A white paper providing a definition of "spatial" cloud computing, and its benefits to an organization

1. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2)
White Paper
A New Paradigm for Geographic Information
Services
Presented by:
Hugh Williams
SKE Inc.
hwilliams@skeinc.com
March 2009

2. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
Leverage the power of geography in the “cloud”…
Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2)
Electrical Utility Analogy:
Cloud Computing About 100 years ago, facilities used to
have to generate their own electricity.
The idea of quot;Cloud Computingquot; reflects an approach to computing in
The introduction of the electrical utility
which dynamically scalable computing hardware and software
and electrical grid made it possible for
resources are provided as a service over the Internet.
companies to hook up to grid, and
eliminate the expense and overhead of
Cloud Computing is often equated with the concept of a utility, in
generating your own electricity.
which an organization can “plug-in” to this virtual computing
environment and use the computing resources available on an as- With cloud computing, organizations
required basis. can reduce or eliminate their IT
infrastructure and get in the “cloud” by
using the service of an information
With cloud computing, the applications you use are there when you
technology utility available through the
need them, and wherever you need them – you just need a connection
Internet.
to the Internet. Further, you don’t have the expense or need to
buy/lease, manage, and maintain your own IT infrastructure.
Cloud computing is often associated with a couple of acronyms: A Large Growing Market:
• SaaS – Software as a Service; and,
• HaaS – Hardware as a Service. Cloud Computing is brewing up a storm.
IDC predicts annual growth at 9 to 10%;
and Merrill Lynch estimates the value at
Successful SaaS examples include: Salesforce.com; and, Google’s
over $100 Billion in five years.
Google Reader and Google Docs. Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud
(EC2) provides compute capacity in the cloud and is a leading HaaS
example. The value of the Cloud Computing industry is expected to reach $100 Billion in five years
(Merrill Lynch), so it’s easy to understand why the big IT vendors like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are
rapidly ramping up cloud computing platforms and services.
This services / utility approach is becoming increasingly successful because:
Dependability / Redundancy: Cloud computing offers cost effective solutions that are dependable, and
reliable.
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |2

3. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
Flexibility / Scalability: Cloud computing solutions give clients the ability to choose the resources they
need in a way that can grow over time or instantaneously as needs change.
Levelled Playing Field – Democratization: Small corporations / organizations now have the same
capabilities for computing and information access, as larger ones. The size of the organization is no
longer an issue.
Meets Client Expectations for Innovation and Options: Users no longer have any adherence or loyalty
to traditional technologies or approaches. Users will embrace cloud computing if it provides the needed
functionality at the right price.
Security. Often the primary concern of a client is whether or not their systems will be secure in the
cloud. Cloud computing providers recognize that security is paramount and focus a lot of attention on
ensuring security.
Identity Management and Access Control: Cloud computing solutions must and do provide advanced
solutions for access control and identity management measures that ensure users and uses of the data
are legitimate.
Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2)
Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) is one specific type of cloud computing that focuses on adding geography
to the cloud computing paradigm. SC2 provides dynamically scalable geographic information
technology, spatial data, and geo-applications as a web service / utility. It’s on-demand geo-
intelligence for corporate information resources; leveraging the power of geography without needing
the massive investment in specialized geo-data, people, and software typically required in an
“enterprise GIS” implementation.
Why is “geography” important? Put simply, 90% of all business data has a geographic component, such
as an address, an area reference like a sales district, or a map coordinate. Consider that:
 Maps are intuitive. They can communicate with clarity and build understanding.
 Geography is a powerful way to integrate disparate business data. Especially data that would
otherwise have NO other connection. Mapped locations become the access points for all
related business data and systems, providing a unified view of an organization’s information
resources.
 Making data “location aware” enables spatial patterns and relationships to be instantly visible.
Words and numbers cannot easily describe what is readily apparent on a map.
By leveraging this geo-intelligence you are able to better capitalize on your information investment.
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |3

4. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
The Benefits of Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2)
Lower Cost:
Because the geo-technology infrastructure, the services and the data are provided; there is no large
initial investment in time and cost, or ongoing maintenance. This is important because the cost of an
enterprise geographic information system can be quite significant. Cost is a primary reason why many
organizations don’t have GIS solutions. With spatial cloud computing, that barrier to entry disappears.
Spatial Data:
Imagery and topographic mapping, which acts as a base against which other spatial data are layered, can
cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire and process from a spatial data vendor. The SC2
utility provides the foundation data as part of the core service. Users only need to add their
asset/thematic mapping on top of this base. Often the user asset mapping data can be quickly
generated from the business data or can be acquired from other sources. For example, the location of
clients can be quickly generated by geo-coding their address details.
People Capacity:
Implementing a geographic information system (GIS) within an organization requires people with
specialized skills. SC2 eliminates the need for in-house GIS capability for basic geo-information access
capabilities. For organizations that already have GIS capability, it will free up highly skilled staff from
having to take care of basic information requests, and letting them deal with more complex tasks and
services.
Technology Infrastructure:
Hardware and specialized GIS software aren’t required because they are provided by the utility. This
includes the costs associated with acquisition as well as ongoing maintenance and management.
Application Infrastructure:
Spatial cloud computing provides the framework for geo-enabling business data and systems. For
organizations already invested in GIS, SC2 can be leveraged to enhance the offerings, making the
organizations business and geographic data easier to publish, access, and use. Some organizations even
find that they acquire GIS software but don’t have much use for it – or it sits on the shelf. In these cases,
SC2 provides a powerful incentive and mechanism to realize value from that investment.
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |4

5. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) – SKE’s Directions
While cloud computing is growing in acceptance and usage, we can anticipate that with the right
services and approaches, that spatial cloud computing will not be far behind in the adoption trend. The
barriers to implementation and adoption of spatial cloud computing solutions remain largely in the
understanding of their availability and “trust” in their effectiveness.
At SKE, we are pioneering technologies and services in spatial cloud computing by taking our GeoPortal
solution and making it broadly available as a service to others around the world.
GeoPortal gives clients a spatial cloud computing solution to add the “G” (geography) to their “IS”
(information systems). It is a geo-intelligent platform consisting of software, services, and spatial data
that provides our clients the ability to map-enable their business systems and data – and start leveraging
those capabilities.
GeoPortal uses Google maps and imagery as the geographic base upon which we add your spatial data –
such as branch / store / asset / client locations; zones of interest; administrative areas; natural
boundaries; and so on. With these maps, we connect your business information systems – so that you
have access to everything. The following diagram shows how the spatial component is hosted while
your business information system data never leave your computing environment. The two components
dynamically come together through GeoPortal. Note, we also offer the option of hosting your business
data, if preferred.
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |5

6. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
GeoPortal Components
GeoPortal consists of ready-to-use web tools and information services, all accessed in a web browser
with no plug-ins. The client tools include:
GeoViewer
A map-based information
search and access tool that
enables the user to visualize
their data on the map and
access related business
information.
DataViewer
A versatile business data
query and reporting tool that
maps the results by linking to
GeoViewer with a variety of
powerful yet easy features
and functions.
DocumentViewer
A Windows Explorer-like tool
that lets the user manage
documents in a secure
content management
environment with direct links
to GeoViewer and
DataViewer.
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |6

7. Spatial Cloud Computing (SC2) White Paper
March 2009
About SKE
SKE is committed to helping clients achieve success with their SC2 implementation.
Our key services include:
• Access to all GeoPortal components without the cost of purchasing/licensing technology or the
underlying computing infrastructure.
• Development or enhancements of business systems to leverage spatial cloud computing.
• Enterprise geographic information systems in the cloud.
• Access to the Google topographic mapping and imagery to be used as a base for your spatial
data.
• Secure hosting of client spatial and business data.
• Dedicated technical support and maintenance of all IT components.
• Customization and enhancements to meet specific client needs.
• Creating organizational understanding and support for an SC2 solution.
GeoPortal is highly suitable for all kinds of applications, including:
• Real Property Asset Tracking and Management
• Facilities Management
• Land use planning and management
• Property Development and Management
• e-Health
• Environmental / Natural Resource Management
• Transportation Management
• Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery
• e-Government
As the map indicates, clients from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe
have turned to SKE to help them convert data into a strategic
information resource – both internationally with the World
Bank, United Nations, USAID, CIDA, IDRC, World Vision and
others; and, in Canada with the federal, provincial, and
municipal governments.
Some key example Spatial Cloud Computing projects have included:
 Ontario Realty Corporation – The GeoPortal for Ontario
 Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs – The Aboriginal Consultation Information System (ACIS)
 Ministry of the Attorney General – The Facilities Management Information System (FMIS)
 Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure – The Provincial Real Property Information System
Contact:
Hugh Williams
416-738-983; hwilliams@skeinc.com
www.skeinc.com
Join the “Spatial Cloud Computing” group on LinkedIn.com
Visit SKE Inc. at www.skeinc.com Page |7