GIS WebTech Announces Launch of GURU Ecosystem

The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) has launched a powerful new statewide resource: GURU Ecosystem, built on GIS WebTech's industry-leading GURU platform.

This interactive, map-based tool that EDPA customized as the EDPA Industrial Directory goes far beyond a traditional business directory. GURU Ecosystem allows users to search, filter, and visualize Alabama's business ecosystem, making it easier to identify key networks, clusters, and suppliers critical to relocation and expansion decisions.

A Collaborative Statewide Effort

One of the most innovative features of Alabama's GURU Ecosystem is its collaborative design. Every economic development organization in the state has access to the platform, empowering them to upload and maintain their own business listings. These local listings automatically roll up to the statewide tool, creating a comprehensive, real-time view of Alabama's ecosystem assets.

This ensures that local knowledge is captured, up-to-date, and available at the state level, allowing EDPA and its partners to present the full scope of Alabama's business capabilities to prospective companies.

Why It Matters

With GURU Ecosystem, EDPA and its partners can:

• Pinpoint business clusters and supplier networks with precision
• Provide advanced filtering by NAICS, certifications, and capabilities
• Empower local EDOs to manage and share listings
• Respond more effectively to the needs of relocation and expansion clients

Lauren Hyde, Executive Director of the Alabama Business Intelligence Center at EDPA, shared why this project matters:

"We needed a better solution than starting lists from scratch and multiple Excel sheets. GURU Ecosystem has already helped us save time while giving us more functionality with mapping and data layers. Onboarding has been easy because the UI/UX is SO intuitive. We see it as a win-win for EDPA and our EDO partners, and we appreciate the partnership with GIS WebTech."

Beyond Alabama: Broader Use Cases

While EDPA's deployment showcases GURU Ecosystem at the statewide level, the platform has far-reaching applications for economic development:

• Tech Ecosystem Development - nurture and track your region's startup and innovation community, highlighting founders, investors, and support organizations.
• Small Business Support - centralize data on local businesses, helping EDOs, chambers, and small business centers promote visibility, track growth, and connect resources.
• Industry-Specific Clusters - from agritourism to advanced manufacturing, GURU Ecosystem can map and connect specialized industries that drive local economies.
• Chambers & Membership Organizations - streamline business directories and member management with a tool that integrates seamlessly into existing workflows.

We're excited to partner with EDPA on this forward-looking initiative and proud to support their mission of driving economic growth and opportunity across Alabama.

To learn more, please visit https://giswebtech.com/solutions-ecosystem or request a demo with our CEO, Ron Bertasi.