New web mapping app improves access to municipal data and provides valuable decision support

TORONTO, Esri Canada User Conference – October 5, 2016 – Esri Canada today presented the County of Simcoe with an Award of Excellence for its outstanding use of geographic information system (GIS) technology. The County developed maps.simcoe.ca, a web mapping app that simplifies and broadens public access to more than 75 municipal datasets including community services, road construction and local real estate. The app also features several data analysis and reporting tools to better inform decisions. As well, it integrates automatic vehicle tracking for ambulances and waste collection trucks, and a detailed property information search tool for internal use by County departments and member municipalities.

“County of Simcoe’s new web mapping app is truly exceptional,” said Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “It’s on par with, if not better than, many commercial-off-the-shelf apps. Not only is the app a valuable decision-making tool for the public, it’s also a remarkably versatile asset that’s helping the County improve operations, increase collaboration and promote economic development. We’re proud to recognize the County for this achievement, as well as for their ongoing commitment to GIS innovation.”

The new app replaces a legacy app that was only accessible via desktop. The County’s GIS team created it with Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, an application in Esri’s ArcGIS system that allows users to develop focused apps without writing code.

“County Council is supportive of innovative and cost-effective solutions that improve the experience of our residents or visitors looking for information about our region,” said Grant Hudolin, manager of information services and applications, County of Simcoe. “Web AppBuilder provides a structured framework from which we can extend and reuse both tools and code for an improved web mapping experience. It makes it easy for us to develop apps that function across multiple browsers and systems, including mobile devices.”

The County leveraged Web AppBuilder to create reusable JavaScript modules, and used ArcGIS API for JavaScript to bring GIS functionality into the new app. ArcGIS Server runs in the background to serve up images and data through the app. Meanwhile, the County is able to securely manage data and users with Portal for ArcGIS deployed behind the County’s firewall.

The app has been well-received by users, which also include conservation authorities, provincial and federal government agencies, utilities, schools, NGOs, real estate agents, engineering firms and delivery companies. It receives about 1,600 visits daily, with visitors performing an average of 1,400 map searches and 650 property report inquiries.

It has also significantly increased productivity at the County. Field staff can now view and query maps on their mobile devices instead of having to sign out GIS equipment preloaded with offline data. With maps.simcoe.ca as its platform, the County is now able to quickly publish new information and develop highly specialized tools, such as App Track, which integrates with third-party software to track land development applications.

Going forward, the County plans to further improve the app’s search functionality to help users find information faster and refine results more easily. As well, they plan to use Portal for ArcGIS to extend data editing capabilities to end users, giving them more control over map features and content.

To learn more about ArcGIS, visit esri.ca/arcgis.

About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission-critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography.  The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from Esri, Schneider Electric, Cityworks–Azteca Systems, Inc. and other technology partners.  Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada. Esri Canada joined the elite rank of Canada’s Best Managed companies in 2012 and became a Gold Standard winner in 2015. The company has also been named to the Branham300. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

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