EarthCape (Finland)

EarthCape is a Finnish software company based in Helsinki that develops a biodiversity database platform and enterprise applications for collection management. Its product is aimed at research groups, natural history museums, field stations, botanical gardens and protected areas, and is designed to support both digitisation projects and ongoing scientific collection workflows. The platform is presented as an enterprise solution that combines desktop and web access, allowing institutions to manage specimen and observation data across departments, projects and individual users. The core of the offering is a highly customizable framework. Users can create and design forms with a few clicks, apply changes at any level, and customize Windows and web user interfaces separately. The system supports rapid data entry and digitisation, a barcode label designer, built-in desktop GIS for field data, and integration with molecular laboratory workflows. It is intended to let curators and researchers work in the way that suits their collections rather than forcing a single rigid process. EarthCape provides both a Windows client application and a web client. The desktop client can connect to a local or remote database server, either directly or through the EarthCape Application Server, while the web client offers browser-based access with most functionality retained, including editing of all data types. The application server acts as a database proxy service and supports multiple database back-ends, including MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite and other standard engines. Role-based security and fine-grained permissions control access at table, record and field level, and public access can be granted through defined roles. The company also offers a molecular laboratory module for ecologists and museums. This includes a laboratory notebook, PCR and sequencing run tracking, and barcode label printing, integrated with the collections platform. EarthCape has been associated with digitisation work such as the KEW Digitisation Project, indicating use in major botanical and museum digitisation efforts. Its positioning is that of a specialist enterprise software provider for biodiversity and collection data, rather than a consumer or general-purpose database vendor.

EarthCape is a company based in Helsinki, Finland, according to its Wikidata entry. It operates in the niche of biodiversity informatics and collection management software. Its platform has been used in digitisation projects such as the KEW Digitisation Project, which is referenced on the company's website as an example of its desktop and web client deployment. The company's product development has focused on combining a customizable database framework with tools specific to natural history collections. The platform supports rapid data entry and digitisation, barcode label design, desktop GIS for field data, and integration with molecular laboratory workflows. It offers both Windows and web clients, with an application server that supports multiple database back-ends including MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle and SQLite. EarthCape's approach emphasizes flexibility: forms can be created and modified with few clicks, changes can be applied at any level, and Windows and web user interfaces can be customized separately. This is intended to allow curators and researchers to adapt the system to their own processes. The company also provides a molecular laboratory module for ecologists and museums, covering laboratory notebooks, PCR and sequencing runs, and barcode label printing. As of the available evidence, EarthCape remains an active private company. No founding date, founder names, ownership structure, or financial details are provided in the supplied sources.

Enterprise software for biodiversity data and collection management, emphasizing customization, rapid digitisation, and integration of field, collection and molecular laboratory workflows.

• Biodiversity Database Platform

  Enterprise solution for research groups, natural history museums, field stations, botanical gardens and protected areas, supporting collection management and digitisation.

• Enterprise applications for Windows and Web

  Full data entry capabilities on both platforms, with a Windows client and a web client that retains most functionality, including editing of all data types.

• Molecular Laboratory for Ecologists and Museums

  Laboratory notebook, PCR and sequencing runs, and barcode label printing, integrated with collections.

• Unique Customizable Framework

  Create and design forms with few clicks, apply changes at any level, customize Windows and web UI separately, and change UI on the fly across all users.

• Application Server

  Database proxy service application supporting multiple database back-ends including MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite and nine other database servers.

1. 1Home - EarthCapeearthcape.com
2. 2EarthCape (Finland) - Wikidatawikidata.org