GIS (geographic information systems) is the $10 billion corner of the software world most people never talk about. It powers critical decisions in energy, logistics, real estate, agriculture, and urban planning. Yet for decades, most GIS tools have been known for being rigid, complex, and built for specialists.
Now, that’s starting to change.
A wave of new platforms is rebuilding GIS from the ground up. Oslo-based Atlas.co is one of them, and this week the company is launching its biggest product update to date — introducing tools that make spatial data dramatically easier to work with across teams.
“Millions of businesses have valuable spatial data but struggle to make use of it,” said Fredrik Moger, CEO of Atlas. “We’re building tools that make working with it feel more like using modern software, not a technical discipline.”
What’s Changing
Historically, GIS has been dominated by legacy tools like Esri, which still holds between 40 and 50 percent of global market share. While powerful, these systems often require specialized training, expensive licenses, and deep technical knowledge. Many teams report needing to build internal workarounds or write code just to get started.
Atlas.co is part of a new wave of cloud-native GIS platforms that are simplifying the entire stack, from analysis to field data collection to publishing insights for others to use.
New features launching this week:
- Workflows – Automate spatial analysis without writing code
- Relations – Link and update connected datasets with one click
- Forms – Build structured data collection workflows for the field
- Mobile Views – Create mobile-ready, interactive map apps without a development team
About Atlas.co
Atlas.co is a European GIS platform used in 172 countries by over 10,000 users, including renewable energy developers like Eviny, Yinson Renewables, and Svea Solar. Built for collaboration, simplicity, and speed, Atlas helps teams unlock the power of spatial data — without complex setup or specialized training. Learn more at atlas.co.