Chances are that most GIS professionals and geoscientists use Esri's ArcGIS software in part- likely the majority- of their work. ESRI's suite of software are familiar to many but built upon limited aspects of GIS, upon aging workflows when having a 'GIS department' meant hiring users with software licenses to operate a graphical interface. The systems mixes proprietary file formats to back-fill outdated spatial thinking and dozens of new features that attempt to extend its capabilities forward. It was a good run, but it's time to evolve.
Today, companies have larger datasets, decentralized workplaces, and require faster innovation and analytics. Software engineers are driving solutions in many industries; options also exist for the spatial community to leverage the power and scalability of the cloud and automation to create GIS pipelines that reduce overhead, enhance innovation and save money.
Let's examine a modern technology stack that can help you drive GIS of the future.
