Rick,
Why not approach the problem from a fresh perspective? I am speaking of the
as-of-yet unfulfilled spatial ASP business model. Microsoft MapPoint Web
Services is perhaps the closest solution to a complete hosted "GIS"
solution. It has some limitations that are attributable to the lack of
support for various data formats, etc., but it comes very close. The
traditional GIS software vendors have simply stuck their heads in the sand
and ignored this model of software delivery.
Why burden developing communities with the unpleasant task of maintaining
and supporting their GIS IT requirements (not an insignificant expense, nor
a trivial IT activity), in addition to the equally unpleasant annual
"software maintenance" invoices, upgrades, software patches, network
security, storage, communications, archiving, RDBMS, servers, IMS
configurations, and other normal and customarily problematic "GIS lab"
issues. They may get it from you for pennies on the dollar initially, and
may even get adequate training and IT expertise to get started, but it
really is not a truly viable long-term solution, even if it could slow down
the brain-drain from those developing communities [an all-together different
problem, but relevant nevertheless].
Perhaps a different solution is to put everything they would need to learn &
use [software & data] in a world-class, hosted environment and simply
provide the individuals (and organizations) a connection to the secure, and
sign them up for a monthly or annual "account" so they can simply sign in
(just like logging in to a PC). There are tremendous opportunities to lower
costs per user by capitalizing on economies of scale for IT infrastructure,
GIS software, spatial data, and of course, economies of skills [training,
support, etc], not to mention removing the hassles of backups, archiving,
hardware swaps, upgrades in OS patches, routers, servers, etc. [as this is
all done in the back-office at the hosting center] NOT in the GIS "lab".
So, at the end of the day, you could still have great success in enabling
the African students to become self-sufficient without burdening them with
unsustainable technological architectures. I am sure the software and
hardware vendors, and perhaps even data vendors, might be willing to work
with you on this, however, it may not be such an easy sell.
If this does not work, for one reason or another, there is a adequate GIS
package that is already low-cost, and if it doesn't jump out at you, email
me off list and I will make the suggestion. Feel free to contact me to
discuss the above concept further if you would like.
Lastly, I disagree with anything related to opensource GIS for any
developing communities, this will leave them nowhere, and further
discouraged after they understand what they have gotten themselves into, and
it provides no structure for development of local intellectual property
[because the nature of opensource is that there is no organization, just
like linux]
Best Regards,
Anthony Quartararo
Spatial NetWorks, Inc
-----Original Message-----
From: gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com
[mailto:gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com] On Behalf Of RICK GRAY
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 5:04 PM
To: gislist@lists.geocomm.com
Subject: [gislist] GIS software/hardware donations for 3rd World
Hello GIS friends,
As part of an international development project in Africa, I have been asked
to help establish a GIS lab in a local college to train students in the use
of GIS as a land use planning tool so that when the project ends, the locals
will be that much more self sufficient.
I am seeking advice on acquiring software and hardware at the lowest cost
possible. I understand that companies, such as ESRI, will donate software in
some cases, and that computer companies have been known to do the same.
Although free is often the best, deep discounts are also useful.
As I am new to this kind of endeavor, I do not really know where to start
asking so I have turned to you. If you have any idea on who to approach and
the best way to go about it, I'd be very grateful.
Thanks a million,
Rick
Rick Gray
GIS Specialist, Ontario Weather Network
http://www.ownweb.ca
GIS Instructor
Ridgetown College, University of Guelph
http://www.ridgetowncollege.com/
Tel. 519-674-1554
E-mail: rgray@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca
Ridgetown: -81.883 W, 42.450 N
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