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Overviewof GIS Software and

Products
J osef Frst
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Learning objectives
In this section you will learn:
Overviewof the architecture and categories of GIS
software,
Criteria for selection of a GIS and
Overviewof available geodata and services
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Outline
Introduction
GIS technology
Avaliability of geodata
Services
Summary
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Introduction
Market is almost overwhelming
On one side a concentration on fewdominant
products is observed,
But also many newproducts (add-ons)
Up-to-date information on WWW
www.zgis.at
www.geobranchen.de
www.geoinformatik.uni-rostock.de
www.gisportal.com
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GIS technology
Development of GIS technology is closely related to
general development of IT
Hardware: generally increased power of computers;
esp. also peripherals for data acquisition and
presentation
3-layer-architecture
Integrated application
User interface
Tools
Data management
Geodata server
Client application
User interface
Tools
Data management
Network
Application server
Browser
User interface
Tools
Data management
Network
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GIS technology
System categories and howthey work together
GIS-Server / Geodata-Server / Map Server
Universal-GIS
High-End GIS
Desktop-GIS Web GIS
Specialized
GIS-
Applications
Network
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GIS technology
Characterization of GIS software categories
Category Products
(Examples)
Application areas Functionality Prize (approximatel y)
Universal-GIS
High-End- GIS
ArcGIS, SICAD,
Smallworld,
Intergraph MGE
Headquarters of utility
companies, land register
(cadastre), surveying,
community administration
Complete: aquisition,
management of large
data bases, analysis,
presentation
>50.000 EUR
Desktop-GIS ArcView, Intergraph
Geomedia,
MapInfo
Operative staff in
communities, companies,
nearly complete,
average data volumes
<5.000 EUR
Web-GIS ArcView IMS,
Autodesk Map
Guide, GeoMedia
Webmap
Administrators, operators,
public information systems
limited, presentation,
little analysis
Server: some 1.000 EUR
Geodata server ArcIMS, GeoMedia
Web Server, Arc
SDE
Data administrators, data
developers
Management of large
data bases, spatial
query
some 10.000 EUR
Specialized GIS-
applications
GMS, WMS
MapWindow
e.g. Hydrological modelling
packages with integrated
GIS functionality (often
DEM), DSS
narrow, but well
adapted to a specific
problem
0 to some 10.000 EUR
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Availability of geodata
Data are the most important part of GIS
lifetimeof hardware 3-5 y, software 10 y, many basic
data 50 (?) y
Increasing availability of geodata
Topographic maps, road data, digital orthophotos,
demographic data
New techniques of acquisition like mobile GPS-based
mapping, digitale photogrammetry and satellite and
airborne remote sensing
EU initiatives, ESDI
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Availability of geodata
Hydrological atlasses
Availability of digital drainage networks in Europe
RUS
KAZ
TUR
UKR
FRA
IRQ
ESP
FIN
SWE
MAR
DEU
ITA
POL
NOR
BLR
ROM
SYR
GBR
TUN
ISL
BGR
PRT
HUN
GRC
JOR
AUT
IRL
SRB
AZE
CZE
LTU
GEO
LVA
BIH
HRV
SVK
EST
CHE
ISR
NLD
BEL
MDA
ALB
ARM
DNK
MON
LBN
CYP
LUX
MLT
MCO
Rivers and lakes at
scale 200 000 or better
100 % of country area
>50%
Legend:
0 200400600800 Kilometers
<50% of country area
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Services
Software development, adaptation, maintenance
Development of interfaces, digitizing, scanning,
vektorisation, data collection, database design,
surveying, field data collection, consulting, training
Data conversion, hydraulic networks, satellite image
processing, georeferencing, distribution of GIS data,
3D visualization, Internet-GIS
Large bandwidth: surveyors, software companies,
consulting firms in water landscape planning
externalised GIS-services
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Summary
GIS software is the foundation of GIS application.
Three layer architecture (data management, tools and
user interface) facilitates division of work
Current development towards distributed GIS
Increasing availability of GIS based data. Many
datasets free of cost (or lowcost) for regional
investigations
Market for GIS software, geodata and a wide range of
services