INSIGHTS · BLOG
Notes from
the field.
ArcGIS Enterprise vs an Open GIS architecture
Compare ArcGIS Enterprise with an open GIS stack across identity, editing, versioning, sharing, field apps, operations and the work each replacement requires.
ArcGIS Online vs self-hosted or managed Open GIS
Compare ArcGIS Online, self-hosted GIS and managed open services across sharing, credits, field workflows, operating responsibility and total cost.
ArcGIS Server vs GeoServer: service contracts and migration
Map ArcGIS Server services to GeoServer WMS, WFS and WMTS; identify REST clients, editing and geoprocessing that require adaptation or retention.
ArcMap retirement: migration options without losing the workflow
Plan after ArcMap’s March 1, 2026 retirement: inventory MXD, data and scripts, compare QGIS with ArcGIS Pro, and control coexistence.
ArcGIS and QGIS on PostGIS: what to share and what to validate
Design a shared database without confusing SQL connectivity with editing or versioning equivalence.
Enterprise GIS platforms and open-source alternatives: a practical comparison
Compare enterprise GIS, WebGIS, mapping APIs and open-source options by workflows, data portability, costs and migration scope. A guide for teams in Latin America.
Field synchronization: conflicts, photos and validation
Design and test the return path before replacing the collection workflow.
Operate GeoServer: upgrades, recovery and diagnosis
Recover GeoServer data, styles and security together, rehearse upgrades and rollback, and diagnose rendering, database and cache incidents.
Publish a PostGIS layer with GeoServer and verify WMS and WFS
Publish a PostGIS fixture through GeoServer WMS/WFS, verify identifiers and rendered output, and diagnose CRS, store and client failures.
GeoServer security: layer permissions, authentication and proxy configuration
Configure GeoServer access across roles, REST, proxy and caches, then test anonymous reads, private attributes and administrative endpoints.
GeoServer SLD styles and labels: from a rule to a verifiable map
Define server-side symbols and labels and test their behavior by scale and density.
GeoServer vs pygeoapi vs QGIS Server: which to use
Choose GeoServer, pygeoapi or QGIS Server by protocol version, styling, editing and application contract, with a concrete selection matrix.
GeoWebCache: accelerate maps without serving stale data
Design tile matrices, extents, zoom levels and invalidation before generating millions of tiles.
Hypothetical scenario: a municipality’s GIS migration
A fictional organization, illustrative scope and a five-year calculation you can reproduce.
Hypothetical scenario: a utility that does not save over five years
A fictional example where support, training and coexistence exceed license reductions.
Leaflet: an inspection viewer with GeoJSON
A complete example with fictional data, no keys and no basemap dependency.
Load data into PostGIS with GDAL: staging and validation before publishing
Separate import, quality checks and publication to avoid replacing valid tables with a defective load.
Manage QGIS across an organization: versions, plugins and support
Prepare a repeatable installation and an upgrade process that preserves projects and automation.
MapLibre: build a web map with GeoJSON
A complete example with fictional data, no keys and no basemap dependency.
Meta and open mapping: data, styles and distribution
Trace Meta’s 2023 open basemap workflow, the 2024 Daylight sunset and the data, rendering and update responsibilities a LATAM team must own.
Rebuild ArcGIS symbology, labels and layouts in QGIS
Test cartographic equivalence by scale and output; a similar-looking screen is not enough.
How to migrate an enterprise GIS platform to an open-source viewer
Modernize enterprise GIS with MapLibre, OpenLayers, PostGIS and open services. Inventory, data, permissions, design, costs and workflow-based transition.
Migrate a geodatabase to GeoPackage and PostGIS without losing data meaning
Inventory domains, relationships, attachments and identifiers before converting a geodatabase.
From ModelBuilder and ArcPy to QGIS Processing and Python
Rewrite automation around verifiable results, with explicit inputs, tolerances and errors.
A phased ArcGIS to Open GIS migration plan
Execute an ArcGIS migration through inventory, architecture, pilot, change reconciliation, cost review, reversible batches and measured retirement.
Back up PostGIS and prove it can be restored
A backup is useful only if it can recover data, extensions, permissions and consumers within the required time.
PostGIS spatial indexes: measure before optimizing
Use EXPLAIN, GiST and queries with correct units to evaluate a reproducible improvement.
Multiuser PostGIS: permissions, schemas and concurrent editing
Separate owners, editors and readers, and test conflicts before opening the database to multiple clients.
pygeoapi: publish your first OGC API with test data
Build a pygeoapi 0.24 CSV endpoint with full configuration, OpenAPI and executable checks for collections, features and missing identifiers.
pygeoapi with PostGIS: filters, pagination and CRS
Configure the pygeoapi PostgreSQL provider, stable feature IDs, bounded filters, pagination and CRS; distinguish read-only policy from provider capability.
pygeoapi in production: TLS, access, limits and monitoring
Deploy pygeoapi behind a production server and proxy with explicit limits, identity boundaries, cache rules, recovery and failure checks.
QField vs ArcGIS Field Maps: compare the complete cycle
Compare QField and ArcGIS Field Maps for offline forms, photos, related records, conflicts and recovery using the same two-crew pilot and cost per accepted inspection.
Editing, validation and topology in QGIS: rules beyond the desktop
Combine forms, geometry checks and database constraints to keep data dependable.
How to replace ArcGIS applications by workflow
Break down viewers, dashboards and collection; identify what needs building and maintaining.
Replace ArcGIS services with GeoServer: a compatibility matrix
Separate maps, features, editing, tiles and geoprocessing before replacing an endpoint.
Uber, H3 and Pinot: GIS inside a digital product
Understand Uber’s published H3/Pinot analytical workflow, its limits, and a practical path from PostGIS analysis to a larger event architecture.
Vector tiles and PMTiles: publish a map release
When to use a tile archive, how to check HTTP Range and where queries belong.
WMO, wis2box and pygeoapi: institutional data exchange
Explain how wis2box combines ingestion, storage, pygeoapi and notifications, and what a generic OGC API still needs for institutional exchange.
Life Areas in Colombia: how to delimit, georeference and publish them under Resolutions 1491 and 0358
A GIS guide for municipalities and districts to delimit, document and publish Life Areas, and for companies to prepare their programmes without confusing formulation with material compliance.
State-of-the-art GIS architecture in 2026: two complete blueprints
Two complete GIS architectures—one open and cloud-native, one centred on ArcGIS Enterprise 12.1—compared layer by layer and adapted to Colombia.
From CAD plans to an operable utility-network GIS
How to convert plans, spreadsheets and construction records into a utility-network cadastre that supports operations without inventing accuracy or connections.
Ground control points for drone surveys: how to specify and validate them
What a buyer should require for ground control, independent checkpoints, geodetic reference and positional-accuracy evidence in a drone survey.
OGC API Features vs WFS: choosing and migrating vector services
A practical comparison for deciding when to retain WFS, when to publish OGC API Features, and how to transition without breaking existing consumers.
How to procure a Web GIS: requirements and acceptance criteria
A practical way to turn a map-portal purchase into testable requirements for data, user tasks, interoperability, accessibility and operations.
Sentinel-1 flood monitoring: a defensible workflow for Colombia
How to use Sentinel-1 radar to prioritise flood verification, document limitations and avoid presenting a satellite alert as a damage assessment.
ANLA MAG checklist: verifiable preparation before precheck
A preparation checklist for MAG structure, layers, domains, geometry, metadata and traceability under Resolution 2182 of 2016.
MAG errors worth detecting before closing an environmental delivery
Review patterns for wrong versions, missing layers, domains, CRS, geometry, nulls, metadata and missing traceability.
How to map DANE data without losing statistical context
Steps for retaining population universe, denominator, cutoff, territorial code and licence when integrating DANE statistics into coverage and prioritisation maps.
Decree 381 of 2026: organising determinants as traceable data
How to inventory determinants, sources, geometry, validity, scale and conflicts during the regulatory transition without turning GIS into legal advice.
EPSG:9377 for energy data: reprojecting with traceability and precision
What to record when transforming energy data to MAGNA-SIRGAS 2018 Origen-Nacional: source CRS, operation, units, controls and final format.
How to prepare plot geolocation for EUDR supply chains in Colombia
A guide to linking suppliers, products and plot geometry without confusing Colombian data readiness with certification or legal compliance in the European Union.
What a geoportal costs: scope the system before asking for a number
How to estimate a geoportal from data, users, functions, integrations, security, availability and operations without publishing universal prices.
How to organise geospatial data for a nature MRV system
A guide to linking spatial units, baselines, monitoring, calculations and evidence without confusing a data platform with environmental validation or certification.
Geospatial data for mining decisions in Colombia: a practical guide
How to integrate titles, constraints, environmental data and operations without turning a spatial overlay into a legal conclusion or misusing AnnA Minería data.
How to structure GIS data for POMCA watershed planning
A data path for inventorying sources, sustaining zoning, documenting land-use conflict and updating watershed monitoring without losing provenance.
GIS road inventory: from a drawn corridor to a maintainable register
How to model corridors, segments, bridges, signs, inspections and interventions without confusing historical inventory with current condition.
ICDE Agreement 003: an implementation path without misleading countdowns
An operational reading of Agreement 003 of 2025: inventory, ownership, metadata, quality, publishing and follow-up based on verified dates.
InSAR in Colombia: when it helps monitor subsidence
How to assess feasibility, coherence, observation geometry and field evidence before using InSAR time series to prioritise inspections.
How to audit metadata and GetCapabilities without claiming certification
A local workflow to review XML, identification, ownership, extent, dates, licences and OGC capabilities before expert assessment.
LADM_COL-POT: preparing data without confusing transition and operation
A readiness guide for objects, sources, identifiers, relationships, determinants and metadata during the Decree 381 of 2026 transition.
What data a municipality needs for GIS-based risk management
How to organise hazards, exposure, vulnerability, events and actions so a municipal risk GIS supports priorities without replacing technical studies.
How to prepare a QField project for offline work in Colombia
Steps for designing forms, identifiers, basemaps, packages and reconciliation before sending field teams to areas without continuous connectivity.
SINC v6: preparing traceable road information before reporting
A guide to organise segments, location, inventory, condition, evidence and ownership before mapping road information to SINC v6.
Sustainable WebGIS architecture: five layers beyond a disposable viewer
Data, service, application, security and operations design that lets a geoportal change its interface without rebuilding rules or sources.
UPME geospatial deliverables: preparing the model before export
A method to organise layers, attributes, domains, metadata and traceability before producing SHP or GDB in EPSG:9377 for the applicable UPME scope.
How to structure a utility network cadastre for daily operations
A practical method to inventory utility assets, define identifiers, control topology and preserve traceability without confusing networks with parcel cadastre.
A local checklist for utility GeoJSON topology and metadata
What to review before integrating a utility GeoJSON: structure, declared CRS, geometry, duplicates, connectivity, attributes, traceability and diagnostic limits.
MapGIS 5, 9 and 10: versions, architecture and evidence
What public sources establish about MapGIS Flex 3, MapGIS5, MapGIS9 and MapGIS10, and how to assess an implementation before renewing or migrating.
MapGIS vs QGIS and PostGIS: a Colombia comparison
What an organization is actually comparing between the MapGIS suite and an architecture with QGIS, PostGIS, services and open viewers. A layer, cost and workflow matrix.
Public open GIS cases: how to interpret savings
Read sourced QGIS adoption and migration evidence from Dominican IGN, Cornare, St. Joseph County and Barrow without overstating savings.
What an ArcGIS to QGIS and PostGIS migration costs in Colombia
Calculate ArcGIS migration TCO with retained licenses, labor, overlap, annual cash flow and sensitivity, using reproducible COP examples.
Foundation models and copilots: how AI is redrawing GIS in 2026
NASA/IBM's Prithvi, Google DeepMind's satellite embeddings, ESA's Major TOM and the LLM assistants inside ArcGIS and QGIS: what changed between 2024 and 2026, what is verifiable, and what it means for Colombia.
Aerial LiDAR surveys in Colombia: when it's worth it, how it works and what drives the cost
Aerial LiDAR is the go-to tool for capturing bare ground under dense vegetation. This guide explains how it works, when it justifies its cost versus photogrammetry, and which variables set the price of a project in Colombia.
Sentinel-2 vs Landsat: which to choose for your project in Colombia
Two free constellations, two different logics. We compare the resolution, frequency, bands and historical archive of Sentinel-2 and Landsat, and explain when each one fits —and why the answer is often to use both.
Vegetation indices beyond NDVI: when to use NDRE, NDWI, SAVI, EVI and GCI
NDVI is the starting point, not the answer to everything. This guide explains what each vegetation index measures, where NDVI saturates or misleads, and how to pick the right index for the crop and the agronomic question in Colombia.
Deforestation monitoring with satellite imagery in Colombia: early-warning systems and how they work
How forest loss is detected from space in Colombia: Sentinel and Landsat sensors, early-warning systems, IDEAM's role, and how organizations can stand up operational deforestation monitoring.
Digital elevation models: DEM, DTM and DSM — differences, sources and when to use each in Colombia
DEM, DTM and DSM are not synonyms. This guide clarifies the difference, reviews the sources available for Colombia (SRTM, COP30, ALOS, LiDAR) and explains when each model is the right choice.
Mass appraisal with GIS: how land is valued in the multipurpose cadastre
Mass appraisal is the economic heart of the multipurpose cadastre. How homogeneous zones are built, the role GIS plays, which methods are used, and how the quality of land valuation is controlled in Colombia.
Artificial intelligence applied to GIS: real cases in Colombia
What AI really changes in the geospatial workflow: land cover classification, automated cadastral validation, change detection and prediction, with Colombian examples.
Land use change analysis with QGIS: a practical guide for Colombia
How to measure land cover and land use change between two dates with QGIS and Sentinel-2: classification, transition matrix and change map, with Colombian data.
Satellite monitoring of oil palm in Colombia: indices, alerts and costs
How satellite monitoring detects stress, bud rot and yield drops in oil palm before the human eye can. Indices, resolution and costs for Colombia.
Territory digital twin: what it is and how it applies in Colombia
Beyond the map: what a territory digital twin is, how it differs from a traditional GIS, and real applications in cadastre, road management and risk in Colombia.
Multipurpose cadastre in Colombia: what it is, how it works and who implements it [2026]
Complete guide to Colombia's multipurpose cadastre. Definition, the 5 components (physical, legal, fiscal, economic, environmental), regulatory framework (Law 1955, Decree 148, Resolution 388), phased implementation, costs and fiscal benefits for municipalities.
How to choose a geospatial consultancy in Colombia: 10 key criteria
A guide for evaluating geospatial consultancies. Experience, tech stack, proprietary products, LADM-COL, migration, AI, references, and more.
Cadastral software in Colombia 2026: landscape and comparison
Comparison of LADM-COL cadastral software platforms in Colombia. IGAC tools, commercial platforms, and full-service solutions.
ArcGIS vs QGIS for cadastre and government: decision criteria
Compare ArcGIS Pro and QGIS across editing, analysis, automation, cadastre, networks and support, with a ten-task pilot and transparent total-cost criteria.
Drone Topography in Colombia: Costs, Accuracy, and Regulations 2026
Complete guide to drone topography in Colombia. Costs per hectare, achievable accuracies, Civil Aviation regulations, and comparison with traditional surveying.
How to Choose a Cadastral Operator in Colombia: A Guide for Government Entities
What to look for when hiring a cadastral operator. LADM-COL experience, technical capacity, proprietary software, XTF export, and IGAC compliance.
QGIS for ArcGIS users: your first reproducible project
Prepare data, coordinates, styling and a verifiable output before moving an ArcGIS workflow to QGIS.
Environmental Monitoring with Sentinel-2: A Practical Guide for Colombia
How to use free Sentinel-2 imagery for deforestation monitoring, vegetation cover, and land-use change detection in Colombia.
Terraes: How Our Cadastral Management Platform Works
Architecture, features, and use cases of Terraes, the LADM-COL cadastral platform with which we have updated 9 municipalities. Virtual office, XTF export, and AI validation.
How to implement LADM-COL: a step-by-step guide
What is LADM-COL, how the data model works, how to generate XTF files, and what IGAC requires. Based on our experience in 29 municipalities.
AI for Cadastre: How We Automated Property Validation
How we apply artificial intelligence to automate cadastral validation, detect inconsistencies, and reduce errors in property management.
PostGIS for cadastre: a minimal model, geometry and quality controls
Build a cadastral pilot with stable keys, verifiable geometry and clear boundaries from a complete legal model.
Why NDVI alone is no longer enough for crop monitoring
Analysis of new satellite indices (MSAVI, GNDVI, OSAVI) and when to use each in Colombian crops.
LADM-COL: practical guide for cadastral operators
What the LADM-COL standard is, how XTF export works, and what it means for cadastral management in Colombia.
The cadastral operator of the future is a software company
Why the next decade of cadastre will be defined by code quality.