|
first published week of: 11/14/2016
Boundless is betting that open source, non-proprietary and license-free is the future of the geographic information systems (GIS) market.
It’s a bet wagered in the form of dual product launches this week. Boundless, which already offers a GIS platform and sells to government, is filling out its offerings to move from a platform to an “ecosystem.” The first, Boundless Desktop, is a desktop GIS tool filled out with analytics, plugins and various other tools. The other, Boundless Connect, is essentially a hub capable of connecting Desktop, other Boundless services and even third-party GIS programs.
All without a user license.
“We’re selling support, we’re not selling licenses,” said Andy Dearing, Boundless’ chief executive officer.
That means the company is putting its stake in helping its clients make the platform work for their own specific uses — its biggest customers thus far have been at federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but it’s beginning to work more with state and local customers. continued…