Achievement Award for INCOIS
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) received a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the 2009 ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC) in San Diego (CA, USA). The organisation received this honor for its vision, leadership, and innovative use of ESRI's geographic information system (GIS) technology. INCOIS was selected from more than 300,000 organisations worldwide and recognized during SAG awards ceremony.
INCOIS provides a number of oceanographic services to the Indian Ocean region. The organisation directly impacts the lives of millions who are dependent on the coastal areas and are also directly vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters. For example,INCOIS' Tsunami Warning Centre notifies local residents that a tsunami may be approaching. GIS tools are also used to generate and analyse spatial data. The INCOIS Potential Fishing Zone Advisories identify areas where fish activity is high. These advisories have proven to be helpful in reducing fisherman search time by 60 to 70%, thereby reducing fuel consumption and valuable human effort. Prior to implementing a GIS in 2001, most of the organisation's spatial information was disseminated in a textual form. Now, the organisation is able to provide services through maps accessible from a GIS-enabled Web site. Users can perform analysis and customize personal maps. Furthermore, location-based services are provided by sending alerts on mobile phones.
Other Organizations honored in the past for Special Achievement Award in GIS include - National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization, Space Applications Centre, Geological Survey of India, National Informatics Centre, Survey of India, TWAD Board, Reliance Infocomm and Bangalore Water and Sewerage Services Board
