The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) is a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization that provides the GIS c o m m u n i t y w i t h a c o m p l e t e certification program.

1. Do you know? When is GIS Day? GIS Certification Institute VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 04 | July 2010
GIS Day plays a powerful role in creating The GIS Certification Institute
geographic awareness throughout the world. GIS (GISCI) is a tax-exempt not-for-profit
Day provides an international forum for users of organization that provides the GIS Geographic Information Systems – An Overview
GIS technology to demonstrate real-world community with a complete The acronym GIS refers to Geographic
Information Systems .......p1
applications that make a difference in our society. certification program. GISCI offers
GIS Day is held each year in the third week of participants from the first early years
November, on the Wednesday of the Geography on the job until retirement a positive Top Five Benefits of GIS
Awareness Week, a geographic literacy initiative method of developing value for GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and
professionals and employers in the
CADDZOOM
sponsored by the National Geographic Society. almost every industry. There is ............p2
GIS Day is principally sponsored by the National GIS profession. Monthly Newsletter
Geographic Society, the Association of American GIS Application in Various Industries
Geographers the University Consortium for In energy exploration, GIS application is
Geographic Information Science, the United the primary way in which oil ............p3 your CAD / CAM highway
States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress,
Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and ESRI.
Courtesy: www.gisci.org / www.gisinindia.com/index.php?n=Learn.Career
The more modern version of GIS used precipitation at various places in the same
today emerged in the 1980s when ESRI area can be seen in the second. Through a
(Environmental Systems Research GIS analysis, patterns about elevation and
Institute) and CARIS (Computer Aided the amount of precipitation then arise.
Resource Information System) created a The use of rasters and vectors is important
Book Post commercial version of the software that to the functionality of GIS. A raster is any
incorporated the methods of CGIS, but also type of digital image, such as an aerial
included newer “second-generation” photograph. The data itself is, however,
T h e a c r o n y m G I S r e f e r s t o techniques. Since then it has undergone a
Geographic Information Systems – a number of technological updates, making it
tool that allows geographers and an efficient mapping and informational
analysts to visualize data in several tool.
different ways in order to see patterns and
depicted as rows and columns of cells with
each cell having a single value. This data is
then transferred into GIS for use in
making maps and other projects.
relationships in a given area or subject. A common type of raster data in GIS is
These patterns generally appear on maps
How Does GIS Work? called the Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
If undelivered, please return to: but they can also be found on globes or in and is simply a digital representation of
reports and charts. GIS systems are used in GIS is important today because it can bring topography or terrain.
cartography, remote sensing, land together information from multiple sources A vector is the most common way of
s u r v e y i n g , u t i l i t y m a n a g e m e n t , so that various types of work can be done. showing data in GIS. In ESRI's version of
photogrammetry, geography, urban In order to do this though, the data must be GIS, called ArcGIS, vectors are referred to
planning, emergency management, tied to a specific location on the Earth's as shapefiles and are made up of points,
navigation, and localized search engines. surface. Latitude and longitude are usually
lines, and polygons. In GIS, a point is the
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GIS Geographic Information Systems
used for this and the locations to be viewed
– An Overview
location of a feature on the geographic
The first truly operational GIS emerged in are attached to their points on the grid, such as a fire hydrant. A line is used
Ottawa, Ontario in 1962 and this was geographic grid. to show linear features like a road or river
Mechanical CADD developed by Roger Tomlinson of Canada's and a polygon is a two-dimensional
Master Diploma in Pro/E Department of Forestry and Rural In order to then do an analysis, another set feature that shows an area on the earth's
Development in an effort to use map of data is layered on top of the first one to surface such as the property boundaries
overlays for analysis of various areas in show spatial patterns and relationships. For around a university. Of the three, points
Architectural CADD / Civil CADD Canada. This early version was called example, elevation at specific locations can show the least amount of information and
Master Diploma in Building Design & Modeling CGIS. show up in the first layer and then rates of polygons, the most.
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2. CADDZOOM July 2010 CADDZOOM July 2010
The TIN or Triangulated Irregular Network the status and change of geography transportation, which can optimize Technical Skills
Top Five Benefits of GIS customer satisfaction.
is a common type of vector data that is (geographic accounting). Cultural v Strong GIS skills with two or more
capable of showing elevation and other GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and geography examples are zoning, In energy pipelines, GIS
almost every industry. There is a growing GIS packages
such values that change consistently. The population census, land ownership, and applications enable petroleum
values are then connected as lines, forming interest in and awareness of the economic administrative boundaries. Physical organizations to manage data with a v Strong Macro/C/C++/Visual Basic
an irregular network of triangles to and strategic values of GIS, in part because geography examples include forest geographic component. With the help of programming skills
represent the land's surface on a map. of more standards-based technology and inventories, biological inventories, GIS applications, the pipeline operator is v Understanding of and/or willing to
greater awareness of the benefits environmental measurements, water flows, provided with better capability to manage
In addition, GIS is capable of translating a learn math and statistical analysis
demonstrated by GIS users. The number of and a whole host of geographic the integrity of the pipeline.
raster to a vector in order to make analysis GIS enterprise solutions and IT strategies v Strong Oracle or related RDBMS skills
and data processing easier. GIS does this by accountings. to communicate. These products provide a
that include GIS are growing rapidly. The including development skills
creating lines along the raster cells that benefits of GIS generally fall into five basic GIS provides a strong framework for visual framework for conceptualizing,
have the same classification to create a managing these types of systems with full understanding, and prescribing action. v Excellent verbal/written
categories:
vector system of points, lines, and polygons transaction support and reporting tools. Examples include briefings about various communication skills
which make up the features shown on the 1. Cost savings resulting from These systems are conceptually similar to geographic patterns and relationships v Genuinely excited and enthusiastic
map. greater efficiency. These are associated other information systems in that they deal including land use, crime, the about learning and pushing technical
either with carrying out the mission (i.e., with data management and transactions, as environment, and defense/security limits/finding new solutions
labor savings from automating or well as standardized reporting (e.g., maps) situations. GIS is increasingly being
The Three GIS Views improving a workflow) or with of changing information. However, they implemented as enterprise information I n f o r e s t r y, i n I n d i a , G I S v Good writing skills – for
improvements in the mission itself. systems. Geography is emerging as a new applications are an indispensable documentation, training, processes
are fundamentally different because of the
v The first view is the database view. This 2. Better decision making. This way to organize and manage method by means of which the total forest
unique data models and hundreds of v Formal training (e.g., Degree) or high
consists of the “geodatabase,” otherwise typically has to do with making better organizations. Just like enterprise-wide area is measured. Digital mapping has
specialized tools used in supporting GIS level of experience with GIS
known as the data storage structure for decisions about location. Common financial systems transformed the way brought about a revolutionary change in
applications and workflows.
ArcGIS. Here, data is stored in tables, is organizations were managed in the 1960s, v “Hands-on” experience
examples include real-estate site selection, GIS. The rudimentary method of
easily accessed, and can be managed 5. Managing geographically. In
route/corridor selection, zoning, planning, 1970s, and 1980s, GIS is transforming the depending on paper maps has changed and v Hands-on” experience
and manipulated to fit the terms of the government and many large corporations,
conservation, natural resource extraction, way organizations manage their assets, currently one depends on digital maps,
work being done. GIS is becoming essential to understand v Good analytical/problem-solving skills
and so on. People are beginning to realize serve their customers/citizens, make which in fact have been playing a
what is happening. Senior administrators
that making the correct decision about a decisions, and communicate. significant role in the monitoring and v A basic understanding of the concepts
v The second view is the map view and is and executives at the highest levels of
location is strategic to the success of an management of the forests. behind data management in a
the most familiar to many people government use GIS information products GIS Application in Various relational database
organization. In real estate, GIS applications are
because it is essentially what many see Industries
in terms of GIS products. 3. Improved communication. GIS- v used extensively by decision makers and v Good IT technical skills
based maps and visualizations greatly assist e In energy exploration, GIS managers of real-estate enterprises in site v The ability to think and solve
c customers
in understanding situations and application is the primary way in which selection for their projects. Urbanization is
v The final GIS view is the model view t problems
storytelling. They are a new language that o oil potentiality in suitable locations is the order of the day and in order to build an
which consists of tools that can draw streets
improves communication between r evaluated. This service has become efficient urban structure, the infrastructure
new geographic information from
different teams, departments, disciplines, indispensable for petroleum industries to needs to be properly planned, designed,
existing datasets. These functions then parcels
professional fields, organizations, and the stay ahead in the competition with regard and maintained. GIS applications in real
combine the data and create a model
public. r to the discovery of new sources of estate have increased the scope and access
that can provide answers for projects. a elevation petroleum. It is with the help of GIS to a variety of information regarding land.
4. Better geographic information s
applications that large petroleum
recordkeeping. Many organizations t With the increase in the volume of the data
e land usage
companies select the most suitable sites for collected by various organizations, the
have the primary responsibility of r their retail outlets by evaluating the
maintaining authoritative records about requirement to manage and distribute
information on demography and these data effectively arises.
real world Governments are generally the biggest employer of GIS professionals in a
“
country. Most GIS programs are directly or indirectly funded by government
efforts. Several other companies engage in consulting who provide services to
The number of GIS enterprise the private sector as well as to the government. Software development
companies also employ GIS professionals for development of GIS software
products. Careers in GIS come under the following three broad categories:
solutions and IT strategies that v GIS Technician: Involved in data conversion, digitizing, data processing
v GIS Analyst/GIS Specialist/GIS Consultant: Performs spatial analysis and
include GIS are growing rapidly data management
Career in GIS
”
v GIS Developer: Develops software, writes and tests code
Courtesy: www.gisdevelopment.net