With location and positioning technology so common in today’s world, most people have heard of GPS. Many people even have such technology in their cars or smart phones. However, with many other acronyms becoming more common in the discussion of how we find our way around the world and what we do with that data, it’s no wonder some people become confused. One such common confusion is the difference between GPS and GIS software.
What Is GIS?
GIS – short for geographic information systems or geographic information science – is any program or device that allows for the management of geographic or spatial data. Simply put, GIS programming allows users to do the following tasks:
• Capturing photographs, three-dimensional models and more varieties of spatial information.
• Store, sort and analyze that data.
• Manipulate and organize the data for presentation.
• Integrate geographic information into other applications.
• Share spatial data with other users.
Because of the multi-functionality of this technology, it can be used in many industries, including telecommunications, insurance, engineering and planning of construction, transportation and logistics. Equipment utilizing GIS technology also plays an important part in the land surveying business, contributing to map-making and the compiling of geographic information for scientific and educational reasons.
How Is GIS Different from GPS?
The major difference in GIS and GPS technology is the difference between data collection and application. GPS – short for global positioning systems – is the primary method of locating specific points on the globe using satellites and GPS receivers. GPS helps people find their place on earth and navigate around it. GIS software is a way of taking the information collected by GPS satellites and other technologies and putting it to work. Whether it’s archiving it for later analyzation or assisting in the manipulation of data for immediate presentation, GIS programming does the work for a variety of professionals in a wide range of fields.
