Highlights from WAURISA 2012

May 17, 2012 Skip Cody, Product Manager No comments

A couple of weeks ago the Digital Map Products Team packed their bags and traveled to the beautiful Pacific North West to attend and speak at the WAURISA 2012 GIS conference in Tacoma Washington. This year’s theme was “Communicating Spatial Knowledge”; something we can definitely relate to and are passionate about! The conference attendees included GIS professionals from local and state government, consultants, product vendors, and service providers.

This year’s theme of “Communicating Spatial Knowledge” was kicked off with the Conference Key Note by former Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer  “Communication Spatial Knowledge Connecting People, Places and Policy”. A few of the individual presentations we found particularly informative were those by Tim Moore and Nizar Salih “COR Maps – An Interactive GIS Web Portal”, Jared Erickson “Pierce County’s Mobile Development Platform” and Jay Clark “How Multiple Cities Came Together to Build a Citizen Map Browser”. Panel discussions are always a great way to get many different opinions with great discussion and “Panel Discussion: Government’s Role in Sharing Spatial Information – Data, Maps, and Services” did not disappoint.

My Digital Map Products colleague, Benjamin Webb, and I had the opportunity to present on “The Cloud Revolution: How Cloud Computing is Transforming Mapping” which allowed us to share our knowledge of the benefits cloud computing brings to GIS applications, data and services. In our talk we highlighted current Cloud GIS trends, the state of Cloud Computing and a few tips to help with the overall success with a Cloud GIS implementation.

Because one presentation is never enough, Ben and I also presented “Talk to Me: Using Mapping to Communicate with Citizens in the Google Era”. Developing a consumer-facing website that is easy to use and informative is one of those topics that GIS Professionals continue to struggle with. The new map consumer is demanding and is looking for correct data within a responsive web application, with as few widgets as possible. In our presentation we outlined the expectations of these new map-savvy information consumers, explained how to present data in an easy to consume fashion, and displayed some examples using Digital Map Products’ Community View™ mapping solutionx.

The final Digital Map Products team member to present was Annie Schwab, who pointed out common online mapping mistakes in “Mapping Secrets Unveiled: Top Mapping Faux Pas and How to Avoid Them”. Even though this was the last session of the day, the house was full. Annie gave a lively presentation with participation from the audience and her mapping don’ts garnered quite a few chuckles and head nods which just shows how much the GIS community values this type of information.

The WAURISA team welcomed us with open arms and I will have to say that this was one of the smoothest GIS conferences that I have been to in a while. Great job!

Learn more about best practices for publishing city, property and community information to citizens & how cities can get started with online interactive mapping:

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Highlights from CalGIS: Web, Mobile, Cloud & More

April 24, 2012 Annie Schwab, Vice President, Marketing No comments

A few weeks ago the Digital Map Products Team traveled to Sacramento, CA for the annual CalGIS conference. CalGIS is organized by the fine folks from the California URISA chapter. The conference included GIS professionals from local, state and federal government, consultants, product vendors, and service providers.

This year we were pleased to see that the majority of talks focused on web-based mapping, open source GIS, and improving access to geospatial data through mobile devices – all favorite topics of ours and a testament to the massive evolution GIS has recently undergone. Not long ago this conference was heavily focused on the utilization of desktop GIS tools including new functions and features. You could certainly feel the energy around the new and evolving geospatial tools at the conference that were leveraging the Web, Cloud and Mobile.

One presentation that particularly impressed us was given by Scott Gregory, California Government Information Officer, about the new state-wide portal for geospatial data. Scott’s vision revolves around improving access and generating further awareness about the new datasets. This initiative is especially exciting for us because DMP is providing the state-wide parcel database and tax assessor attributes which form the foundation for the new data portal.

Another highlight of CalGIS for DMP was sharing our knowledge of web mapping through an IGNITE presentation. We discussed how online maps can help local governments improve their communications with citizens and meet Google Era information access and transparency expectations. The biggest challenge of the session was fitting all our tips into a lightning fast 5 minutes! It really forced us to focus on the most critical points which we’re sharing with you below:

  • Changing expectations are forcing cities to re-asses their current offerings, citizens want to self-serve 24/7
  • Internet & social media are transforming the way city government interacts w/ citizens
  • The cloud provides a cost-effective, scalable & easier –to-use resource for cities to increase constituent engagement
  • Progressive cities are leveraging interactive maps and web 2.0 technologies to engage citizens & help them self-service their requests

Learn more about best practices for publishing city, property and community information to citizens & how cities can get started with web 2.0 & interactive mapping:

Cloud Computing, DMP Events, GIS, Government, Mapping , , , , , , ,

Want to be the Expert in Your Market? Start Mapping!

February 14, 2012 Christina Coggins, Marketing Manager No comments

Be the Expert in Your MarketAs you’ve heard us say before in this blog, we love maps and mapping! Mapping is all around us and has permeated our world in ways that many of us don’t even realize. Industries like health care, government, transportation, utilities, and more all use mapping to effectively and successfully conduct business. But for real estate, mapping has a special connection. Mapping and real estate are a match made in heaven and we are going to share some tips on how you can exploit this relationship to become the expert in your market.

Let’s start off by discussing why mapping is so great. Besides being pretty to look at, maps provide an opportunity for deeper analysis. With maps you can view patterns and trends that might be missed in their tabular form. Maps provide people with context; you can look at a map and immediately understand where you are in relation to everything else. And that’s just scratching the surface; we could easily write another post on why we love maps so much but we’ll save that for next time.

So how can you leverage the benefits of mapping to show off your market expertise and win more listings? Data! Data is everywhere and when mapped effectively highlights your market knowledge. Some important datasets that you can track and showcase on your map include transactions, property values, distressed assets, and inventory. Collect, map, analyze, repeat. This process establishes credibility and reinforces your market expertise.

But don’t just stop there, you are reading this because you want to be the market EXPERT right? Emphasize your market knowledge by adding your unique perspective to the map. You can do this by combining various datasets that illustrate interesting relationships and might otherwise be hard to capture. In addition, styling your data is an excellent way to provide meaning and take the data to the next level.

Finally, you’ll want to present your map in a way that asserts your market expertise. Clients have different needs; tailor your map to present what is relevant to each one whether it be property values, past sales, hazards, or retail locations. For your short-list why not create a “custom” collateral piece? They’ll appreciate the time and you’ll solidify yourself as the market expert.

By following these tips you’ll be the market expert in no time but in case you want to learn more here are some additional resources for your convenience:

Webinar: The Mapping Advantage
Whitepaper: Leveraging Technology to Better Market Your Listing
Learn More: Digital Map Products Real Estate Solutions

Mapping, Real Estate , , , ,

What We Learned at Real Estate Connect New York

January 20, 2012 Christina Coggins, Marketing Manager No comments

Well, Real Estate Connect New York has come and gone but not without leaving its mark on the real estate world. While attending the show last week the Digital Map Products team had the delight of exploring the expo floor, hosting a “Technology Preview” session and attending some educational sessions. Here’s our recap of the key trends and takeaways from the show, we’d love to hear your thoughts as well.

Real Estate Search is an Evolving Art
Real estate search continues to evolve and is keeping the industry on its toes. As consumers grow savvier we need to know how to keep up. Today’s tech savvy consumer wants it all from a streamlined user interface to advanced search options like school zones, lifestyle, neighborhood boundaries, and even traffic information. Your site has to be able to offer all of this and more or the consumer will leave. Yes, it’s cruel but it’s the truth. And we’re not done yet, they also want to access this information on the fly meaning search needs to be mobile. The trajectory of real estate search is clear: more functionality available on any device and easier to use.

The Local Craze Continues
Hyperlocal may be as ubiquitous a buzz word as “the cloud” these days but being hyperlocal can and does pay off. As those tech savvy consumers mentioned above become more familiar with the advancements in real estate search and as mapping technologies and geo-location apps continue to grow it will be vital to offer consumers localized information on your site. Remember, consumers are not just searching for a home; they are searching for a community.

Don’t be Overwhelmed by Data Overload
It’s no secret that big data has permeated the world we live in and the real estate industry is no exception. But big data can be a bit overwhelming and figuring out how to capitalize on all of the information can be just as frustrating because a number without context is meaningless. One way to provide context and make data easy to digest is to display it visually. Data displayed visually is a very basic yet powerful way to share information that might otherwise be overwhelming. In addition, displaying big data visually can help expose trends that might otherwise be obscured. Consumers are already familiar with map-based search so why not integrate all of your great data into your map?

While there were a lot of other notable trends being discussed at the conference the ones mentioned above most resonated with us and seemed like they would be helpful to share with our blog readers.

In addition to the thought-provoking ideas buzzing around the conference we also had a great time in our “Technology Preview” sessions. During these sessions we invited conference attendees to take a sneak peek at some exciting new technology we will be unveiling in 2012. We received invaluable feedback and have lots in the works that we look forward to sharing with you!

For more information on how to keep up with the advances in real estate search, hyperlocal information and displaying big data in an impactful way see the resources below:

Webinar: The Business Case for Search & Display at the Neighborhood Level
Video: Rollups: Making Sense of Large Data Sets
Whitepaper: 7 Tips for Developing a Great Mapping App

DMP Events, Mapping, Real Estate

Welcome to the Cloud Mapping Era: The New Rules for Mapping Success

January 5, 2012 Annie Schwab, Vice President, Marketing No comments

A new breed of location technologies powered by cloud services is overtaking the consumer web. These new location apps and geodata are taking mapping into the mainstream through their ease of implementation, maintenance and use. We’re now seeing that users once timid with mapping are now demanding interactive spatial features and further innovation from sites employing mapping and location data.

Cloud computing has permanently transformed the mapping sector and is creating new rules for success, along with tremendous opportunity for those attuned to these changes. By better understanding what lies ahead for cloud-based mapping, organizations and individuals can best capitalize on this technology revolution and make their sites and products stand out with mapping.

• New Users, New Markets: Web mapping has an army of new users, most of whom are nontechnical and have exceedingly high expectations for their user experience. These new users are impatient and have a very low learning curve. They’re interested in mapping so far as it helps them accomplish their immediate task at hand. However, they are not GIS groupies who will wait for a map to load or tolerate inaccurate data because they think GIS is cool. For these new users, location technology will be interwoven into their everyday tasks, many times in ways they don’t even realize. You must understand and design for these new users to succeed in the mapping of tomorrow.

• The New Face of Geodata: One of the benefits cloud computing brings to mapping is the simplification of acquiring, integrating and maintaining data! With the cloud, getting the data’s the easy part which frees up significant time to meet the needs of those demanding new users you have. With the proliferation of mapping APIs, location data has become even cheaper, easier to implement and keep current, and more plentiful. Even better, data quality is improving significantly which should lead to fewer user complaints. One of the most exciting developments on the location data front is with user sourced data. Users are moving from merely being data consumers to data creators. They’re tagging their current locations so friends can find them, correcting attraction locations, pinpointing breaking news and offering their opinions on everything from restaurants to homes for sale.

• Pervasive Mapping: With new users and data come new applications for mapping, and none are more significant than the rise of mapping in the mobile environment. Mobile and mapping are a natural fit and because of this, mapping is becoming pervasive, being integrated into any device, any where, any time. The question you need to continually ask yourself is this: “Is your mapping mobile friendly?” We used to rely on maps to help us understand “where am I?” or “how do I get to my destination?”  With mobile mapping, a whole new world is exposed, one where the dominant question becomes “where am I in relation to everything else?” Pervasive mapping gives us new tools to explore our immediate locations and discover people, attractions, businesses, and new experiences.

• Blending of Real and Virtual Worlds: As spatial technology empowers us to better explore and understand our environments, there’s a critical need to display information; sadly the traditional world of 2D is no longer sufficient. Thankfully, by blending standard maps with augmented reality and 3D images users can instantly get a better sense for their surroundings and more easily locate the information they desire and navigate unknown areas. Augmented reality will be particularly effective in the mobile and hyperlocal spaces.

• Increased Innovation and Speed to Market: One of the things we like best about cloud services is that they free developers from many of the back-end headaches of mapping development and maintenance affording them precious time to focus on innovation and improving the user experience. This free time is much needed to make mapping applications intuitive and easy to use. Companies that recognize this and take advantage of this shift in focus will deliver apps that meet the needs of the new web mapping users.

• The Increased Need for Data Visualization: With more demanding users, increased data, and more sophisticated mapping features, future mapping success is predicated on good data display. The use of correct and innovative data visualization techniques is essential to improving the usability of location-based products. We need to adhere to solid data visualization principles like summarizing large data sets and using geographies that make sense to users, such as neighborhoods not census tracts. Also, we need to push the limits of tools to help users explore data. As data and analysis gets more complex, users will need to quickly drill into and out of maps. And don’t forget the time element – we love playing around with animated maps as a means to easily understand the temporal component of trend data.

There’s no question a new era of mapping has arrived, and it’s unmistakably tied to the cloud. We encourage everyone to embrace these new mapping norms and begin exploring the many facets of spatial cloud computing to take your mapping to the next level. We’ve been thrilled to see the rapid evolution of our favorite technology and are excited to see what the future of mapping holds in store for all of us.

Check out the links below to learn more about where mapping technology is headed in the cloud era:

Webinar Recording: Top Mapping Faux Pas & How to Avoid Them
Video: What’s Next for Real Estate & Mapping Panel Discussion

Cloud Computing, GIS, Mapping , , , , ,
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