Back in the late 1970's the main suppliers of GIS systems such as IBM and Intergraph were mainly supplying custom built solutions on mainframe computers. These systems were only available to the biggest organisations with budgets often in excess of several million of pounds. The arrival of the personal computer in the 1980's meant that desktop GIS solutions could be provided to companies with much more limited resources.
Within the last twenty years the cost of implementing a GIS software solution has steadily fallen making this valuable mapping tool available to more and more business sectors.
Back in the late 1970's the main suppliers of GIS systems such as IBM and Intergraph were mainly supplying custom built solutions on mainframe computers. These systems were only available to the biggest organisations with budgets often in excess of several million of pounds. The arrival of the personal computer in the 1980's meant that desktop GIS solutions could be provided to companies with much more limited resources.
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There are many different ways to acquire the GIS training knowledge you need to achieve your objectives. Besides face to face or on-line training courses you can learn about GIS from books, or from on-line articles and videos. Whatever the method you choose will depend on a number of other variables including cost, time and need.
If you have experienced both GIS and CAD software you will probably find that most of what I have to say regarding similarities and differences familiar. A basic similarity between the two software facilities is that they both use a layer function to display the graphic element of the drawing (CAD) and map (GIS). Perhaps that is the most common similarity whilst most of the differences lie in the purpose each software type aims to fulfil.
Computer aided design systems as their name implies provide a means of designing objects. For the architect it will be some form of building design, for the electrical engineer it may involve a complex wiring diagram, for a civil engineer it could be a highway, tunnel or bridge project and for a mechanical engineer it could be some form of engine or pump design. There have been many definitions of a geographical information system which have successfully covered the elements of what such a system should be. However, for the purpose of this particular discussion we will narrow the definition to that of a computer based definition of a geographic information system. This is because there is significant evidence to show that GIS is now more or less associated with digitally based computer solutions rather than paper based solutions. Accordingly we could define GIS a computer based tool which is able to convert geographic data into geographic information.
Each organisation has different requirements when it comes to GIS training for their staff. For instance, some departments may only need to use a GIS once or twice a month whilst other departments may need to have daily use. Some users will therefore need only to have a overview of the GIS system whilst others will need an in depth knowledge.
In the early 1980's gis systems were becoming available to a much wider audience than in previous decades. Up to this time some organisations had spent millions on specialised mainframe based solutions. These systems often had plotting capabilities which alone often cost between £50,000 and £100,000 per device. Taking inflation into account this represented an investment of more than £135,000 for a single monochrome electrostatic plotting device at today's prices. In the circumstances, thirty years ago gis systems were only available to the largest of organisations.
With cutbacks occurring it is becoming more and more difficult for many local authorities to find resources to train the required number of staff on their current gis systems. Some local authorities may have also had to cut back on planned upgrades and new implementations of gis systems as well as training for existing systems. With the current climate of continuous budget cutting it is important to ensure that the most is made of what limited financial resources are available. In this way it is possible to ensure staff are properly trained and understand the many benefits gis systems provide within the public sector.
Most problems which arise in a business environment can be solved with a mix of common sense and appropriate software solutions. Some problems are industry specific and require a programmer with specific knowledge of that specialist area. Other problems are more general and merely require a modicum of practical application. Within the business environment many users of general office solutions such as word processors and spread sheets often generate their own templates to solve solutions. As most programmers are aware the end user probably knows best what their requirements are. Sometimes the user becomes frustrated if a so called professional solution doesn't meet his requirements. On occasions the solution is created by the user through either a word processor or spread sheet application. It may not be as elegant as a programmer's output but if it does the job then it can be a better option that possibly waiting months for an official solution to materialise.
Perhaps you are curious as to whether GIS could benefit your company. Maybe you have a GIS system within your department and have a need to make use of it. Or you could be one of the many employees who have to use a GIS within their working environment and want to make the most use of the facilities available within a modern GIS system. Whatever your motivation for wanting to be more capable in using your GIS system you are probably aware that unlike many software packages GIS is not necessarily intuitive. If you want to be able to make the most of the program you will almost certainly need to have some form of structured training. Currently there are many different ways of improving your knowledge. There are self paced programs available on the internet for instance. Or you could purchase one of the many books on the subject and set yourself a target to be up and running in a specific time frame. You may be lucky enough to have an enlightened employer who decides to invest in sending you on a formal training course for your specific program. Even one day's training could make a very big difference to your ability to make a successful use of a GIS system.
Now this may seem a rather strange question to ask, but please bear with me for a minute. A recent survey found that most people were unaware of the similarity in chemical content of branded headache products and their generic alternatives. This particular study found that each product is given a specific code which ensures that it meets specific standards and contains correct levels of aspirin or paracetamol per tablet. So a branded product would have the same code on its packaging as the generic product indicating that it was more or less of the same quality and potency. The main differences between the branded product and the generic were packaging and price. The branded products often made claims which according to this study often exaggerated the ability of the product to quickly cure a headache because of the special formulation unique to the brand. The reality was that both branded and generic contained almost identical ingredients. They both primarily relied on either the aspirin or paracetamol element to relieve the headache. So why do people buy branded headache products when they have a price difference as high as 300% to 400% over the generic brands? The study showed that in most cases consumers were unaware that the generic product offered similar results to the more expensive branded option. Most consumers who were informed of the facts said they would buy the generic option from now on.
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AuthorJoe Short BSc has been involved with various mapping solutions for over twenty years. If you are considering implementing a GIS or have ArcGIS Pro, MapInfo Pro or QGIS training requirements, jps services would be happy to be of assistance to your organisation. Archives
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