Evaluating the Current State of Geospatial Software as a Service Platforms: A Comparison Study

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to evaluate and compare Geospatial Software as a Service (GSaaS) platforms oriented toward providing basic mapping capabilities to non-GIS experts. These platforms allow users to organize spatial materials in layers, perform overlay and basic visual analysis, and share both final maps and the processes used to create them with remote collaborators. The authors gathered data on the characteristics of 15 platforms through an online survey, then summarized the results and created an Excel tool to enable users to sift through the data to identify platforms based on need. This study presents a snapshot of the current GSaaS landscape, summarizes current capabilities, points out weaknesses, and considers the potential of this class of application.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix A – Survey Questions

(An asterisk indicates a required question.)

• 1. Name of the platform *:

• 2. URL of the platform *:

• 3. Contact person’s name:

• 4. Contact person’s email:

• 5. Is this the free version or the highest tier of the non-free version? *

• (If the mapping platform you represent is sold in a number of tiers as many products are, please fill out the form for the highest tier of the platform, and the free tier (if there is one) separately. You are also welcome to enter information about the intermediate tiers – each as a separate entry.)

  • a) Free version

  • b) Highest tier

  • c) Other:

• 6. Cost to users *

  • a) Free

  • b) Incremental cost by usage

  • c) Fixed cost for unlimited usage

  • d) Other:

• 7. Data storage capacity per user account *

  • a) < 100 MB

  • b) 100.1 MB - 1GB

  • c) 1.1 - 10GB

  • d) 10.1 - 100GB

  • e) 100.1GB - 1 TB

  • f) Unlimited

• 8. User uploaded vector data capacity *

  • a) No vector data upload enabled

  • b) Limited number of vector features

  • c) Limited file size of vector layers

  • d) Unlimited

• 9. User uploaded raster data capacity *

  • a) No raster data upload enabled

  • b) Limited file size for raster layers

  • c) Unlimited

• 10. Online data creation capabilities

  • a) Digitize vector features

  • b) Geocode address list

  • c) Georeference raster image

  • d) Geocode table with a column of canonical geospatial regions such as zip or FIPS codes

  • e) Other:

• 11. Ability to link multimedia content to geographic features

  • a) HTML pointing to multi-media contents (such as photos, video, maps) on web

  • b) Multi-media documents stored on server

  • c) Other:

• 12. Privacy control options *

  • a) Data and maps are always viewed publicly

  • b) Data and maps can be viewed by author only

  • c) Data and maps can be viewed by selected users

  • d) Data and maps can be edited by selected users

  • e) Other:

• 13. Finding and adding online layers to a map view

  • a) Layers within the same platform only

  • b) WMS layers from anywhere

  • c) Esri REST layers from anywhere

  • d) WMTS layers from anywhere

  • e) GeoRSS feeds from anywhere

  • f) Other:

• 14. Data curation capabilities

  • a) Create metadata online

  • b) Upload metadata files

  • c) Share metadata editing with selected users

  • d) Allow users to rate data quality

  • e) Allow users to comment on data layers or map views

  • f) Other:

• 15. Spatial analysis capabilities

  • a) Overlay analysis with vector layers

  • b) Buffer analysis with vector layers

  • c) Network routing

  • d) Set attribute query filter on vector layers

  • e) Map algebra on raster layers

  • f) Other:

• 16. Visualization capabilities

  • a) Change layer transparency

  • b) Display a vector layer’s attribute table

  • c) Online editing of symbology

  • d) Automatically create choropleth maps

  • e) Label features based on attributes

  • f) Generate heat map from vector features

  • g) Render temporal features or layers using a time bar

  • h) Other:

• 17. Cartographic editing options

  • a) Print map view as it is, no layout editing

  • b) Allow adding graphic elements such as legend, scale bar, north arrow, map title, etc.

  • c) Advanced cartographic editing for professional publishing

• 18. Publishing capabilities

  • a) Save the state of a map view via permalink

  • b) Generate an embed snippet to bring a live iframe of map view into another application

  • c) Save a map view as a PDF file

  • d) Print a map view to a printer/plotter

  • e) Other:

• 19. Data export options

  • a) Allow export to file of vector data layers

  • b) Allow export to file of raster data layers

  • c) Allow a data layer to be used as a map service by another GIS system

  • d) Other:

• 20. Mobile integration options

  • a) Reformat map view to fit mobile devices

  • b) Add data layers to a map view from a mobile device

  • c) Create data or upload data to a map view from a mobile device without network connection and sync later

  • d) Other:

• 21. Is additional commercial software required to take full advantage of the system? *

• (i.e. in order to import or export data or to perform analysis)

  • a) Yes

  • b) No

• 22. If additional commercial software is required to take full advantage of the system, please list any required applications:

• 23. API availability for developers *

  • a) Yes

  • b) No

• 24. Support available *

  • a) Commercial support from you, the SaaS provider

  • b) Commercial support from a 3rd party provider

  • c) Community support

  • d) Other:

• 25. Type of license (if any) for backend software package used to provide the service *

  • a) Open source

  • b) Commercial

1.2 Appendix B – Summary of Survey Responses

Tab a Tab a

Tab b Tab b

Tab c (continued)

Tab d Tab d

Tab e (continued)

Tab f Tab f

Tab g (continued)

Tab 12 Tab 12

1.3 Appendix C – Survey form “Other” Fields Results

ArcGIS Online (free)

• Online data creation capabilities (other): Feature layers, tile layers

• Privacy control options (other): Sharing and security are controlled by the owner for each map or layer and can be private, shared to a defined group, to the person’s org or the public.

• Finding and adding online layers to a map view (other): Many other layers: http://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/add-layers.htm

• Spatial analysis capabilities (other): Many more robust capabilities for analysis: http://www.arcgis.com/features/features-analytics.html

• Visualization capabilities (other): Many other visualization capabilities including smart mapping: http://www.arcgis.com/features/visualization.html

• Publishing capabilities (other): App templates including story maps and many other purpose-built templates

• Data export options (other): Many other export capabilities: http://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/use-maps/extract-data.htm

CartoDB

• Publishing capabilities (other): Access via API

GIS Cloud

• Online data creation capabilities (other): Mobile data collection with smartphones and tablets, import spreadsheet with coordinates

• Privacy control options (other): Separate permission roles for layers in the same map, data collection permission levels

• Finding and adding online layers to a map view (other): TMS, WFS

• Data curation capabilities (other): Google like labeling system in the works

• Visualization capabilities (other): The fastest map engine available today that allows you to render big maps with millions of features. Literally no one can match our speed and performance

• Publishing capabilities (other): Share with other users who can then access the map on their smartphone or tablet

• Data export options (other): Custom reports

GIS Cloud (free)

• Online data creation capabilities (other): Mobile data collection with smartphones and tablets, import spreadsheet with coordinates

• Publishing capabilities (other): Share with other users who can then access the map on their smartphone or tablet

Map2Net

• Privacy control options (other): The author can share his data with other users if he wants to