Multinational software company ESRI to open Colombia office

Multinational software giant Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) began its direct operations in Colombia today by launching its new office in the capital Bogota, the California-based company stated.

Under the banner “ESRI Colombia”, the international supplier of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — more notably its ArcGIS and Location Analytics software — hopes to expand its share of the GIS market in the country and show its “commitment to the local economy”.

“The market is beginning to mature in significant ways, so our purpose is to show both a global and a solid local commitment to growing markets and, in terms of market potential for the application of GIS systems, Colombia is in the top 15 countries for us,” ESRI’s Corporate Director of International Operations Dean Angelides told Colombia Reports.

“As businesses incorporate our technology into their decision making, they look for a different level of commitment from us,” Angelides said.

According to the company, Esri systems are utilized in around 160 countries by public and private organizations to conduct geographic analysis on areas of interest, such as obtaining the best location for a new facility, information on crime rates in different areas, and information on areas with high air pollution.

“It’s about helping our users who work in all parts of society, government, business and NGOs, be more productive and efficient,” Angelides said.

Esri has had a presence in Colombia for the past 25 years and, according to Angelides, businesses and government sectors are increasing their use of GIS systems “to make better decisions.”

Starbucks recently utilized ESRI’s Location Analytics tool to assess demographic figures in cities across the US and Asia to assess potential locations for its stores.

The launch of ESRI Colombia was announced at a conference focusing on “Global trends on the use of GIS as a management tool for decision making” in Bogota, and places the company alongside Esri Chile and Esri Panama — being launched tomorrow by Mr Angelides.