Service · Open-source GIS

QGIS migration, support, training & coaching

Moving away from proprietary GIS software does not have to mean starting over. AustralGIS moves your maps, geodatabases, and publishing stack to QGIS, PostGIS, and GeoServer — entirely in the cloud.

Announcement

AustralGIS joins the OSGeo service provider community

We’re pleased to share that AustralGIS is listed as an OSGeo service provider.

OSGeo service providers help organisations make effective use of open-source geospatial technologies through services such as:

Consultation
Expert advice on using open-source geospatial tools.
Implementation
Support for deploying geospatial software solutions.
Training
Educational resources and training sessions for users.

AustralGIS brings expertise across PostGIS, QGIS and GeoServer, alongside our exclusive partnership with QField. These technologies help organisations build and manage geospatial solutions using open-source tools.

This strategic shift reflects changing market and client needs. Organisations are placing greater importance on effective data governance and digital sovereignty: having stronger control over their data, systems and technology choices. Open-source geospatial solutions can help support these goals by giving organisations flexibility and greater control over how their platforms are deployed and managed.

We’re proud to be part of the OSGeo community and look forward to helping organisations respond to these evolving needs.

View our OSGeo service provider profile

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Why the move is straightforward

Migrating from proprietary GIS software to open source is easier than it looks.

Most municipal and enterprise GIS shops already think in layers, feature classes, domains, and map documents. Those ideas translate directly. AustralGIS handles the translation: we inventory your current proprietary GIS software and file geodatabases, rebuild the data model in PostGIS, restyle projects in QGIS, and publish the same layers through GeoServer so staff and the public keep working — without a new license bill.

Your symbology, forms, and attribute schemas are mapped, not discarded.
Field crews can keep collecting — QField replaces Collector / Field Maps where you want them to.
Web maps and dashboards stay live because GeoServer speaks the same WMS and WFS your portals already consume.
You own the data. No vendor lock-in, no per-seat surprise at renewal.

Why the transition is demystified

The reasons to stay are real. So are the answers.

When a proprietary GIS platform is deeply embedded in an organization, the case for keeping it usually comes down to a familiar list: operational continuity, service disruption, financial impact, staff productivity, institutional knowledge, security, and regulatory compliance. Each is a legitimate concern. None of them is a reason to stay locked in forever. AustralGIS addresses every one of them with a measured, documented migration approach — assessment, phased migration, interoperability, training, documentation, security review, and tailored implementation.

We do not rip and replace. We assess, pilot, and migrate in phases so operations keep running.
Open standards keep your new stack talking to the systems you already have.
You own the data and the architecture — no recurring per-seat license, no vendor lock-in.

The justification, and our response

Every reason to keep proprietary software, answered.

The table below matches each common justification for retaining costly proprietary GIS software with the AustralGIS open-source response. These are migration solutions and assessments — a practical path, not a blanket guarantee that every system or regulatory requirement is automatically satisfied. Each engagement is scoped to your infrastructure and your compliance obligations.

Reason given to stay	AustralGIS open-source response
Operational continuity The software is deeply embedded in workflows and integrated systems; replacing it would require reengineering.	Assessment & phased migration. We inventory every embedded workflow and integration first, then stand up the open-source equivalent (QGIS, PostGIS, GeoServer) alongside the existing system and migrate in phases — so operations keep running throughout.
Disruption to services The software supports critical business functions; replacing it could cause downtime and service delays.	Interoperability & parallel running. Open standards (WMS, WFS, WMTS) let the new stack publish the same services your portals and applications already consume, so cutover happens with minimal downtime and no service gap.
Financial impact Transitioning would incur substantial costs: licensing, implementation, training, and data migration.	Total-cost assessment & no per-seat licensing. Open source removes recurring license fees. We scope implementation, training, and data migration upfront so the cost is predictable — and typically far lower over the term than staying on proprietary licensing.
Organizational risk Staff are trained on the current system; a change would cause productivity loss and require retraining.	Training & coaching. Hands-on sessions and side-by-side coaching during a real migration project let staff build confidence on QGIS and PostGIS before the legacy system is retired — so productivity dips are short and recoverable.
Loss of institutional knowledge Customizations and workflows developed over time may be lost in a transition.	Documentation & workflow rebuild. Customizations, forms, and long-developed workflows are documented and rebuilt as QGIS projects, PostGIS schemas, and processing models — preserved and made maintainable, not discarded.
Compliance and security The current system meets applicable security and privacy standards; a new system would require a full review.	Security review. We conduct a security and compliance review of the open-source architecture — cloud hosting, access control, backups, and encryption — against your applicable standards, and document the findings before cutover.
Compliance gaps Ensuring new software meets privacy and regulatory standards (e.g., FOIPPA) would require significant review.	Tailored implementation & regulatory assessment. Privacy and regulatory requirements are assessed up front, and the deployment is tailored — data residency, hosting, access roles, and audit logging — to meet them. Where a requirement needs validation, we scope that as a defined step, not an assumption.

Reason given to stay

Operational continuity

The software is deeply embedded in workflows and integrated systems; replacing it would require reengineering.