GICHD Selects Esri

Redlands, California—August 18, 2016—Esri announced that the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) has selected the ArcGIS platform to power the next generation of its software to manage and reduce the risk posed by Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). The next version of GICHD's Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), called IMSMA Core, will incorporate the latest Esri capabilities and tools to enhance global mine removal efforts.

IMSMA Core is deeply integrated with ArcGIS and is a cornerstone of GICHD's mine removal support. It provides national authorities, international organizations, and the civil society with the information they need to improve the speed, thoroughness, and efficiency of their work. This includes demining, assistance to victims, and mine risk education.

"We've been using Esri's GIS products for many years, as it is a proven technology ideally suited to tackle the geographic nature of the threat of mines and ERW," says Olivier Cottray, GICHD head of information management. "Our collaboration with Esri helps us find new ways of using geographic information to create a safer world."

The GICHD started developing IMSMA in the late 1990s with the goal of providing the mine action community with a comprehensive information management system.

IMSMA has since grown to become a key solution for the sector, from individual operators in the field to national mine action centers and authorities that plan and coordinate activities in more than 40 mine-affected countries and territories.

Esri will support GICHD's migration of the existing IMSMA capabilities into the ArcGIS platform to provide a secure environment to organize and share information throughout national mine action programs. ArcGIS will also provide long-term stability for IMSMA Core, including the ability to take advantage of the many GIS innovations emerging from the Esri platform and without the need for development or maintenance of custom software. In addition, Esri is making its software available to the mine action sector at a highly discounted rate.