Smartphone navigation apps have given people a sense of personal freedom, allowing them to efficiently venture from one unfamiliar place to another, still knowing where they are.
That sense of knowing can fade once someone has arrived at an airport, corporate campus, or medical center complex. While a global positioning system (GPS) can’t find a doctor’s suite or help medics locate an apartment inside a building, an indoor positioning system can.
How can firms improve indoor location capabilities?
To meet this demand and bring new understanding of indoor use patterns to improve efficiency, Esri, the global player in location intelligence, has launched ArcGIS IPS. The new product will enable firms to add indoor location services across their facilities and campuses.
“Indoor positioning systems solve the ‘last mile’ navigation challenge, bridging the gap between outdoor and indoor worlds. We are pleased to offer this capability that is another piece in completing holistic mapping systems for firms aspiring to the digital transformation that geospatial technology provides,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president.
Indoor positioning systems are a consequential leap toward smart city efficiency and convenience, bundling features for managing facilities and monitoring them for conditions that might compromise their safety and security. The arrival of this technology is also timely.
The world’s inventory of indoor square footage is expected to nearly double by 2060, according to the United Nations’ Global Status Report 2017. Public safety departments and other first responders will need to navigate indoor spaces quickly to maintain response times.
Just how efficient is ArcGIS IPS?
With ArcGIS IPS, maintenance teams can review service requests to identify and navigate to a location in the building where repairs are needed. To report a new issue, they can log in and mark their position, making it easier for other team members to find that location for follow-up work. This type of automation also reduces errors that can occur with manual reporting.
ArcGIS IPS enables real-time indoor location services through Esri’s ArcGIS Indoors mobile application and in custom apps built with ArcGIS Runtime SDKs. To implement the system, Bluetooth beacons, also known as iBeacons, are installed inside buildings. These small, one-way radio transmitters send out information that gets picked up by mobile devices.
Esri’s ArcGIS IPS Setup mobile app collects radio signals to locate user mobile devices. The user’s location displays as a blue dot on the ArcGIS IPS map, the same way it might display in familiar GPS navigation apps. In addition to real-time indoor wayfinding, ArcGIS IPS provides GIS teams, facility managers, and senior executives with location information data capture.
Within hybrid workplace models, these tools are increasingly in demand for managing flexible seating arrangements and sharing individual user locations. This creates transparency for identifying on-site staff and improves safety for in-person workers. As with smartphone navigation apps, mobile device users can choose to turn on location sharing or opt out.
To learn more about ArcGIS IPS, visit the website.
What is the wider industry context of this product launch?
Geographic information system (GIS) data is becoming increasingly important for organizations of all sizes. GIS data can be used to track and manage assets, plan for future growth, and make better decisions.
Here are some examples of how organizations are using GIS data:
- Asset tracking: GIS data can be used to track the location of assets, such as vehicles, equipment, and inventory. This information can be used to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and prevent theft.
- Planning: GIS data can be used to plan for future growth, such as new construction, transportation routes, and infrastructure improvements. This information can help organizations make better decisions about where to invest their resources.
- Decision-making: GIS data can be used to make better decisions about a variety of issues, such as where to build a new store, how to allocate resources, and how to respond to a natural disaster. This information can help organizations save time and money, and improve their bottom line.
GIS data is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability of organizations. As the use of GIS data becomes more widespread, we can expect to see even more innovative and creative applications of this technology.
Here are some additional benefits of using GIS data:
- Improved communication: GIS data can be used to create maps and other visualizations that can help people understand complex information. This can improve communication between different departments within an organization, as well as between organizations and the public.
- Increased collaboration: GIS data can be shared between different organizations, which can lead to increased collaboration and innovation. For example, a city government could share GIS data with a local university to help the university study traffic patterns and make recommendations for improving transportation.
- Sustainability: GIS data can be used to track environmental data, such as pollution levels and land use. This information can be used to make decisions that help protect the environment and promote sustainability.
Overall, GIS data is a valuable tool that can be used to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability of organizations. As the use of GIS data becomes more widespread, we can expect to see even more innovative and creative applications of this technology.
Gerald Ainomugisha is a business news reporter and freelance B2B marketer with over 10 years of experience in writing high-converting copy and content for businesses of all kinds, especially SaaS providers in the niches of HR, IT, fintech, eCommerce and web3. Since joining Upwork in 2012 (back when it was still eLance), Gerald A. has delivered great results for hundreds of clients, maintaining a 98% Job Success rate as well as 5+ years of Top Rated Plus rating (and Premium Writers Talent Cloud membership). Book a meeting with Gerald A. today to get the powerful SEO content you need!
