The future of geoinformation systems in Russia (part II)

The future of geoinformation systems in Russia (part II)Eugene Kuryshev | 10.09.2020

(The end. In the beginning IT News No. 8/2020)

Cloud geography

Recent years, the demand FOR cloud continues to grow in all areas regardless of external factors. During the period of validity of restrictive measures on the background of epidemiological relevance
cloud technology has increased even more. At the same time, applied work in the cloud every industry has its own special balance of supply and demand. How would you describe the current
the situation with clouds in the field of GIS and remote sensing?

Oleg GOLOVKO (“LANIT-Integration”):”Geoinformation technologies require the processing of vast data volumes, and these volumes will only grow due to the constant increasing requirements for the detail, relevance and accuracy of source data to generate accurate models of objects. Storage and processing of GEODATA require considerable capacity that the cloud and provide”.

In the list of factors on which cloud technology demand in the fields of GIS and remote sensing, there is another, not quite obvious. As said first Deputy managing Director of the company
“LANIT-Integration” Oleg GOLOVKO, their advantage is closely related to seasonal fluctuations of incoming data processing. Obviously, most of the filming methods of remote sensing is performed in the warm period,
when less cloudy and there are no distortions due to snow cover. As a rule, most pool space and aerodynic accumulates in the fall, and as they handle the need for storage
decreases, reaching a minimum in the spring.

As an illustration, he cites a simple example. For efficient yield forecasting and evaluation work in the fields with a total area of 100 million hectares required to carry out surveys twice in the spring with
a break of two weeks, and to monitor harvest in the autumn need multispectral shooting with the same frequency. In this case, the implementation of the post-processing of data and the formation of
given industry reporting should be timely and reliably. In these circumstances, cloud technologies provide flexibility and economic efficiency of computing resources.
“Cloud technologies offer prospects of expansion of users and a set of functions of branch control systems using remote sensing data”, – emphasizes Mr. Golovko.

Andrey PIROGOV (“View”):”As for the whole it market, cloud computing are clear and the subject in the demand in the segment of GIS and remote sensing”.

The head of the marketing group JSC “RAKURS” Andrey PIROGOV noted several technical barriers to the full use of cloud technologies in GIS and remote sensing. For example, large
amounts of data, which in the present state of the Telecom infrastructure is not so easy to pass back and forth across the Network, or serious regulatory constraints when working with aerial photography or
topographic maps of certain scales, which are secret. However, GIS cloud technology is developing quite successfully.

According to Mr. Pirogov is huge potential for cloud-based photogrammetric solutions. For example, the company “RAKURS” has presented the application of PHOTOMOD StereoClient allowing remotely
using a simple virtual reality glasses, and cloud storage to stereomechanical. Most likely, in the near future we can expect disruptive innovations precisely at the intersection of different
technologies using cloud-based infrastructure, he said.

Julia KRASOVSKA (Technoserv):”the Authorities are interested in development of this segment. For the first time the government approved the concept of establishing a single cloud-based platform in 2015. The cost of its implementation in 2019-21 was estimated at 47.6 billion rubles.”

Director of Department for work with the Federal Executive bodies of the company “Technoserv” Julia KRASOVSKA convinced that the pandemic demonstrated the importance of cloud business
technologies, because they allow to optimize financial and time costs, reduce the costs of creating and maintaining their own IT infrastructure. Therefore, all major companies rebuild
their business processes and are gradually moving online. Of course, in the current environment these changes are largely due to the forced transfer of employees to work remotely, therefore
organizations are deploying new services, and this requires a virtual infrastructure “here and now”, stressed Ms. Krasovska.

It is worth Recalling that in 2019 the government resolution approved the experiment for transfer of IT systems of Federal Executive authorities (Federal authorities) and state extra-budgetary funds
in the unified cloud platform (EOP). In June 2020, the Ministry of communications has decided to extend the experiment for the next two years.

Anton CHEKHONIN (“NORBIT”):”IN the cloud can successfully host and the database and photographs, and data of GIS layers”.

General Director of “NORBIT” Anton CHEKHONIN notes that, despite the crisis, volumes of data continue to increase with each passing day. So in future it will be more convenient to place storage
these data in the cloud because the cost of maintenance of own equipment and personnel for its maintenance is already often higher than purchasing similar services from a cloud operator. Now
this market in Russia is not well developed due to the low level of Informatization in General, but the demand for such services promises only to grow.

Russia on the world market

A couple of years ago some interlocutors IT News with optimism assessed the future of the Russian geotechnologies in foreign markets in such sectors as drones, SOFTWARE, online services, etc.
What is the situation in this area today?

Oleg GOLOVKO (“LANIT-Integration”):”Doing unimportant things, although reports of new hardware and application software at the level of the best world samples appear frequently.”

Oleg GOLOVKO (“LANIT-Integration”) is sure to provide domestic developments output the global market, bringing needed technology to the industrial level
the subsequent organization of serial production at competitive prices and high-quality marketing promotion. Costs for these items significantly exceeds the cost of development experienced
of the sample, and, as a rule, such means is not. In this connection, he said, even the best Russian projects find development. “The question is simple: the Russian geoinformation FOR
better products from such giants like ESRI, Intergraph, Leica, or?” he says. Even assuming that the basic functionality of our GIS is not worse to enter the market of USA and Western Europe
in conditions of full competition with products of equal level will not be easy.

According to Mr. head, now the real competition and promotion is only possible in the field services space-technical monitoring and analysis of industrial sites and here
the past 15 years, there are examples of leadership systems with domestic development.

Dmitry DOBROVOLSKY (“Mine”):”To perform certain, specific tasks suitable for Russian development – the thicket they are used by cadastral engineers to create technical plans as necessary support cryptography and data formats”.

CEO of “Mine” Dmitry DOBROVOLSKY says that to keep the technology secret today very difficult if one company came up with something new and introduced, in
soon the same thing will make all the competitors and someone will get even better. It affects the features of competitive struggle. In this connection, he proposes to consider for
example two divisions, including GIS and drones.

The geographic information systems market is divided: some popular among programmers and engineers, and other regularly used by cartographers. It is very different solutions in a wide price range: free
programs with minimal to expensive multifunction combines. Mr. Dobrovolsky said universal programs that use almost everything, but they
unfortunately, not a Russian design, although contain the public code. The development of the Russian systems is in full swing, but this job can only afford major customers: for such a purpose
created ISCAS (information system of ensuring town-planning activity), that is, highly specialized software products with the components of GIS.

The market for drones, according to Mr. Dobrovolsky, also very ambiguous. For example, in the field of military cooperation, a Russian design is significantly superior to the West. In turn
commercial products of the Russian market is hard to compete with foreign, since most of the components are produced abroad. Although this problem will continue for at least the
for several years, she even now does not prevent Russian commercial UAVs to perform tasks in the partner countries of the Russian Federation, I am sure Mr. Dobrovolsky.

Andrey PIROGOV (“View”):”the Situation today is encouraging. This can be seen by the largest international exhibition InterGEO, where every year it presents more and more Russian companies”.

Andrey PIROGOV (“View”) regrets that at this time, InterGEO planned to organize in an online format because of the coronavirus – after all, their products for such a respected site going
imagine about 10 Russian companies. In Berlin, where they planned InterGEO-20, now there is a restriction on the holding mass events in the closed premises – not more than 1000 people. In
last year at InterGEO Stuttgart was visited by over 20 thousand visitors, in connection with what the current organizers have officially refused a full format.

The next few years

Due to the ongoing uncertainty of the epidemiological situation in the world it is difficult to give a serious prognosis for the development of any industry. But we asked our interlocutors to share
his thoughts on the market of GIS and remote sensing in the near future.

Oleg GOLOVKO (“LANIT-Integration”):”Fundamental changes in the market in the next couple of years will not happen”.

According to Oleg GOLOVKO (“LANIT-Integration”), the most promising direction of the market for professional GIS technologies is now seen as their integration with BIM technology. In
fact, both use spatial data with different composition, degree of detail and assessment of conflicts. However, the design in modern conditions should not be limited to
three-dimensional models of future capital construction projects – must also be considered as habitats that provide spatial model. This is the first factor
indispensable enterprises of spatial models of terrain and specific objects, says Mr. Golovko. The second factor – control of construction progress and compliance of erected structures design
solutions and drawings.

Progress of spatial data in Russia could become a national program “Digital economy” and related initiatives. “Effective life cycle management of infrastructure
various sectors of our country is not possible without reliable and relevant assessment of the actual status of specific objects. Given the constant increase in availability
GIS technologies, there is now an opportunity to solve these problems on a previously unattainable level of quality,” emphasizes Mr. Golovko.

Andrey PIROGOV (“View”):”the Market lacks new partnerships, I think that in the coming years a couple of high-profile mergers we certainly will be”.

Andrey PIROGOV (“View”) recalls that soon will be launched major infrastructure projects. In addition to the government EECO, will begin implementation of the platform of “Diabetes” where not
to do without outside contractors. So enough work for everyone, he said. Also, most likely, a number of large monopolies to threaten on large and complex projects in the field of spatial
data. Mr. Pies believes that it will not Federal projects, and regional. With regard to the financial state, some companies add 100% year-on-year, while others, even very
large, on the contrary, left the market. These processes will continue. “The country has accumulated a huge demand for digitalization and automation of the work with GEODATA. Import substitution, and sanctions have also made their
contribution”, – sums up Mr. Pies.

Julia KRASOVSKA (Technoserv):”Definitely the market of GIS and remote sensing will grow in the next two to three years, as this topic is currently very relevant.”

Julia KRASOVSKA (“the company”) believes that for a stable forward market of GIS and remote sensing needs the support of government – legislative and financial, through the placement of state orders.

Dmitry DOBROVOLSKY (“Mine”):”I Really hope that next year our economy will be able to return to normal, the virus will be defeated and the development of the industry will continue at the same pace as before.”