Farmers need to know which fields need water today, not next week. When satellite images sit unprocessed, crops suffer, and decisions get delayed.
City planners stare at screens filled with infrastructure data, knowing somewhere in those numbers is the answer to which neighborhoods flood first during storms — but finding it quickly enough to matter is the real challenge.
During wildfires, emergency teams can’t wait hours for updated maps. Every minute matters when deciding which communities to evacuate first.
The information exists to help all of them. It’s captured by satellites, sensors, and surveys every day. But too often, it sits trapped in complex systems, arriving too late to make a difference.
This is the reality for many organizations today. An explosion of geospatial data is overwhelming teams who lack the smart tools to process all of it efficiently to extract actionable insights quickly.
Turning raw data into actionable intelligence takes time, tools, and coordination — especially when the data comes in fast and from many sources. And even when the analysis is done, getting that information into the hands of the right people isn’t always easy.
Data Overload: A Growing Concern Across Key Industries
Geospatial data plays a vital role across key industries — from agriculture, urban planning, defence, to environmental monitoring.
The real challenge is a lot of critical data remains inaccessible at the moment of crucial decision-making. Systems collect more information than ever, but processing pipelines create bottlenecks, incompatible formats prevent integration, and organizational boundaries restrict sharing.
These barriers create measurable impacts — slower emergency response, reduced agricultural yields, and less effective resource allocation. What’s needed isn’t more data collection but better systems for delivering existing information to decision-makers when and where they need it.
Powerful Tools to Tackle Geospatial Pain Points
As industries turn to satellites, drones, and sensors for data, the challenge becomes not just gathering information but making sense of it and acting upon it at the right time. Without the right technology to manage this vast amount of data, decision-makers are left struggling to keep up.
That’s where Hexagon’s tools come in.
ERDAS IMAGINE: Helping People Make Faster Decisions
Think about the fire chief trying to keep communities safe during a wildfire. With ERDAS IMAGINE, instead of guessing where the fire is heading by looking at raw satellite images, the software automatically outlines the fire’s edge. It picks up changes that would take hours to find by hand.
Farmers face a different kind of urgency – checking crop health over large areas. ERDAS IMAGINE helps them spot trouble early by highlighting problem zones automatically, saving time and effort.
The software processes images from satellites and drones and pulls out the key information, so people don’t waste time figuring out what’s changed. Whether it’s an emergency or a day in the field, ERDAS IMAGINE helps people act faster, with better information.
- Benefits: Advanced image analysis techniques, object detection and change detection to extract critical information. Interoperable with other geospatial systems, enabling data sharing and collaboration.
- Result: Enhanced situational awareness, improved decision-making and faster response times. Improved data accessibility, enhanced data quality and streamlined workflows
Spatial Modeler: Automating the Tedious Parts
Once you have analysed the data, the next step is putting it to work — and that often means doing the same tasks over and over again. That’s where Hexagon’s Spatial Modeler helps. Built into ERDAS IMAGINE, it lets users create automated workflows using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
When tracking vegetation health across a wide area, instead of repeating the same analysis every week, Spatial Modeler can flag changes automatically — like signs of drought or soil issues — so you can act fast without digging through piles of data.
The software handles complex data and multiple layers, and lets staff focus on real decisions that could save lives.
- Benefit: Allows users to create sophisticated geospatial workflows through a user-friendly graphical interface.
- Result: This flexibility supports the automation of repetitive tasks and complex analyses, improving efficiency and accuracy in data processing.
ERDAS APOLLO: Making Data Easy to Share
Files often get buried — on someone’s computer, in a hard drive, or in a system no one else can access.
During an emergency situation like a wildfire or a flood, teams on the ground need quick access to every available piece of data – the latest drone footage, satellite images or maps. ERDAS APOLLO makes that possible. Instead of chasing files or waiting on emails, everyone – from first responders to city officials — can find what they need in one place.
It’s fast and organized. And it means people aren’t wasting time hunting for files when they should be making decisions.
- Benefit: Addresses the dissemination challenge by providing a robust data management and distribution solution.
- Result: Improved decision-making and operational efficiency. Keeps data organized, accurate, and ready to use without slowing things down.
A Smarter Way to Handle Geospatial Data
Geospatial data is powerful, but only if you can actually use it. And with the amount of data out there, that’s not always easy.
Hexagon’s tools – ERDAS IMAGINE, Spatial Modeler, and ERDAS APOLLO – make it easier for teams to move faster, work smarter, and focus on what matters, instead of sorting through endless files.
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In the end, it’s not just about data. It’s about getting answers when people need them. Because in the real world — fires spread, crops fail, and storms don’t wait.
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