Cadcorp SIS
UK desktop, web and server GIS from Cadcorp, now part of NEC Software Solutions UK
Quick Overview
| Company | NEC Software Solutions UK Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | GIS Software |
| Headquarters | Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom (Europe, outside the EU) |
| Data Location | Customer-chosen deployment |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes - desktop and server products |
| Main Features | SIS Desktop, SIS WebMap, GeognoSIS web services, over 300 spatial data formats including PostGIS, Oracle and SQL Server, Ordnance Survey support, buffering, Thiessen polygons, contouring, routing networks, time-series export to video |
| Pricing | Pricing on request |
| Best For | UK public safety, local government and utilities teams that want a commercial desktop GIS |
| Replaces | ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Server |
Detailed Review
Cadcorp's family consists of SIS Desktop for editing and analysis, SIS WebMap for browser delivery and GeognoSIS for geospatial web services. The product pages describe SIS Desktop as working much like Microsoft Office, with a backstage view and a recent-maps list.
The cadcorp.com address now redirects its company pages to NEC Software Solutions, whose news item announces its acquisition of Cadcorp, and the help site carries the NEC Software Solutions UK Limited copyright.
Analysis in the desktop product
The site lists buffering, Thiessen polygons, grid analysis, contour mapping, flowline generation, clustering and hotspot mapping. Network topology supports routing analysis with cost-of-travel expressions, and a temporal control bar exports time series to video.
Interactive PDF maps with layer control can be published.
Data connections
Cadcorp says SIS Desktop reaches more than 300 formats, with PostGIS, Oracle and SQL Server out of the box, and supports Ordnance Survey data.
Who sells it now
NEC Software Solutions UK Limited is registered in England and Wales (company 968498) with a Hemel Hempstead address. Its sector pages for public safety, local government and housing now carry the geospatial products.
Limitations to Consider
Pricing is not published, and no open-source licence is mentioned, unlike with QGIS. Since the NEC acquisition, the vendor is no longer an independent British firm, and the contracting party is a UK entity, outside the EU. Our review covers the vendor pages only, not hands-on testing.
Who Should Use Cadcorp SIS
UK-based public bodies and utilities that want a supported commercial GIS from a UK-registered supplier.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Complete desktop, web and server family
- Wide format and database support
- Ordnance Survey data supported
- Routing and network analysis tools
- UK-registered supplier
Cons
- No published pricing
- No open-source option
- Owned by NEC since the acquisition
- Not an EU entity
Alternatives to Cadcorp SIS
Other European gis software worth comparing before you decide:
GeoSolutions
Italy · Support and web mapping software around GeoServer and MapStore
Mapbender
Germany · MIT-licensed WebGIS that publishes maps from one installation
disy Cadenza
Germany · Reporting, analytics and map views for public-sector data
QGIS
Switzerland · Open-source desktop GIS run by a Swiss association
See all European gis software or compare them directly against ArcGIS Pro on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
NEC Software Solutions UK, whose news page is headed as announcing its acquisition of Cadcorp.
Cadcorp lists PostGIS, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server among its out-of-the-box connections.
No. No open-source licence is mentioned on the product pages; for open source see QGIS or Mapbender.