Geographic information systems (GIS) help visualize location data through digital maps and charts. GIS has its origins in maps from Babylonian times but the first true GIS was created in 1962 in Ottawa, Canada. Today, GIS is widely used in business and everyday life through applications like Google Maps. GIS represents data through raster grids and vector shapes and allows analysis of issues by integrating location data with other data sets. Businesses can use GIS to analyze factors affecting their customer base or make decisions based on spatial patterns in measurable characteristics.