GIS Industry Overview: Business Segments and Opportunities
Data Side
The most important component of Geographic Information Systems is its requirement for spatial data.
Spatial data is any kind of information that has been collected, compiled, or processed with a spatial
component, that is, a tie to a geographic location on the surface of the Earth. It so happens that this is a
large segment of the spatial industry, often consuming an appreciable portion of dollars assigned to GIS
implementation projects. Spatial data management is increasingly a consideration in any information
management system (IMS) due to the fact that large amounts of data are being collected with spatial
components. Businesses and government organizations are realizing that a traditional IMS does not allow
an organization to leverage the value of spatial information inherent in their data. This has led to the
development of software tools as extensions to commercial Data Management Systems (DMS) that allow
for better storage, manipulation, and query of spatial data.
Considering the importance of quality spatial data, there are a number of operations that play important
roles in the GIS Industry:
Data collection and extraction
There are a great number of sources for spatial data and, thereby, a large variety of collection systems.
Organizations involved in primary data development utilize a number of technologies to gather unique, and
typically current, spatial data. These may include aerial photography and satellite imagery, specialized
sensors and metering systems such as stream flow monitors, human surveys by the Census Bureau, or
customer information collected by supermarkets and businesses.
The fact that spatial information is collected does not necessarily entail its usability in a GIS. There is often
some level of extraction or processing of relevant information to get data into a desired format or category.
For example, satellite imagery provides an exceptional source of information for current conditions at a
given location on the surface of the earth. If the topic of analysis is transportation related it may be
necessary to extract a transportation network, roads, railroads, and canals, from the imagery. This is not a
simple or easy process and is prone to significant quantitative and qualitative error. A noteworthy problem
in this area is a lack of national and international standards for this process. This issue is being addressed
however.
There are a great number of government and commercial organizations that specialize in the collection and
processing of primary spatial data. Aerial photography has been collected, by the USGS for example, for
decades and there is a substantial infrastructure in place dealing with this data source. High resolution
satellite imagery as collected by Space Imaging, L.P., of Thornton Colorado, and a number of other firms
in the near future, will provide a great deal of data for international sites that were previously unavailable
on the open market. This provides a significant international market opportunity, especially in support of
international Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’s).
In short, the US market has been well represented by quality spatial data while much of the international
market has been significantly impoverished.
Data conversion and compilation
New collection systems are not the only source for spatial data. There is a great volume of data existing in
map libraries and historical data sets and archives that are utilized in Geographic Information Systems.
They provide a valuable secondary source of spatial information and a significant sector of the spatial
information market. The most relevant example of such sources is the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle maps
covering the US. This is a systematically compiled, high quality map collection that provides a valuable
source of base map information for a broad selection of GIS application areas. Attractive aspects of the data
set are the uniform system of collection, established standards of quality, and regular and systematic
process for updating.
As with satellite imagery, the fact of the existence of such data sets does not mean they are immediately
useable in a GIS. Paper maps must be converted to a digital format that is then populated with appropriate
descriptive or attribute information before their value can be realized. This is referred to in the industry as
digitizing and is a highly labor intensive process as few quality automated systems have been developed for
this operation. Digitizing existing data sets is essential to getting existing information into a format that
allows for spatial analysis and query in a digital environment. Again, there are a great number of quality
issues involved in this process. The fact that the map base was systematically compiled is a significant
benefit.
There is a great volume of spatial data that is currently available in a digital format. This does not
necessarily indicate that it is immediately available for use by organizations in the pursuit of their tasks.
Data may come from a variety of sources and in a variety of formats such that a great deal of processing is
required to convert and compile it into a useable form. For instance, a customer information system may
include data fields recording street address information. If it is desired to analyze customer characteristics
or habits in a spatial context there is a need for converting that street address, typically a text string, into a
point on a map. This requires a highly accurate street network with comprehensive addressing information.
The problem can be further complicated if spatial data from other sources is going to be sought and
synthesized.
Most implementations of GIS at an organizational scale involve a great deal of effort in collecting and
compiling a useable spatial data set. The requirements and sources will depend on the tasks at hand and
existence of suitable information. Again, this process involves a well-established commercial base and
significant efforts by the federal government. As older datasets are converted and newer ones are compiled
in digital and spatially enabled formats this segment of the industry will decline in relevance.
Data management and integration
Spatial information comes from a variety of sources, in a broad range of often-proprietary formats and is
contained in a number of frequently incompatible data management systems. This is particularly the case in
government organizations that have historically had specialized systems developed for dealing with
information they are mandated to collect and maintain. Due to resource limitations and the rate of advances
in technology they are left with a plethora of data sets maintained in obsolete and incompatible specialized
systems. Given the vast sources, formats, and systems for dealing with spatial information, this leads to
significant needs in the field of data management and systems integration.
Databases must be established that maintain the spatial integrity of data. Data from different sources often
requires processing to create a cohesive data set that coincides spatially and minimizes errors in coordinate
systems or conversions. The establishment of SOP’s for adding to or changing foundation data is vital to
maintaining a quality data implementation.
System Side
While becoming less of a concern considering the competency of modern IMS and the interconnectedness
of modern computer platforms, the system side of GIS is still a very significant issue. GIS has specific
hardware and software requirements, out of the box most commercial GIS applications will interface with
only selected IMS. Spatial data have unique issues related to their use and management that contribute to
the issue of system implementation. A broad integration of GIS into an organizational setting needs to take
these issues into consideration along with the special circumstances of the programs seeking support.
Organizational integration and training
Government, at all levels, and commercial businesses collect and manage information that has spatial
components. Typically, this information is not maintained in a spatially enabled manner and is thereby not
utilized efficiently or effectively in decision-making processes. All levels of government; local, state or
federal, can use GIS technology in virtually every department or agency. This is due to the fact that the
topics of their attention are related to jurisdiction and government duties. Some applications may be
intuitive, such as natural resource management and landuse planning, since cartographic work has played a
role in these areas since their inception. Less intuitive but increasingly important uses of GIS are found in
the realm of Law Enforcement, Health Services, Insurance Analysis, Emergency Planning and Response . .
. the list continues.
The major hurdle to broad and integrated application of GIS in these organizations is a lack of
understanding with regard to what GIS is, how it can be utilized, and what benefit/roll it can play in an
organization. A major task lies in the area of demonstrating the utility and cost effectiveness of
implementing broadly applied and well integrated systems. Typically, there are examples of well integrated
GIS operations across the country to use as case studies and exemplars.
As an example, Loudon County Virginia, until fairly recently a rural county in the Washington DC suburbs,
was an early-adopter of GIS technology. In the mid 1980’s the county government, to aid in development
planning and land records management, implemented a GIS program. At this time it is recognized as one of
the top county level GIS operations in the country. Data is managed and maintained by a central office with
14 different county departments drawing on and contributing to the data system. This has truly been a great
benefit to the county as it has ranked in the 3rd and 8th place in the list of fastest growing counties in 1999
and 1998 respectively. Having the system in place has greatly aided the management of rapid urbanization
from issues of where to build new schools to what neighborhoods are going to complain about the location
of a proposed telecommunications monopole.
Organizations that are not yet using GIS but could benefit from it need insight to how it can be applied.
This involves understanding the operations of the organization, the types of issues or problems they deal
with, and the customers they serve. A great deal of communication and training is necessary to place the
“pretty map” technology in the context of powerful decision support tool.
Infrastructure implementation
This leads to the issue of system composition. A GIS operation may consist of a single laptop used for
fieldwork, a number of workstations networked together, a multi-level pan-organizational implementation
in government, or an international operation monitoring climate data. The possibilities and permutations are
as varied as the topics to which GIS can be applied. Essential equipment and software will be dictated by
the tasks at hand, as will staffing needs, and data requirements. The key, as with any technology
implementation, is getting the systems to work together effectively and in a manner that maximizes system
availability and data integrity. Modern platforms are much more conducive to a networked and integrated
environment while legacy systems may not be. This is particularly an issue with government operations.
Organizations aiming to implement or expand a GIS operation require guidance on which systems to
maintain, which to migrate, and which to replace or rebuild from the ground up. Obviously the resources
available and the budget at hand will dictate a major part of this decision process.
Software application development
As GIS is introduced to new topic areas and expands its base in existing areas of application, there is an
increasing need for specialized software development. Most commercial GIS vendors provide a
development environment for their software products that allow for the creation of specialized software
tools using GIS functionality and targeted at specific research or operational goals. The intent of such
efforts is to provide a user a simplified set of tools that allow them to perform their jobs without exposing
them to the complications of spatial data management and analysis.
This specialized tool development has resulted in GIS software applications that are designed for use
against very specific issues such as Crime Analysis and Mapping, Precision Agriculture, Logistics
Operations, or Marketing and Business Analysis. A government agency may desire the development of a
GIS based tool that allows citizens to identify the location of hazardous waste sights in their local region.
The average citizen does not need to know how the information is processed or stored; they are concerned
with the answer. A specialized tool would be developed to perform the operation with a simplified interface
and reporting system to minimize confusion on the part of the citizen. The advent of the World Wide Web
has moved a portion of this market to the Internet.
A significant portion of work in the GIS field involves this type of application development for specialized
use and accessing or analyzing unique data sets. GIS vendors are largely moving to open development
systems with specialized object sets that will allow the inclusion of spatial analysis tools with common
development platforms such as Visual Basic, C++, and Java.
Information query and distribution
One of the major goals of spatial data management and GIS integration is to leverage the spatial component
of information to improve the decision making process. Many applications of GIS involve the enabling of
data in the spatial sense, allowing for improved questioning and better answers. In most instances the
information desired by a user will only be a subset of that available. In this context a GIS query may consist
of extracting a subset of a database, defined by spatial parameters, that will then be incorporated into a
project. This involves the development and management of a system that allows a user to select specific
parameters or data sets, identify the information they require and have it delivered to them as a package.
Again, the Internet provides an ideal medium for performing this type of operation.
An application of GIS that perfectly demonstrates such an operation is the development of a GIS enabled
real estate system. This ideally would allow a real estate buyer to establish a set of criteria; house price,
school system, restaurants, public transportation, recreational facilities, etc., that would then provide them a
list of available property in a given area including maps of locations, house photos, and other relevant
information aiding them in making a decision. The technology for such an operation exists; the major
reason it is not in operation is due to resistance on the part of the industry.
A number of government organizations are developing mechanisms for distributing data in their care. The
USGS provides comprehensive data sets for the entire country via Web-based query tools. The data is not
yet provided in an integrated fashion and requires a respectable amount of knowledge and skill on the part
of the user for operational exploitation. The data and its intended use plays a major roll in the complexity of
the system, query mechanisms, and distribution avenues required.
The Applications Side
We have discussed a number of segments in the GIS industry that are integral to its operation and growth.
In the process many examples of how GIS are applied, or “Applications of GIS” (not in the software sense)
have been mentioned and discussed. GIS is a very flexible tool that is relevant to innumerable issues.
A less than exhaustive list:
•Advertising
•Air Traffic
•Agriculture
•Architecture
•Automated Mapping
•Banking
•Business
•Cadastral/Tax Mapping
•Census
•Community Development
•Construction
•Crime Analysis
•Defense
•Demographics
•Direct Marketing
•Education
•Emergency Services
•Engineering
•Environmental Management
•Epidemiology
•Facility Management
•Financial Services
•Fleet Management
•Forestry
•Health Care
•Hotel Marketing
•Insurance
•Intelligence
•Land Management
•Local Government
•Logistics
•Manufacturing
•Military/Defense
•Natural Resources
•Oil and Gas
•Pipeline
•Property Management
•Public Health
•Public Information
•Public Safety
•Public Transit
•Publishing
•Real Estate
•Redistricting
•Retail Siting
•Route Planning
•Target Marketing
•Tax Assessment
•Telecommunications
•Tourism
•Transportation
•Travel
•Trucking
•Utilities
•Water/Wastewater
•Wildlife Management
This remains a very important aspect of the industry that has not changed, and will not, despite
technological advances. GIS has its foundation in very specific, project-based applications and many of the
uses of GIS are still project or topically based.
Project Based, Applied GIS
GIS provides a powerful tool for considering problems or issues with spatial components. This leads to its
use on a project-by-project basis that aims to address and answer specific questions. As an example, when
considering water quality issues for a given region or watershed, the Chesapeake Bay perhaps, a GIS may
be developed to deal with that region or specific issue. The only data used is that which covers the area of
interest, questions asked and analysis performed are relevant to the topic and issues being investigated with
the goal of achieving some answers. Once those are determined to a satisfactory level the project may be
retired and a new region or issue may be addressed.
This will continue to be an important sector of the industry but often requires a variety of specialized skills
and knowledge on the part of the organization performing the analysis. Fundamental knowledge of GIS is
essential to the process but a detailed knowledge of the topic being investigated is equally important.
Finding professionals with both is ideal but not always possible. This is especially true when reaching into
new areas of GIS use and application. Developing a close relationship with those portions of an
organization involved in the thematic area is essential.
Research and development
GIS is a relatively new and burgeoning field. It has grown rapidly along with other sectors of the
technology industry and this trend will continue with an increasing integration of spatial data, processes,
and functionality. The industry is not yet mature and there remains a great deal of problems with the
science of the technology to be worked out. For example, temporal issues and time as a continuum are not
easily dealt with in a GIS. Most systems deal with time in the context of time slices or snapshots, in much
the same way that maps provide a single slice in time, that are outdated once collected.
Much of the research work on GIS issues is relegated to university research centers and fall into the
emerging discipline of Geographic Information Science (also known as GIS).
Conclusions
The GIS Industry covers a broad range of areas of opportunity. These will increase with time, continued
advancements in technology, greater awareness of its advantages as a powerful decision support tool, and
more availability of spatially enabled data and software.