CIG Ottawa Branch

Extreme Global Virtual Inspections: Managing Big Data Challenges from Australia to India and Back

GeoDigital created a ‘virtual inspection’ program that connected skilled people from around the world to remotely sensed data to help utilities quickly make decisions on the health of their linear assets and threats in their environment within a matter of weeks. By virtualizing the asset inspection and vegetation management processes, costs are reduced, safety is increased, network reliability is enhanced and regulatory compliance can be simplified. To provide this value to utilities, GeoDigital had to create the technical foundation and operational processes to handle very large geospatial data sets from capture through to publishing while dealing with many big data challenges and real-world realities.

Doug Parent, P. Eng., MBA

Director, Research and Development

GeoDigital Inc.

Mr. Parent serves as Director of Research & Development of GeoDigital International and is responsible for commercializing new products and services that are supported by scalable operations. He is a finance-driven technology director with over 15 years of experience in the geospatial industry with a wide-range of roles from corporate development to operations management to product development, including responsibility for strategic planning, business unit profit & loss, and direct management of highly qualified teams (e.g. PhDs, Engineers, and Professionals). Mr. Parent holds a BSc in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary and an MBA from the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario.