People-First Technology and Strategy
When most people hear "geospatial," they immediately think of maps. But in many advanced applications, maps never enter the picture at all. Instead, geospatial data becomes a powerful input to machine learning workflows, unlocking insights and automation in ways that don't require a single visual. At its core, geospatial data is structured around location—coordinates, areas, … Continue reading Geospatial Without Maps
In today’s AI-driven and geospatially enabled world, data is an organization's most valuable asset — yet it is often treated as an afterthought until issues arise. Poor data quality, incomplete metadata, and inconsistent governance can quickly derail even the most sophisticated projects. At Cercana, we believe that data stewardship must be intentional, continuous, strategic, and … Continue reading Data Stewardship in AI, Geospatial, and Security Operations
What is FedGeoDay? FedGeoDay is a single-track conference dedicated to federal use-cases of open geospatial ecosystems. The open ecosystems have a wide variety of uses and forms, but largely include anything designed around open data, open source software, and open standards. The main event is a one day commitment and is followed by a day … Continue reading Reflections on the Process of Planning FedGeoDay 2025
Introduction Geospatial data volumes and complexity are growing due to diverse sources, such as GPS, satellite imagery, and sensor data. Traditional geospatial processing methods face challenges, including scalability, handling various formats, and ensuring data consistency. The medallion architecture offers a layered approach to data management, improving data processing, reliability, and scalability. While the medallion architecture … Continue reading Demystifying the Medallion Architecture for Geospatial Data Processing
Introduction The geospatial industry has seen significant transformation with the rise of open-source solutions. Tools like QGIS, PostGIS, OpenLayers, and GDAL have provided alternatives to proprietary GIS software, providing cost-effective, customizable, and community-driven mapping and spatial analysis capabilities. While open-source GIS thrives on collaboration and accessibility, it still operates within a competitive landscape influenced by … Continue reading Applying Porter’s Five Forces to Open-Source Geospatial
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a primary authoritative source of geographic information, offering a variety of community-validated feature types. However, efficiently querying and analyzing OSM poses unique challenges. PostgreSQL, with its hstore data type, can be a powerful tool in the data analyst’s arsenal. Understanding hstore in PostgreSQL Before getting into the specifics of OpenStreetMap, let's understand … Continue reading Using Hstore to Analyze OSM in PostgreSQL
Do you need a data pipeline? That depends on a few things. Does your organization see data as an input into its key decisions? Is data a product? Do you deal with large volumes of data or data from disparate sources? Depending on the answers to these and other questions, you may be looking at the need for a data pipeline. But what is a data pipeline and what are the considerations for implementing one, especially if your organization deals heavily with geospatial data? This post will examine those issues.