GIS technology is constantly evolving to meet the operational requirements of ports, as John Bensalhia discovers
Making GIS more inclusive
If Fleetwood Mac advocated thoughts for tomorrow, then the technology world follows this mantra to the letter. ABPmer's Chris Jackson comments: “Moving forward, ABPmer are working with ABP to expand and enhance their digital data holdings and explore how new services and tools, such as mobile technologies, can assist the operation, knowledge gathering and public services of the ports more effectively.”
NorthSouth GIS has also commented on some notable future developments. One such instance relates to the management of the aftermath of natural disasters such as tsunamis or earthquakes. In the past, comparing aerial or satellite imagery before and after the disaster has been costly, but decreasing costs for this kind of facility makes this a notable new tool.
NorthSouth adds that another notable new management concept is that of holistic asset management, to manage individual facilities and their upkeep, and to manage the overall financial performance of ports and their major assets.
Ports such as the Port of Tacoma (Washington) and the Port of San Diego have realised the potential of associating detailed locations to facility and asset information. Bringing GIS into this equation means that ports can associate disparate information from sources that would otherwise have been hard to connect.
