The Provincial Government recently signed a major five-year agreement valued at over $2 million to strengthen the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology in the province. The agreement was signed with ESRI Canada under the ESRI Canada Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) program, which provides affordable access to GIS software, maintenance, services and training over the term of the agreement.

GIS software is used to capture, manage, analyze and display geographically referenced data, and has been applied to various projects across government departments for several years. The agreement with ESRI will result in benefits for the Provincial Government, other local governments, businesses specializing in GIS and the GIS community.

"As part of the Office of the Chief Information Officer�s mandate to foster growth in the local IT industry, this agreement will promote the opportunity for continued development in the area of GIS software in the local IT sector," said the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer. "The agreement will enable local vendors to improve their GIS expertise and capacity, and provide a solid platform to leverage this technology to benefit government and industry."

Recently, the Provincial Government has applied GIS to projects such as the water resource portal, a water resource application that provides public access to valuable information including drinking water quality. Departments also use GIS software to locate and manage government information, such as crown lands, provincial parks, protected areas, wildlife species and mineral resources. The agreement with ESRI is expected to help the province to further utilize GIS for future projects.

The local GIS community will benefit from the province�s agreement with ESRI. Through the ELA, members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries (NATI), whose primary business is GIS-related, will receive preferential pricing on ESRI Canada solutions for use in the province. Eligible GIS data developers and consultants will receive membership discounts for the ESRI Canada Business Partner Program, which provides valuable sales, marketing, service and training support.

"The GIS community is a growing segment of Newfoundland and Labrador's advanced technology industry and one that is relevant to many of NATI's members," said Ron Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of NATI. "NATI is elated to see the Provincial Government taking industry into consideration in agreements such as this one. The ESRI agreement shows government's commitment to supporting industry growth and technological advancement. Specifically, this agreement offers considerable potential for both government and many local companies to expand the GIS side of their businesses, creating potential for partnering on future GIS projects."

To further enhance GIS skills in the province and promote careers in GIS, ESRI Canada will provide annual scholarships over the term of the agreement to students at Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic; host an annual conference in the province for local GIS businesses, professionals and vendors; and, provide a set number of scholarships for GIS professionals to attend ESRI training courses and conferences.

"Governments need solutions and programs that can help extend the value of technology to their constituents," said James Wickson, Vice-President of Sales and Professional Services, ESRI Canada. "Canadian governments such as Newfoundland and Labrador have used GIS for many years to leverage geographic information and create more efficient processes and enhance services. We are pleased to provide the province with a cost-effective means to expand GIS use and deliver further benefit to its citizens."

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