This was a article I cut out from the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 19 Feb 1995. A few months after this article was published, I visited the Port of Singapore's Geographic Information System Office. As the GIS Consultant for Infoman, I was tasked to evaluate the CARIS and Silicon Graphics installation used to produce Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC). Eventually, NAMRIA bought similar HW and SW as well other IT equipment to modernize its mapping capability.

Then, our GIS is at par with that of Singapore and Malaysia. I have observed that while distributing Silicon Graphics GIS workstation in the Philippines and Brunei and attending SGI's training and business meetings at Science Park in Singapore and KL in Malaysia.

Now, GIS has not moved forward as far as our neighboring countries have reached. One particular reason could be the lack of leadership from the government to pump prime acquisition of new digital maps to build GIS solutions. Vietnam, whose infrastructures were devastated by wars with the French and American are well ahead in the deployment of GIS. Their leaders are well trained. I met the head of the GIS/survey department in Korea in November 2006 and he has a PhD from Bulgarian University.

Tomorrow, we will realize we missed a lot of opportunities and probably some of our sovereign territory due to antiquated GIS and Geomatics infrastructures. But we must act. Now.

Labels: ENC, GIS

 
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As a company, our second most important innovation was a major shift to IBM technology, ie, the five pillars and Linux. The "creative destruction" happened in a blink. And the following blog item described how a brave maneuver was executed.

A Comment To Buell Duncan's Blog

Trackback URL: http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/trackback/Buell/Weblog/vb_developers_embrace_linux_say

Dear Buell,

As the leader of GeoSpatial Solutions, Inc or GSI (www.gsi.com.ph), I have a wonderful experience to share about Java and Linux.

Prior to joining the IBM ISV program in September 2003, GSI is a 100% Microsoft shop for six years. Our SI projects were developed primarily in VB and .Net. In that that period of time our company did not grow.

Overnight, upon signing the ISVA contract, GSI was transformed to a 100% IBM based solutions provider. But there were many challenges in that shift. These were: fear of the transition to a new platform, lack of confidence to market and sell IBM based solution, and uncertainty of generating business.

With those mother of all challenges, GSI got over the hill. How - IBM assisted GSI. It changed the GSI business model, i.e., from delivering SI solutions to deploying repeatable solutions, introduced the SSM to monitor opportunities and sales, provided joint sales and marketing initiatives, and joined in solutions architecting activities.

Now,we have strategic wins and created many applications using IBM technology, Java and open source. GSI is deploying PRC LERIS, eMindanao Portal, eCREBA Portal, and eNTC Portal. All those applications are developed using the IBM Five SW Brands, eServer, Java and Linux.

From zero growth during the 6-year Microsoft era, GSI grew 5x in one year and 10 months of being an IBM partner.And still growing. Out of the eCREBA portal, a fulfillment company is formed - CGI (CREBA-GSI Inc). CGI is 50% owned by GSI. (For your information, GSI is NOT anymore a partner to CGI.)

GSI is completing a MOA with a major bank in the Philippines. The partnership aims at providing an On Demand GIS service, a component of eCREBA. For 2005, GSI envisions to start portal and GIS projects for the energy, environment and banking sectors.

After attending the IBM PartnerWorld Conference at Las Vegas last February 2005, I bought an interesting frame in New York which says : "JAVA - Give me enough coffee and I will rule the world". It seems that's a lot of IT leaders drinking coffee!

Regards,

Efren E.S. Ricalde
President/CEOGeoSpatial Solutions, Inc
www.gsi.com.ph
Posted by eericalde on Aug 18 2005, 05:19:00 AM EDT

Reply from Buell Duncan

efren, thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience. our goal is straightforward...ensure this mutual success between geospatial and ibm continues to grow and for the long term!! you are a great example of taking advantage of real shifts in the market and what can be accomplished when we work together.
Posted by Buell Duncan on Aug 19 2005, 10:48:00 AM EDT

http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/Buell?entry=vb_developers_embrace_linux_say

Labels: Buell Duncan, CEO blog, eMindanao, GeoSpatial Solutions, GIS, IBM Premier Partner, IBM Software, NTC, Portal, PRC

 
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Frederick the Great, a renowned Prussian general, cited the importance of foreknowledge in his quotation - "It is pardonable to be defeated than to be surprised". With the ubiquitous information and communication technology solutions, it is easier to gather intelligence and leverage intelligence for better performance and global competitiveness.

Technology affects competitive advantage if it has a significant role in determining relative cost position or differentiation. In his book “Competitive Advantage”, Porter identifies that a “firm than can discover better technology for performing an activity than its competitor thus gains competitive advantage.”

Geographic Information System or GIS is one of the technologies. GIS is a computerized database management system for capturing, storing, analysis, and displaying of spatial (locationally defined) data. Its primary function is to store, access, analyse and visualize spatial data thereby creating information to spatial intelligence.

Spatial intelligence provides direct benefits to businesses as a result of improved use of data for operational, management, and planning functions as well as synergy effects resulting from improved data integration, both for data internal and external to the enterprise itself.

Changing our paradigm to maintain competitive advantage in providing quality solutions to our customers is a logical stage in this business transformation process.

Labels: CEO blog, competitive intelligence, Efren Ricalde, Frederick the Great, Geographic Information System, GIS, GSI, spatial, spatial intelligence

 
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