Why the Switch?
InstantAtlas was acquired by Esri UK some time ago. As a result, the product’s strategic direction changed significantly, and the licensing model was completely overhauled. The new pricing structure, in particular, makes public dashboard publishing on websites much more expensive and complicated.
For many existing users, this means that previously published dashboards can only remain publicly accessible with considerable financial and administrative effort. A simple, transparent solution for hosting open data dashboards is hardly feasible under the current model.
These developments starkly contrast with the public sector’s aim to make data accessible, low-threshold, and barrier-free. While InstantAtlas has long been a powerful tool for map-based dashboards, some structural and technological limitations have become increasingly apparent:
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On-Premise Infrastructure: Many InstantAtlas implementations run on server installations within each authority. This leads to maintenance overhead, upgrade cycles, and reliance on local IT resources.
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Unreliable Data Structures: InstantAtlas primarily imports CSV, Excel (XLS/XLSX), or XML/JSON files. These formats are prone to formatting errors and inconsistent structures, making automated data processing difficult. Especially with CSV and Excel, the lack of standardized data typing leads to error-prone imports. XML and JSON offer more structure but are storage-heavy, slow to process, and lack integrated features for version control, data validation, or metadata handling.
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Limited Flexibility: Visual design and interactivity are constrained by the platform. Delivering a modern user experience or mobile responsiveness is difficult.
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Fragmented Usage: As InstantAtlas adoption reports show, procurement and implementation are usually handled locally. There’s a lack of national frameworks or central service models – with the exception of the Urban Audit project by the KOSIS association.
The Case for AWS QuickSight
As a cloud-native solution, AWS QuickSight offers key advantages:
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Scalability & Performance: Dashboards remain high-performing regardless of user volume or data size.
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Easy Integration: QuickSight connects seamlessly to existing data sources like Amazon RDS, S3, or external APIs – making automation and data updates significantly easier.
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Interactive Dashboards: Filterable charts, drill-down functionality, and mobile optimization come standard.
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Security & GDPR Compliance: With data hosting in the EU and granular user permissions, QuickSight can be deployed in a data protection-compliant way. The new AWS European Sovereign Cloud, located in Brandenburg, will further support this in the future.
A Use Case: Rethinking Public Health Reporting
Public health reporting – one of the main use cases for InstantAtlas – particularly benefits from this shift. State health authorities currently operate InstantAtlas-based dashboards to visualize regional indicators on morbidity, healthcare infrastructure, and prevention (e.g., the NRW Health Report).
Switching to QuickSight opens up new opportunities:
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Modern Look & Feel: QuickSight dashboards offer a clean, professional appearance on both desktop and mobile. The intuitive interface allows even non-technical users to navigate data easily.
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AI-Driven Innovation: The integration of the AI agent Amazon Q enables users to query data using natural language. For example: “How has the frequency of diabetes diagnoses among people aged 65+ changed over the past ten years in this administrative district?” – users receive instant, insightful visual answers.
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Data-Driven Interactivity: Instead of static charts, users can interact dynamically – filtering by time, region, or age group – without needing technical knowledge or additional tools.
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Real-Time Updates: Especially valuable in crisis situations (e.g., COVID-19), dashboards can reflect live data immediately, enabling informed decisions in real time.
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Seamless Integration into Open Data Portals: With public embedding capabilities, QuickSight dashboards can easily be integrated into existing websites and portals, improving accessibility and visibility for both experts and the general public.
How to Approach the Transition
Naturally, the transition is not trivial. In addition to the technical migration, several organizational aspects must be addressed:
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Data Modeling: Existing datasets must be restructured and optimized for use in QuickSight.
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Role and Permission Concepts: QuickSight’s granular access controls need to be aligned with public sector requirements.
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Training & Change Management: Staff in statistics or health departments need proper onboarding to use the new platform effectively.
Conclusion: More Than a Tool Swap – A Strategic Leap
The move from InstantAtlas to AWS QuickSight is more than just a technical change – it represents a strategic evolution toward standardized, cloud-based, and interoperable data platforms. This aligns perfectly with Germany’s Federal Data Strategy and public sector digitalization goals.
It’s not just about replacing what already exists – it’s about unlocking new potential: interactive dashboards, real-time data, AI-driven analytics with Amazon Q, and seamless integration into public portals. All of this opens up entirely new possibilities for data-driven communication in public health.
Still Using InstantAtlas?
Now is the perfect time to explore the possibilities of a modern, future-proof setup.
We can support you with:
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A systematic analysis of your existing InstantAtlas landscape
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Designing a sustainable target architecture using AWS QuickSight
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Implementation support, including migration, dashboard design, and AI feature integration with Amazon Q
Talk to us – we’ll guide you on the path to your next-generation data platform.
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