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A
GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing,
analyzing, and displaying geographically-referenced information;
that is, data that can be tied to some specific location.
Any information that has position, size, or shape is known
as spatial data. Generally this refers to land-related
information, such as property details, man-made structures,
natural resources, the environment, land use, civil infrastructure,
and demographics.
The potential content, however, is almost endless. The
power of GIS lies in the ability to visualize and analyze
database information in a spatial environment. The results
typically appear as data that may be presented as a map
though this in not always the case.
While GIS and related technologies have been around for
some decades, it is only with the development of more
powerful computers and more intuitive interfaces that
they are finally coming into the mainstream. An increasing
volume of data that can be tied to geographic location
is available for populating a GIS. While natural resource
disciplines have historically been the principle users
of these tools, they are now being applied to a wide range
of areas including:
• Emergency
services
• Facilities management
• DOD and Intelligence issues
• Human health and medical analysis
• Transportation
• Business marketing and analysis
GIS technologies are growing in use and utility. Newer
tools are being integrated into the technology infrastructure
of large organizations and increasingly employees from
a variety of disciplines are being asked to learn about
GIS and its related technologies. Entire workforces are
requiring significant retraining not only in the software,
but in the underlying principles of spatial data and analysis.
Consistent, effective training programs do not yet exist
for this segment of the marketplace.
GIS FAQ
GIS Resources |
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Publicly
available federal geospatial information of little
unique use to terrorists, RAND study finds
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ESRI becomes
the first software vendor to participate in the General
Services Administration SmartBuy
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URISA
launches the The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) and
its GIS Certification Program
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