Asian Surveying & Mapping
Breaking News
Astranis clinches $115 million Taiwan deal despite satellite setback
TAMPA, Fla. — Astranis has signed a $115 million...
UAE and Egypt Strengthen Space Collaboration with New MoU
In a milestone development for Arab space collaboration, the...
Seoul launches 4th spy satellite to boost North Korea surveillance
South Korea’s military now operates an increasingly integrated cluster...
Indonesia seeks space defense cooperation with Japan’s military
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Defense of Indonesia...
China Launches 3 Astronauts To Its Space Station
The spacecraft Shenzhou-20 and the crew lifted off atop...
Former Isro chairman K Kasturirangan dies in Bengaluru at 84
Dr. Kasturirangan led the Isro, the Space Commission, and...
South Korea is converting an abandoned coal mine into a moon exploration testing ground
South Korea is transforming abandoned coal mines into testing...
ISRO to Launch Chandrayaan-5 With Japan, Plans Space Station
Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research...
Russia and China are threatening SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation, new report finds
SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation is facing threats from Russia...
China and Pakistan agree to fly 1st foreign astronaut to Chinese space station
For the first time, the Chinese space program will train...
  • Jul 13, 2017
  • Comments Off on Esri and Microsoft Join Forces to Accelerate Conservation through Enhanced Land Cover Mapping Technology
  • Corporate, News
  • ,
  • 936 Views

July 13th, 2017
Esri and Microsoft Join Forces to Accelerate Conservation through Enhanced Land Cover Mapping Technology

REDLANDS, Calif. — Land cover mapping is a critical part of conservation planning, but current methods for collecting detailed geographic data are highly labor-intensive. Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can help but are not yet widely accessible to those on the front lines of conservation and mapping. That is why Esri today announced a collaboration with Microsoft to provide greater access to these technologies through a newly aligned grant process.

“Spatial analytics is a crucial part of conservation, because it is an inherently geographic field,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “Understanding environmental data in the context of location is necessary when making decisions about protecting fragile ecosystems. The ability to analyze the vast quantities of data present in our environment is critical, and this collaboration allows conservationists to do their job more accurately than ever before on a wider scale.”

The aligned grant process will allow eligible organizations and individuals to receive Esri’s premier geographic information system (GIS) software as well as access Microsoft’s leading cloud and AI tools. These include Esri’s ArcGIS and Microsoft’s Data Science Virtual Machine and Cognitive Services offering, in addition to Azure credits.

These tools and this alliance have already demonstrated considerable promise for organizations focused on mapping—one example is Chesapeake Conservancy. It has done a great deal of work to protect and restore the local watershed, but the organization needed more accurate data to do precision conservation—investing in the plantings that are most impactful, in the areas that most need them. Esri’s mapping technology, powered by Microsoft Azure, produced dynamic land cover products in minutes and allowed Chesapeake Conservancy to see exactly where planting would be most effective. This advanced solution was demonstrated at the Esri User Conference during the opening Plenary Session. Microsoft joined Esri and Chesapeake Conservancy onstage and demonstrated how AI can be executed on a national scale quickly and accurately, allowing researchers and communities nationwide to benefit.

“We believe that human ingenuity and AI can pair together to tackle some of our biggest societal challenges—including managing climate, water, agriculture, and biodiversity resources. We’re excited to work with Esri to deliver AI technology to researchers and organizations that will help them address these challenges,” said Lucas Joppa, chief environmental scientist at Microsoft.

Additionally, Microsoft AI will integrate with Esri’s Living Atlas of the World—the largest collection of global geographic information available—and ArcGIS Image Server, a massive collection of imagery, to help users perform high-resolution image classification and generate insight into land cover changes that go far beyond current capabilities.

Learn more about how the Azure for Research Award provides innovative tools to help manage complex environmental challenges here.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, offers the most powerful mapping and spatial analytics technology available. Since 1969, Esri has helped customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world’s largest cities, most national governments, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and location analytics to inform the most authoritative maps in the world. Visit us at esri.com.

Copyright © 2017 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, The Science of Where, ArcGIS, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners.