Geospatial Data Services
The five essential components of GIS
Better information can lead to smarter decision-making. While a GIS doesn’t make decisions for you, it does support the decision-making process by providing you with a set of handy tools and resources that empower you to make better decisions.
The unbounded abilities of GIS, together with the potential its union with data analytics presents, have helped businesses save millions of dollars. The widespread usage of GIS software across several core industry applications has enabled organisations to integrate hardware, software, and data. This integration helps capture, manage, analyse, and visualise any geographically referenced information.
The applications of GIS are incredibly diverse. Today, domains like law enforcement, agriculture, meteorology, and disaster management are leveraging the power of GIS. Before we go any further, it is crucial to look at the core GIS components and its applications.The five key components of GIS
Here’s looking at the five essential components of GIS that comprise its fundamental framework: hardware, software, data, methods, and people. Together, these basic components of GIS create the foundation based on which businesses and users can effectively analyse and visualise geospatial data to address a wide range of challenges and make intelligent decisions.
- Hardware
- Software
- Data
- Methods
- People
Any device (a computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a monitor, a printer, a scanner, etc.) that stores large GIS datasets, GIS software, and applications can be referred to as the hardware. Typically, these are GIS workstations with powerful processing capacity, huge monitors, high-speed connectivity, and ample disk space for data storage.
Any program, software package, application, or solution (free or commercial) that enables a GIS user to perform essential GIS functions is called the software component. GIS programs, database management systems, and graphical user interface (GUI) apps enable users to manipulate, store, query, and analyse spatial and non-spatial data and information.
Any spatial or non-spatial information stored digitally in computers or servers can be referred to as GIS data. Such data is gathered using data collection technologies such as geospatial remote sensors and stored in a digital format for GIS users. While this process can be done in-house, some organisations prefer liaising with third-party commercial data providers or vendors for their data needs. A GIS solution helps users make sense of the data collected, and then organise it, analyse it, and use data visualisation tools to present it in the form of a map, a graph, or other informative graphics.
An integral part of the GIS framework is the various techniques used to turn data into digestible and actionable information for easy interpretation. This may include algorithms, statistics, formulas, and models that are predefined and unique to each business.
Anyone who uses a GIS falls under this category. This refers to the GIS professionals using dedicated GIS solutions or the general public accessing a digital map. It is the professionals who keep innovating and pushing the limits of what is possible in the GIS landscape in order to serve their businesses and general users better. GIS is used in almost every major industry and generates employment opportunities for a wide range of professionals, including data analysts, analytics professionals, and technical specialists who design and monitor GIS.
For organisations on the digital transformation journey, agility is key in responding to a rapidly changing technology and business landscape. Now more than ever, it is crucial to deliver and exceed on organisational expectations with a robust digital mindset backed by innovation. Enabling businesses to sense, learn, respond, and evolve like a living organism, will be imperative for business excellence going forward. A comprehensive yet modular suite of services is doing exactly that. Equipping organisations with intuitive decision-making automatically at scale, actionable insights based on real-time solutions, anytime/anywhere experience, and in-depth data visibility across functions leading to hyper-productivity, Live Enterprise is building connected organisations that are innovating collaboratively for the future.
How Infosys BPM can help?
At Infosys BPM, we offer unrivalled expertise in geospatial technology with an array of focused GIS solutions. From mining and transport to utility and telecom, we have served several clients across industry sectors around the globe through the Infosys Global Delivery Model. Our geospatial data framework is designed to operate on a co-creation model, enabling us to deliver project-ready GIS that has the ability to cater to sudden demand peaks and solve your routine challenges.
Infosys BPM provides clients with an entire portfolio of GIS services, including data mapping, collection, gathering, storage, processing, integrating, management, analysis, and map data distribution. We have a proven GIS Centre of Excellence (CoE), which offers services such as:
GIS Consulting Services
Spatial Data Management
Application Support and Maintenance
Spatial Data Analysis
Project/Program Management
