Swedish Armed Forces Enlist Geospatial Technology

19 January 2010, 9:17am

Redlands, California—January 19, 2010—The Swedish military, a longtime ESRI software user, will continue to receive access to the company’s latest geographic information system (GIS) technology and expertise.

Försvarets Materielverk (FMV), the Swedish Defence Material Administration, acting on behalf of the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF), renewed a contract for three years with ESRI S-GROUP Sverige AB. ESRI S-GROUP is Sweden’s distributor for ESRI, the market leader in GIS software.

The agreement will give the military the cutting edge geospatial technology needed for situational awareness, planning, and geospatial analysis. This means the SAF will receive the newest generation of geospatial capabilities and services from ESRI S-GROUP. The company provides software, services, support, and training to a wide range of organizations in both the private and public sectors.

The SAF have multilateral commitments and need geographic information to plan and execute international operations. The organizations use technology and expertise from ESRI and ESRI S-GROUP to better understand the geography and create situational awareness in places around the world where members of the armed forces deploy. This helps the military to respond quickly and make timely decisions.

The SAF have used GIS technology from ESRI for more than 15 years and have a comprehensive knowledge of ESRI’s products. This contract deepens that relationship. The products and services provided for in the agreement include software that will help the SAF develop digital geographic services for all branches of the military, thereby saving time and reducing and consolidating costs.

“The Swedish Armed Forces have a significant requirement for an easy-to-use GIS to provide the military with the best possible foundation on which to base international operational decisions,” says Per Carlsson, chief executive officer (CEO) of ESRI S-GROUP. “Our products simply give them a clear geographic picture of where they might deploy.”

Adds Lars Gröön, project manager at FMV, “The agreement with ESRI provides the Swedish Armed Forces with access to advanced ESRI technology and consulting services from ESRI S-GROUP, making ESRI one of just a few strategic suppliers of GIS to the Swedish military.”

ESRI

Geo: International