Beyond GIS

In this episode, Kurt chats to Santosh about the open source vs proprietary data landscape in the geospatial world. Topics include: The value of Open Source, including flexibility and scalability, without the constraints How AI and machine learning are tilting the scales in favour of Open Source Commercial implications and understanding the true cost of Open Source The future of geospatial technol...

In this episode, Kurt chats to Peter Rose, head of Orbica’s European operations, about the synergy of geospatial and AI. Topics include: The crucial roles of Geospatial and AI for the future of businesses and governments The challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in Europe Overcoming the fallacy of sunk cost to embrace innovation and growth How real-time data and smart cities are c...

In this episode, Kurt chats to Orbica’s own AI Data Specialist Sagar Soni about the role of AI in technology development. Topics include: Understanding the realm of Geo-AI, including realistic expectations and potential challenges How modern platforms enable real-time decision making and faster realisation of ROI The Segment Anything Model and it’s uses and benefits The potential of customised lar...

In this episode, Kurt chats to Peter Rose, co-founder and head of Orbica’s European operations, about the unique opportunities and challenges of bringing the Orbica platform to the European market. Topics include: An overview of the European marketplace for geospatial technology, including its unique needs based on its vast geographic footprint Real world applications of geospatial data, including...

In this episode, Kurt chats to Orbica’s head of technology, Santosh, about the unique capabilities of Orbica’s geospatial platform, and what it can do for the CEO/CXO/CIO of data-driven organisations. Topics include: How the platform helps leaders unlock greater team productivity, streamline tools and processes, and eliminate bottlenecks in a world where hybrid and remote working is the new norm T...

Our dream team is back for yet another round table discussion, and today they’ll be focusing on how flexible frameworks can help teams adapt and innovate. Topics include: The limitations of traditional infrastructure management for projects, including scalability issues and data migration challenges during demand surges. The impact of agile development in promoting a flexible approach to project d...

In this episode, Kurt and Santosh chat about how bringing GIS into the cloud can help you abolish many of the pesky issues organisations face when wrestling with their old-school GIS solutions. Topics include: The role of cloud-native GIS in managing and analysing the increasing volume and pace of geospatial data, overcoming local machine bottlenecks. The importance of cloud technologies for geosp...

Beyond GIS brings you another round table discussion with Kurt Janssen, Kurt Joy, and Santosh Seshadri from Orbica. This time, they chat about the unspoken cost of isolation, and how working in a silo stifles innovation and growth. Topics include: How silos limit personal and organisational growth and hinder problem-solving and innovation The impact and compromise of prioritising results over the...

In this episode, Kurt shares his personal Orbica founder story, and unpacks his mission of revolutionising the field of GIS with AI and the Cloud. Topics include: The vision behind Orbica, and how it evolved from a boutique geospatial consultancy into a disruptive force on the geospatial PaaS market How Orbica fully embraces modern technologies like the Cloud and AI to revolutionise geospatial wor...

In this episode, Kurt chats to Orbica’s own AI Data Specialist Sagar Soni about the opportunities and limitations of GeoAI. Topics include: The transformational potential of GeoAI in disaster management and spatial data analysis, achieved through the fusion of geospatial technology and AI. How the accuracy of AI models hinges significantly on the quality of training data, and how it can benefit fr...

In this episode, Kurt discusses how you can revolutionise your data strategy by leveraging the agility and scalability of cloud native GIS. Topics include: How moving your data and tech to the cloud enables you to effectively scale your operations, manage costs, and increase collaboration The unseen benefits of the cloud transformation, including an increased focus on engaging with your customers...

In this episode, Kurt and Santosh give you a look under the hood as they discuss the Orbica journey and why democratising access to geospatial is the way forward. Topics include: The story behind Orbica's geospatial platform development journey How Orbica selects foundational customers and partners to collaboratively shape their innovative platform The advantages of a cloud-native geospatial p...

In this episode, Kurt discusses the importance of data storytelling and how it broadly impacts your business success. Topics include: How geospatial insights have intriguing stories to tell that can help businesses navigate modern challenges The importance of data storytelling for sustainable behaviour change, e.g., by making climate change narratives more relatable The benefits of visualisation a...

In this episode, Orbica’s two Kurts, Kurt Janssen and Dr. Kurt Joy discuss the advancements in earth observation and what that means for the geospatial field. Topics include: How small, low-cost satellites open up new realms of opportunity The repercussions of analysis after the fact (versus real time) How to leverage freely available Landsat and Sentinel satellite data How SAR data can be a game...

In this episode of Beyond GIS, Kurt discusses how to move up through the DIKW (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) Pyramid through collaboration and democratization of geospatial. The importance of giving ‘geospatial’ a seat at the table from the get-go of a project, risks of bringing it in too late, feedback loops, what democratization looks like and why it matters, through to how to achieve a...

In this episode of Beyond GIS, Kurt Janssen talks with Gareth Levens, Head of Ops at Orbica, about risk management, project governance and getting value landed inside organisations. They delve into the company philosophy and common ethos that guides their vision, what makes a great Orbican, and how they’ve shaped their processes to create wow-moment-worthy customer experiences. Cloud transformatio...

Many organisations suffer technology blindspots that impact reliable decision making.  Because the wrong systems and processes can leave you exposed to gaps in knowledge, rework and confusion, and even detrimental security issues. In this episode, Kurt discusses 4 common technology blindspots that data-driven organisations need to look out for in order to make critical decisions in a changing...

Beyond GIS brings you the first round table discussion with Kurt Janssen, Kurt Joy and Santosh Seshadri from Orbica. They delve into topics like the critical role of risk management, particularly in the context of emergency management and disaster response and recovery. In the wake of the recent cyclone Gabrielle, which wreaked havoc on the North Island of New Zealand, Kurt and his colleagues disc...

Big data exists, but it'd not a badge of honour! What matters is what you're doing with your big data.  Whether you're using it to drive business decisions and move the needle in your organisation. Because data is useless unless we do something with it.  In this episode, Kurt discusses the risks and opportunities of big data, and how we can leverage it more effectively to help make criti...

Tech silos and poor visibility on IT are core elements of risk in any organisation. Poor internal collaboration can jeopardise your ability to deliver on your organisation's strategic initiatives and the expectations of your customers.  In this episode, Kurt outlines the top 5 risks associated with poor visibility on tech and looks at ways to foster better internal collaboration. If you have...

Is your organisation held to ransom by geospatial silos?  If so, it could be having a detrimental impact on your organisation. In this episode, Kurt discusses what causes geospatial silos within an organisation and how that negatively impacts your team and puts your wider organisation at risk.  He also unpacks possible solutions, and outlines the many benefits of democratising GIS. If yo...

Leveraging geospatial data is the key to unlocking real business value, yet most organisations aren't making the most of their data assets. Because the typical GIS stack hasn't kept pace with our modern requirements.  In this episode, Kurt chats to Orbica's innovation lead Santosh Seshadri about the current state of Geospatial in 2023 and what the future could look like. They touch on the rol...

Data is the lifeblood of most organisations, but many aren't leveraging their data to its full potential. Especially not in the age of mega data, where we're stockpiling data at an unprecedented rate.  In this episode Kurt discusses how we need to shift our focus from the data itself to the technology and people responsible for analysing and making sense of the data if we want to use it to dr...

In this episode, Kurt breaks down the evolution from GIS to Geospatial, to Digital Geography, and explains how everything in our lives is impacted by Digital Geography, whether we realise it or not.  Because over the last two decades, GIS has undergone an evolution. What started off as s set of technical tools and methods, has seen increasing democratisation as the public began to leverage di...