance, scalability, and security. We also takes care of routine maintenance such as patching, updates, and monitoring, so GIS leaders can focus on core applications rather than managing the infrastructure.
How does an MCSP help with scaling GIS infrastructure?
MCSP helps scale GIS infrastructure by using cloud resources that can automatically scale up or down based on demand. This elasticity allows GIS organizations to handle spikes in usage without the need for over-provisioning hardware. With managed services, we monitor usage patterns and adjusts resources as needed to ensure optimal performance without disruptions.
What performance monitoring tools does an MCSP provide for GIS infrastructure?
MCSPs provide performance monitoring tools that track the health and efficiency of your GIS infrastructure. These tools offer real-time insights into system performance, including CPU usage, memory, network latency, and storage utilization. Alerts and automated responses can be configured to address potential issues before they affect system performance, ensuring that your GIS operations remain fast and reliable.
How does an MCSP ensure high availability for GIS applications?
MCSPs ensure high availability by distributing GIS workloads across multiple cloud regions or availability zones, so that even if one data center or region experiences downtime, the GIS applications remain operational. They also implement redundancy at multiple levels—servers, storage, networking, and database replication—to minimize single points of failure. Load balancers and failover mechanisms ensure seamless operation even during peak loads or unforeseen outages.
