Look for cities to consider more applications in the cloud, and their technology spend to increase, says Emma Finch, industry marketing manager for Cary, N.C.-based FacilityDude. She adds that cities are finding that web-based technology boosts efficiencies and is less onerous on the IT department to implement.

“GIS is becoming a crucial element for government – it is no longer a nice to have, it is a must have,” says Finch. She adds that cities’ investments in GIS will increase “as the visualization offerings become a central hub that everyone taps into and uses to collaborate.”

The data behind the GIS solutions can help numerous city departments work together seamlessly, explains Finch. “Police and emergency services need to work with GIS to make connections between seemingly disparate data points. For example, does more crime happen where there are less streetlights?” asks Finch. She adds: “If that’s the case, does public works need to develop projects to alter high crime areas to change that behavior?”

FacilityDude offers a suite of web-based applications for IT, facilities, and government and business operations. The firm delivers software-as-a-service solutions in maintenance, energy, GIS, facility usage, safety and technology.

In 2016, governmental law enforcement agencies will spend more on digital evidence management, predicts Jerry Rodriguez, who is Law Enforcement Business Development Manager at NICE Systems.

Implementation of body worn cameras has made the collection, storage, analysis, and sharing of digital information a challenge, Rodriguez tells GPN. “Departments are finding that on-site storage is difficult to manage with the increasing volume of data, so they’re using cloud-based solutions,” says Rodriguez. “The greatest value in digital evidence depends upon an organization’s ability to access and make sense of that information in a timely manner,” he adds.

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