Singleton Council's Upgrade from Geocortex Essentials to VertiGIS Studio
Background
Singleton Council governs a sizeable Local Government Area (LGA), nestled in the Hunter region of New
South Wales. Spanning over 4,893 square kilometres, with a township of just over 23,000 people, the LGA
encompasses residential, employment, rural, environmental protection, waterways, mining and exploration,
and recreation zoned land. A key part of the Land and Asset Management Systems Business Unit, Council’s GIS
systems underpin wide-ranging corporate commercial services that serve the community.
Client
Singleton Council
Location
Singleton, New South Wales, Australia
Challenge
Singleton Council’s GIS team required upgrades to their Geocortex Series 4.13 system, while also progressing their Esri ArcGIS Server upgrades and launch of the associated ArcGIS portal environment. With the impending retirement of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript Version 3.x that would no longer support associated applications, the transition to another third party web mapping software was imminent. Council’s Geocortex system had a lot of added functionality, crucial to day-to-day operations, while mobile app use and 3D data was an area to expand moving forward. At a basic level, the GIS team were looking for a solution that could be used
with ease to effectively build HTML based web viewers and mobile applications to meet current and expected internal and external customer needs.
Purpose
Upgrade Geocortex Series 4.13 system, progress Esri ArcGIS Server upgrades and launch associated ArcGIS portal environment
Solution
Transition to VertiGIS Studio
Services
Solution
Following considerable research, and conversations with other GIS users, VertiGIS Studio was the obvious choice. Not only did the software deliver the functionality required, but the development roadmap aligned with Singleton Council’s GIS goals. Working with Singleton Council governs a sizeable Local Government Area (LGA), nestled in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Spanning over 4,893 square kilometres, with a township of just over 23,000 people, the LGA encompasses residential, employment, rural, environmental protection, waterways, mining and exploration, and recreation zoned land. A key part of the Land and Asset Management Systems Business Unit, Council’s GIS systems underpin wide-ranging corporate commercial services that serve the community. Working with Woolpert, Council deployed a mixed approach for implementation. Council used the software to build and replicate their existing Geocortex environment, maintaining both systems to minimise impact on day-to-day operations. Woolpert managed the licensing of VertiGIS Studio software, providing training and support, and developing more complex templates and workflows. Staff from different Business Units participated in a testing phase of the new VertiGIS Studio map viewer site, and following this, the Geocortex site was decommissioned.
Benefits
- Mixed approach to implementation, working with Woolpert experts to deliver training, problem-solving, and custom workflows
- Quick and easy to build, with basic SQL and JavaScript knowledge delivering powerful applications
- Standout configurability and data integration, with software updates made relatively simple, hosted in portal
- Focus on experience at the forefront of design and functionality
Additional Resources
Making the Shift: Your Guide to Transitioning to VertiGIS Studio from Geocortex Essentials
Results
Since Singleton Council transitioned to VertiGIS Studio, benefits to council and community have not gone unnoticed. The implementation of the software has assisted in staff productivity and automated processes, through a broad range of spatial, and other data, made accessible through the HTML web-map viewers. VertiGIS mobile applications have enabled improved communication across teams, for example, asset updates from staff working out in the field. The platform design, and drag and drop capability makes building powerful applications quick and easy, with software updates made relatively simple through hosting in portal.