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March 7, 2008 ArcGIS Server Gives Maui Electric Company Enterprise GIS Access Using the WebApplications Visualize Assets; Provide High-Powered Analysis; and Enable Better, Faster Decision-MakingRedlands, California—Maui Electric Company, Limited (MECO), is using ESRI's ArcGIS Server software to quickly and easily deliver geographic information system (GIS) capabilities throughout the organization. With support from Information Services supervisors, MECO's GIS shop implemented the Web-based system out of the box to deliver spatial applications and data to utility workers for use in daily operations as well as specialized analysis. "I participated in several online ESRI seminars demonstrating the new capabilities of ArcGIS Server 9.2, and it piqued my interest," said Eric Abe, GIS administrator, Maui Electric Company, Limited. By the beginning of 2007, MECO was using ArcGIS 9.2 on its desktop and server. "I was amazed at the ease with which I could create a Web mapping application on the 9.2 platform," he added. MECO serves approximately 65,000 customers on the three islands that make up the County of Maui (Maui, Molokai, and Lanai) in the state of Hawaii and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, a public utility. In 2006 MECO began using ArcGIS Desktop to combine various types of data such as GPS-collected pole locations, county parcel information, county road information, CAD drawings, and aerial raster imagery. With the desktop implementation, quality maps were produced. These GIS maps helped staff in the engineering and operations departments visualize MECO's transmission and distribution assets and make better, faster decisions for designing and operating the system. The maps also helped MECO communicate better with customers and the community about future developments and improvements to the company's infrastructure. Seeing how GIS could benefit the enterprise, the utility took the next step: share information through a Web browser. This meant implementing an internal Web application for the company. During this time, ESRI released ArcGIS 9.2, an upgrade of its software that included a strong server GIS component. It would allow MECO staff to distribute maps, models, and tools that would fit into their workflows. Office and field employees would be able to query accurate, up-to-date data with minimal training. Using his basic knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), and Microsoft ASP.NET, Abe created an application for sharing mapped assets information on the company's intranet. He commented, "I like delivering applications through the Web browser because it eliminates the need to install client software. The user just needs to point the browser to a particular URL and is instantly connected to the map." Using an application wizard, Abe created a simple mapping application in which, after taking a 15-minute training session, users could navigate through maps and data. The application was also customized to add a search-and-query capability for the underlying parcel and road GIS data. Following the initial implementation of ArcGIS Server, the potential scalability of the product for storing and sharing GIS data within the enterprise was obvious. "MECO took a systematic approach in selecting a product and developing the deliverables in this pilot phase of our GIS," said Abe. "ArcGIS has worked out as the ideal solution. When I took on this project, I knew very little about GIS, but with ESRI training and support, I feel that we have made considerable progress in getting our facilities mapped. ESRI's Honolulu office, as well as ESRI's utility and tech support staff, have been instrumental in our success to this point. I know that ESRI has some very large electric customers, but they treat me as though I am just as important as the big guys." # # # Press Information: |
