What Is GIS? Geographical Information Systems?
The term GIS stands for Geographical Information System. A GIS is a specialized piece of software that displays maps and generally allows points or areas of interest to be plotted against the map. Advanced GIS packages may allow a variety of geospatial analysis to be performed.
GIS packages were once the domain of scientists, but with the advances in personal computing and satellite mapping, systems which once cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars have been replaced with those that cost relatively little. There are even free GIS packages, and some federal governments (such as the United States) make digital maps available to the general public for little or no cost.
Because of the significant decrease in cost, GIS packages are used in a variety of disciplines. Any business or organization that uses maps for analysis of any collected data could benefit from a GIS. Some examples are: demographic analysis for marketing campaigns; demographic analysis for governance; forestry; ecology and environmental protection; and emergency services.
These are just a few uses of GIS, with the number of applications growing. Thus, the ability to use GIS software might one day become a requirement in many jobs, just like the ability to use a word processor is standard for anyone who uses a computer in their daily work.
While many desktop-based GIS packages are still very large and complex pieces of software, companies like Google have release fast online mapping services like Google Maps. Google Maps and other similar services also have an API (Application Programmer Interface) that allow you to incorporate their mapping and features into your own web-based software. Such services are a great a way to familiarize yourself with GIS and digital mapping in general.
This is just a brief introduction into GIS. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to drop a comment. As usual, I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion.
(c) Copyright 2006-present, Raj Kumar Dash, http://geoplotting.blogspot.com/
Technorati Tags: technobabble, techno babble, GIS, geographical information systems, digital mapping
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May 17th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
[…] Let me give you an example. Back in the early 1990s, I returned to college to finish my degree, then start on a Master’s. The Master’s research I was doing was on new approaches to GIS (Geographical Information Systems) packages. I leveraged my research by writing a lay article on GIS for the university’s student newspaper. (No pay, but that and other volunteer articles later got me a one-semester part-time staff writer job.) […]
June 10th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
[…] Personally, I was thinking of a different solution, one that involves GPS and GIS. My idea would be to enable VoIP phones with a GPS chip. Electronic-privacy advocates might flinch at the ability of some third-party service to know where you are at all times. So I’m suggesting that this be a chip that can be enabled and disabled on demand. When a special 911 button is pressed, the GPS capabilities kick in, and a monitoring service picks up the signal via satellite. (When the call is over, the GPS turns off.) […]
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:09 am
sir can i get one example of GIS!!!!!if you agree sir please sent it to my e-mail add for the purpose of my project