International Computer Works (ICW)
Geographic Mapping Made Easy

It is the case, geographic mapping underpins almost every major operation across various industries and sectors. Whether it is determining the prevalence of epidemics across different regions (for healthcare), facilitating seamless navigation in vehicles (for automotive), or finding out the best garbage collection routes in a city (for municipalities), geographic mapping has cemented its place in the digital landscape of the 21st century.

Today, by leveraging the geographic mapping data derived from geographic information systems (GIS), major public and private sector organizations are streamlining their critical tasks. Needless to say, geographic mapping data is enabling more seamless analysis of demographic and topographic data, and it has become a powerful decision-making tool.

With regard to this, in an exclusive interview with CIO Applications, Keith Tozier, VP of Development at International Computer Works (ICW), shared his insights on the role ICW is playing in enhancing the capabilities of GIS for both private and public sectors. Keith mentioned how, as a partner of ESRI (a global provider of GIS software), ICW is delivering robust solutions, services, and resources to help clients realize the full benefits of their investment in GIS software and mapping operations.

ICW is surfacing as the goto provider of solutions for organizations seeking to build comprehensive and accurate geographic data libraries using their GIS software. Can you give us an overview of how you are making this happen?

GIS is leveraged by some of the most crucial organizations across the public and private sectors, ranging from election to schools, from police departments to corporate businesses.

However, since they utilize multiple map formats derived from different sources, it is common to come across incompatibility and inconsistency in the mapping data. What they need is a common map library in a format with the best editing capabilities tailored for their needs so they can derive the most out of their GIS endeavors.

As an ESRI partner, ICW brings the power of ArcGIS Desktop to address numerous GIS solutions requirements. Our statewide centralized mapping libraries and software provide counties, school boards, police departments, etc., with robust tools and resources needed to take complete advantage of GIS and to build the proper maps for individual needs. Even if the clients have their own way of managing their mapping assets, our software helps them to maintain them with utmost consistency and accuracy.

We are already operational in several states like Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Ohio. In each state, the method for managing the assets is different. We cater to their diverse needs by providing them with a topologically stored base map that can be managed with GeoAuthor. ICW or the client can edit these maps with GeoAuthor. Whether it is aligning the map with local geometry or incorporating missing features (i.e., streets, water bodies, landmarks, ZIP Codes, etc.), ICW can manage the data or train the end user to make the edits. Moreover, these maps can be the staples for constant updates revisited and re-edited again, eliminating the need to start a new map.

What are some of the prevalent geomapping challenges you notice when collaborating with new clients, and how do you help them solve their problems?

Whether it is corporate or public sector clients, a common problem they encounter is not having the right tools and resources all in one place for their mapping needs. Especially in the public sector, where technological adoption is more sluggish, many of the geo-mapping processes are fragmented. If you take the example of a redistricting commission, which is appointed by the city council to redraw boundary lines based on the population, a primary challenge they face is gathering the relevant geographic data manually from the local GIS, U.S. Census, and other sources to determine the voter concentration across different regions of the map and draw the boundary lines accordingly.

Another challenge they face is in geocoding, which is the process of placing coordinates on each record to reflect where the event resides. When mapping for elections purposes, only 70 percent of voters may show up on the map while the other 30 percent will have their street addresses missing or in the wrong place.

Many of them might be assigned to the wrong district, and might continue voting for the wrong district until the problem is identified. ICW has designed a simple to use geocoder which builds the locator file for the clients. Since the locator file is derived from the map, the target user ends up in the correct location.

Our solutions aim to eliminate these challenges and make the painstaking geocoding process simple and easy by enabling election agencies to digitally gather the relevant geographic data about the electors from various sources and accurately represent the voters on the maps. As our solutions facilitate seamless visualization of the voter groups across the regions, the redistricting commission can make informed decisions and redraw boundaries fairly and accurately.

This is but one instance where users have struggled in their geo-mapping operations. Even now, we come across countless potential clients who face similar challenges when collating the relevant geographic information and are in need of robust GIS solutions.

Could you elaborate on the popular ICW products that are making a difference in the fields of emergency response, elections, and education?

A capability most clients have been waiting for is the means to easily edit geographical databases with ease. ICW’s GeoAuthor is a software designed to help users do just that. By using GeoAuthor, users can leverage TIGER/Line Shapefiles (containing selected geographic and cartographic information) taken from the U.S. Census Bureau to build their own base maps and edit them whenever they need.

While GeoAuthor is quickly gaining relevancy in both the private and public sector, ICW is also quite proud of the other features. GeoElections, a software module designed to manage maps for daily use, interoperates with the voter registration system, updating the VR data base with data from the map. Having the ability to interoperate with VR saves time and minimizes the errors manual data entry can great. From redistricting to the layout of precincts, with GeoElections, the users can update the VR with the simple selection of Dictionary Builder. This automates the VR database with everything from streets, annexations, boundary changes and more. ICW supports multiple VR vendors with the movement of data from the map and into the VR database.

In fact, election agencies like to use GeoElections in conjunction with GeoAuthor as it makes it really easy for users to rapidly build accurate maps, visualize the jurisdictions covered by specific elections authorities, and allocate polling locations accordingly to update the VR database.

In addition, ICW also offers geomapping solutions for emergency response organizations and School Choice for student assignment, whether it is for workforce allocation, equipment deployment, or determining student distribution across regions— especially those leveraging ESRI’s GIS software. Needless to say, our ESRIbacked solutions are at the forefront of geographic data management and location intelligence with the ICW’s special ability to edit topologically stored data.

Could you also mention some of the support and training services that you provide for users?

Equipping our clients with GIS solutions and services is only one side of the coin. We have a customer support line, which our clients can call with any queries regarding the software.

Coupled with that is our comprehensive training courses, designed to help users get the most out of their investment. From guiding clients through the basics of GIS to teaching advanced mapping solutions, our professional trainers are committed to helping them unlock the full potential of ICW software products. Besides, the clients can choose the standard training courses, which give new users a chance to familiarize themselves with our product capabilities, terminology, and concepts. While some choose advancedlevel courses to hone their skills, many others request custom training courses tailored to their specific requirements.

As ICW gains traction in the geomapping arena across various states, how does the company plan to move ahead into the future and carve its place at the helm of the sector? We are currently focusing on streamlining the redistricting process for our clients, but we are also taking steps to bolster our workforce with new personnel and expand our reach into new areas. Even now, our software has enabled clients to eliminate much of the manual data entry tasks and significantly reduce errors.

It is quite clear that clients across election, emergency response, and education sectors will need better mapping capabilities, and we will be ready to meet those requirements with the best mapping solutions that the market has to offer.