Rebranded CarryMap app for work with maps of Kazakh forests on mobile devices

In spring of 2020 Forest BSM GROUP contacted Data East with a request to create the app for work with mobile maps of Kazakh forests. This company implements new technologies in the forestry management and creates offline maps of state forestry. The users of their maps are employees and visitors of national parks and state nature reserves, as well as companies that focus on the forest management fieldwork, and other enterprises of this sector.

According to Forest BSM GROUP, the development of forestry in Kazakhstan is a very promising area because the main objectives of this economy sector are the sustainable use of natural resources of the state forest fund, the growth of forestland area, and the overall improvement of industry efficiency. Although forestry plays socially important role supplying population with wood, protecting forests against fire, and increasing state forest reserves, its intense development has begun only recently. Implementation of modern GIS technologies in the forestry management such as maximum digitalization and moving to electronic maps, digitalization of forestry data and use of mobile devices for work with forest maps can crucially simplify and optimize business processes of this sector.

The forest maps of Kazakhstan created by Forest BSM GROUP experts are a great contribution to the development of the state forest fund. However successful promotion and commercialization of their maps to compete for customers on the market was impossible without the brand. Developing your own product is always time consuming and requires heavy expenses, so in order to minimize possible risks, Forest BSM GROUP decided to brand a product that has already been known among users - CarryMap app from Data East.

The features of the CarryMap technology which allows creating compact interactive maps from ArcGIS projects for their further use on mobile devices, satisfied all the needs of Forest BSM GROUP. As a result of replacement of CarryMap identity elements with the Forest BSM GROUP style and the granted right to release it on behalf of Forest BSM GROUP, the rebranded CarryMap app called OrmanKZ appeared in Google Play and App Store. The OrmanKZ app UI is localized in English, Russian, and Kazakh languages.

Why branding?

Investment in known product with powerful functionality that supports popular operating systems and has good reputation among users is a wise decision to avoid risks that may arise when developing your own product from scratch. Branding the existing product means that the company does not need to spend its resources on maintenance and bug fixing, since owing to single codebase all this work is made by developer synchronous with the development of the core product.

Why CarryMap?

All the app tools work offline which is important for Forest BSM GROUP field staff working in the forest. The app allows adding text and graphic marks to the mobile map, to make changes in characteristics of forest areas after performed field work, to edit map features and to maintain records of them. Another app advantage noted by Forest BSM GROUP is its user-friendly interface allowing to quickly get into the app functionality for users having no specific GIS experience or cartographic background.

Forest BSM GROUP plans to completely move to electronic maps of Kazakh woodlands, gradually replacing the paper ones. And the work on the development of the rebranded OrmanKZ will continue to make the app more usable.