The Penang Geographic Information System (Pegis) Centre will be showcasing a cutting-edge app that has been playing a vital role in empowering various socio-civic organisations address challenges in the community.

Aptly called e-Peta, the application, will be showcased at the coming Esri Malaysia User Conference that takes place on Oct 18 and 19 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

It was developed in 2014 and uses a location-based analytics platform called ArcGIS to integrate authoritative data from various government departments and display layers on dynamic smart maps.

Apart from supporting government projects and day-to-day operations of agencies such as the Town Planning & Development Department, Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council, the application has also done wonders to advance and support the advocacies of various non-for-profit organisations.

These include George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), the Penang Botanic Gardens, Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC), and alms collection organisation Pusat Urus Zakat, among others.

e-Peta helps decision-makers at Pusat Urus Zakat in locating Muslim households and analysing their corresponding demographic data in order to determine their needs and identify who should give and receive alms.

Able to complete study in half the time

According to Pegis, with the use of e-Peta, Pusat Urus Zakat was able to complete their study in half the time they would have otherwise taken.

“We also worked closely with PWDC to create a smart mapping app - hosted on e-Peta - that maps the location of various childcare centres in Penang,” a spokesperson from Pegis said.

“With childcare an important decision for working parents, this app helps them locate the nearest centre to their home or workplace.”

Since its launch, e-Peta has seen an increase in users from the community - a turn out the local government believes will encourage citizens to not only think ‘spatially’ but also help them think of innovative ways to respond to real-world challenges.

“There is also an increased awareness in the workings and benefits of smart mapping technology, and we believe that the technology will be used even more widely in Penang as we continue to assist and collaborate with various state bodies using smart maps,” said Esri South Asia managing director Leslie Wong.

- Bernama