A geographic information system (GIS) can transform how an organisation operates, makes decisions, and delivers services.
But for many teams, maintaining the platform day-to-day comes at a cost, taking time away from the strategic work that drives real value.
At the same time, GIS environments bring unique demands around performance, compliance, and scalability that general IT managed services aren’t designed to support.
For organisations relying on GIS to support critical decisions and services, the right managed services model can make all the difference. Shane Miles, Head of Managed Services at Esri Australia, explains what sets GIS-specific support apart and how organisations can choose a model that fits their current needs and future ambitions.
What makes Esri Australia's Managed Services for GIS different?
General IT managed services providers can offer hosting, but few understand how to optimise and evolve a GIS into an enterprise platform. The difference between Esri Australia's Managed Services for GIS and other providers lies in our:
- Deep expertise across the ArcGIS platform: As the exclusive distributor of ArcGIS, we provide one of the most established GIS managed services offerings in Australia, backed by more than 300 certified GIS specialists.
- GIS-native specialists: Our team is made up of GIS professionals rather than general IT support providers. What that means is we provide a dedicated service delivery manager who understands your GIS environment and priorities, with monthly reporting and lifecycle reviews to keep your GIS on track.
- Integrated delivery: We provide proactive monitoring, ISO 27001 certified infrastructure, and architecture aligned with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Foundational Technical Review (FTR). Your team gets full-stack support without the overhead for your GIS team, so they can focus on delivering services and achieving outcomes.
We support government and enterprise organisations including the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, Regional and Rural Development and Goodman Property Services, helping them keep their GIS environments performing at their best.
Managed Services for GIS provides support that matches your priorities
Different organisations need different levels of support. This is often where traditional service models fall short. Some organisations may believe that Managed Services for GIS lacks the flexibility to suit their specific environment, but the reality is the opposite.
Esri Australia's Managed Services for GIS uses a tiered approach that’s designed to match your organisation's needs today and scale with your strategic ambitions.
You can start with a tier that fits your current needs and advance as your priorities evolve:
- Foundation: Provides a stable, secure, compliant GIS platform that improves efficiency, reduces costs, and mitigates risk.
- Performance: Offers further optimisation for additional efficiency and reduced costs while improving your GIS capability.
- Strategic: Delivers enterprise-level impact with a dedicated strategic advisor to accelerate adoption and transformation.
The tiered model also features transparent, fixed-term pricing with no upfront infrastructure costs. This makes it easier to budget confidently and scale support as your needs change.
“With the foundational tiers, it's focused on compliance and keeping your platform stable and ready. And then as move through the tiers, you unlock increasing levels of value across the organisation.” - Shane Miles, Head of Managed Services at Esri Australia.
Managed Services for GIS suits organisations at any stage of maturity
A common misconception is that Managed Services for GIS is only needed when a GIS becomes complex enough to justify investing in it. In reality, delaying adoption often creates that complexity.
Without managed services, a GIS may only receive reactive support, require costly rebuilds, and drift away from the organisation’s strategic goals. Organisations that adopt Managed Services for GIS earlier build a stronger foundation for operations and give their teams more time to focus on strategic delivery.
Managed Services for GIS helps:
- ensure compliance and platform stability from day one
- give your GIS team capacity to focus on strategic delivery
- maintain expertise and continuity throughout staffing changes
- embed GIS across your operations to support long-term growth
Rather than asking “Are we ready?”, the better question is: What could we avoid by starting sooner?
Take the pressure off your team with Managed Services for GIS. Connect with an expert today.
Managed Services for GIS treats your GIS as business-critical
For many organisations, GIS is embedded in critical workflows where it:
- supports decision-making and operational intelligence
- underpins service delivery and resource coordination
- drives planning and reporting across complex datasets
However, GIS is frequently not recognised or managed as business-critical, even where it is integral to day-to-day operations. Dependence on key personnel to maintain continuity and a lack of dedicated support create the risk of extended outages, affecting operations and public trust.
Managed Services for GIS ensures your GIS is managed as business-critical infrastructure. With proactive monitoring, enterprise-grade protection, full ISO certification, and onshore data hosting, your organisation can confidently meet its security and compliance requirements.
See what Managed Services for GIS can do for your organisation
When your GIS is supported by a team that understands the platform, the technology, and your goals, it stops just being an operational tool and starts working as the foundation for better decisions, stronger collaboration across teams, and long-term strategic growth. That's what Managed Services for GIS is designed to deliver, wherever your organisation is today and wherever it's heading.
Explore how organisations are transforming GIS with Managed Services
Take the pressure off your team with Managed Services for GIS. Connect with an expert today.
