Geospatial on a Budget 2: Converting coordinates

Geospatial on a Budget 3: The Magic of Maptitude

Geospatial on a Budget 5: The Force of Visualizing and Mapping Data

Geospatial on a Budget: When Cost Really is Total Cost

Geospatial Webinars

Geospatial on a Budget

Editor's Note: In a field that evolves as rapidly as geospatial information science and technologies, the idea of “getting a GIS job” may not be as straight-forward as it sounds. What are employers looking for, and how do you know that your training and education will get you there? Join Directions Magazine as we begin a short series of articles examining these topics.

Was there really ever a time when all you needed to know to get a GIS job was how to do a few software tasks and design a map or two, or is that as overly idealistic and unrealistic as the image of every 1950s household having an apple pie cooling on an open window sill?

If you did manage to get a job on that "lick, spit and promise," are you still in that position? What daily tasks are expected of you now that didn’t even exist 15 years ago?

New GIS degree and certificate programs continue to launch each year. Keeping curricula current, and instructors both confident and competent, is a perpetual challenge. There are also more numerous and diverse approaches to professional development than ever before. Is there validity in the Monday-morning-quarterback statement that what employers want, what degree programs provide, and what students actually learn are always out of synch?

In an effort to understand distinctions and requirements of GIS jobs, Jung Eun (Jessie) Hong, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of West Georgia, recently completed a content analysis of GIS job advertisements. She compiled almost 1000 GIS job postings, spanning 2007 – 2014, from GIScareers.com, GISjobs.com and the GIS Jobs Clearinghouse. The titles of the jobs were used to sort the positions into five different job categories:

Though programmers, developers and engineers differ in training and expectations, their primary job tasks are similar enough to be grouped at this scale. The “Other” category included GIS coordinators, instructors and the like.

Then, individual skills specified in each ad — such as data mining, web mapping, programming or project management, for example — were all coded into four technical areas:

Hong then used this coded information in NVivo, a product designed for analyzing text-based content.

What were the similarities and differences in skills among the five job categories? The most requested skill set across all jobs involved analysis and modeling, with over 56% of all job ads specifically referencing such needs. This includes such tasks as aerial image interpretation, data analysis, database development, data mining, network analysis and/or the use of spatial statistics. The second most requested skill set was a general one: communication, interpersonal skills, and self-motivation and independence.

Within job categories, the similarities were more interesting than the differences. Not surprisingly, the number one most requested skill for a programmer/developer/engineer was web or mobile application development; 57.4% of all job postings within that group identified that skill. But what was the most frequently expected skills for the other four categories of GIS jobs positions? Communication skills, above all other technical or more job-specific needs, with up to 45.9% of the postings specifying that skill set.

Another revealing result from within each job category was that database development was ranked as the second most frequently desired skill across all five job type categories. Within the domain of GIS&T, "database development" can have a specific meaning for a specific use case, but those two words are also common and important on their own within the fields of computer science and information technology. Their high frequency designation as a skill across all of these GIS job postings may reflect diverse and different interpretations of what “database development” actually means in a given scenario...which makes us wonder about the myriad ways that “communication” itself plays out in the world of GIS&T.

In practice, communication skills can include everything from accurately representing one’s self on a resume to finding out during an interview that everyone is interpreting “database development” in distinctive ways. In the Venn diagram world of database development, surely there is overlap with data manipulation, programming, and/or database design. Are you ready for that? Or, does the new boss really just need someone to populate an Excel spreadsheet and join it to a shapefile? Either way, whether you are a wise boss or an eager job seeker, are you prepared to listen carefully enough to the other person so you could tactfully, professionally and courteously adjust and address the miscommunications? Voila, now you get points for interpersonal skills as well!

If the ubiquity of “database development” may reflect instances of commission, Hong’s research also illustrates an example of omission with the absence of the term “geocomputation” in any of the job ads. She had been prepared to code the term as an example of a required or desired skill within the analysis and modeling set, based on the fact that geocomputation had been identified as an entire knowledge area in the 2006 GIS&T Body of Knowledge, one of the sources for her coding information. Geocomputation had been described in the BoK as the "development and application of computationally intensive approaches to the study of complex spatial-temporal problems.” The complete absence of the term from job ads does not mean that those complex spatial-temporal problems are no longer an issue! Instead, I would suggest that the high performance computing, cellular-automata and agent-based models, and simulation modeling that once differentiated a geocomputational approach have now become expected and necessary, and thus have been integrated into analytical approaches in general. Perhaps “Big Data analytics” is more likely to be the nom du jour in a job ad of today, but these are of the same ilk.

Overall, Hong’s findings confirm what many of us have experienced over time: that technical skills will always be critical on a particular day for a particular task, but those must be complemented with a life-long ability to unravel problems. When the Department of Labor’s Geospatial Technology Competency Model was revised in 2014, the bulk of the changes were specific technical competencies in Tier 4 and above. Personal effectiveness, academic and workplace competencies, largely the "general" skills in Hong’s study, have remained as solid and important as ever.

In psychological and human resources parlance, skills are things which we can acquire and learn, while abilities are things that we have naturally. Importantly, both can be refined through training and education. To increase your employability, hone your skills as well as your abilities, and develop your competence and confidence to communicate about them both. Consider these 20 Challenging GIS Interview Questions, which are as relevant today across all types of GIS positions as when they were first published; effective communication is central to them all. 

Articles

GIS Jobs of Today: Which GIS job skills are in highest demand?

Geospatial technology has become a fundamental component of modern information systems. As societies generate growing volumes of data, the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret information through geographic context has transformed how organizations understand the world around them.

Mapping is no longer limited to visual representation. Today, geospatial tools support analysis, prediction, and strategic planning across a wide range of industries.

From Geographic Data to Spatial Understanding

At its core, geospatial technology connects data to place. This connection allows users to explore relationships between location, time, and human activity. By layering multiple datasets within a geographic framework, analysts can identify trends and interactions that are difficult to detect in non-spatial data.

Spatial understanding enables organizations to move beyond isolated data points and toward holistic views of complex systems.

Location-based analysis improves decision quality by providing context. Whether assessing infrastructure investments, managing natural resources, or analyzing market behavior, geography plays a critical role in shaping outcomes.

Geospatial technology helps decision-makers:

These capabilities support evidence-based decisions grounded in real-world conditions.

Modern geospatial platforms integrate data from diverse sources, including remote sensing, field surveys, and operational systems. Bringing these datasets together within a unified spatial environment enhances consistency and analytical depth.

Effective integration also improves collaboration, allowing teams from different disciplines to work with shared spatial information and a common geographic perspective.

Challenges in Managing Geospatial Systems

As geospatial technology evolves, organizations face challenges related to data quality, scale, and interoperability. Spatial datasets often vary in resolution, accuracy, and update frequency, requiring careful management and validation.

Addressing these challenges involves adopting standardized workflows, investing in data governance, and ensuring transparency in analytical methods.

The future of geospatial technology lies in greater automation and intelligence. Advances in analytics and computational methods are enabling systems to detect patterns, generate insights, and support decisions with minimal manual intervention.

As the world becomes more interconnected, geospatial technology will continue to play a vital role in helping organizations understand change, manage complexity, and plan for the future through spatial insight.

The Role of Geospatial Technology in a Rapidly Changing World

The City of Honolulu is embarking on a new way for citizens and visitors to travel using an elevated transit rail system. As with any new transportation system, the rail project will significantly change the way communities develop along the new transit line. In urban planning, the use of carefully planned transit facilities and accesses to promote optimum mixed-use communities is known as Transportation Oriented Development (TOD).

The City of Honolulu TOD was showcased at the Annual Esri User Conference Plenary Session. Zebra Imaging® collaborated with Esri® and the City of Honolulu to demonstrate to over 14,000 conference attendees how TOD can positively impact the communities surrounding the transit line. Esri and Zebra Imaging presented the planning approach in an innovative way, using 3D GIS analysis and visualization technologies. The use of 3D allows city planners to best communicate with public and private community stakeholders to gain buy-in for major urban infrastructure projects.

Esri has been focusing on GeoDesign process and are evolving their 2D/3D design tools within ArcGIS. Esri® used CityEngine, 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst within the GeoDesign framework to develop urban growth and 3D density models representing different scenarios of Honolulu’s TOD development. From these models, Zebra Imaging produces a series of full color, 3D holographic images to be used in public outreach forums. Holograms provide accurate, visually compelling 3D views of the GIS analysis results and achieve fuller understanding and better evaluation by the public of the development alternatives of the TOD. Using the Esri models, Zebra Imaging’s 12 foot long hologram conveyed a true and easily understood 3D picture of how the rail will visually impact Honolulu’s downtown and surrounding communities.

Zebra Imaging also created additional channel-type images depicting Esri urban growth and density scenarios before and after the TOD. Zebra’s channeled holograms fuse two or more images into one hologram such that the picture changes as the viewer moves around the hologram. The City of Honolulu will share the 3D visualizations created from this GeoDesign collaboration project in a series of meetings and community workshops to share information with the public.

Esri UC Plenary showcases Honolulu’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in a 3D Hologram

CityGML is an open data standard designed to represent three-dimensional city models in a consistent, interoperable format. As urban environments grow more complex, traditional 2D mapping no longer suffices for detailed planning, simulation, and analysis. CityGML enables the storage, exchange, and visualization of rich urban information — including buildings, terrain, transportation networks, and infrastructure — in a structured way that supports advanced spatial applications. This level of detail helps cities understand physical context, promote smart growth, and integrate geospatial intelligence into planning workflows.

The standard facilitates the representation of geometry, topology, semantics, and appearance attributes, so that urban objects can be interpreted meaningfully by different software systems. By defining common rules for 3D urban data, CityGML fosters collaboration between planners, engineers, developers, and analysts who need consistent and reliable city information.

Enhancing Urban Planning and Smart City Applications

CityGML supports a wide range of planning and analysis tasks that benefit from three-dimensional context. Urban planners use CityGML models to visualize proposed developments in relation to existing infrastructure, evaluate shadow effects, and test the impact of zoning changes. Transportation specialists can analyze 3D representations of road networks and transit corridors to improve accessibility and connectivity. The ability to integrate semantic information — such as building usage or material properties — also enhances modeling precision and decision support.

As cities adopt smart city initiatives, CityGML becomes a foundation for location intelligence that spans sensor networks, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and real-time operational data. By linking 3D urban models with live data streams, municipalities can monitor infrastructure health, manage utilities more effectively, and respond dynamically to events such as traffic disruptions or extreme weather.

Interoperability and Data Integration Benefits

One of CityGML’s key strengths is interoperability. Because it adheres to well-defined schema and data structures, CityGML models can be shared across platforms, applications, and organizational boundaries without loss of meaning. This fosters efficient collaboration between stakeholders who may be using different GIS, CAD, or simulation tools, helping reduce data translation challenges and promote consistency in urban datasets.

CityGML also integrates well with other open standards, enabling organizations to build comprehensive geospatial solutions. When combined with geographic information system platforms, analytical engines, and 3D visualization tools, CityGML models become powerful assets for spatial analytics, scenario testing, and stakeholder engagement. The result is a coherent urban dataset that enhances insight and supports evidence-based decisions.

CityGML is increasingly used to support sustainability goals and environmental analysis. Planners can simulate energy use, assess shading and solar exposure, and evaluate environmental impacts of proposed developments using 3D models. Public safety agencies leverage 3D data to improve evacuation planning, risk assessment, and emergency response simulations. These applications illustrate how CityGML contributes to resilient and adaptive urban environments that respond better to changing conditions and community needs.

By embedding semantic richness and spatial precision, CityGML transforms urban datasets into actionable intelligence that supports long-term planning, operational efficiencies, and stakeholder communication. As cities embrace digital transformation, open standards like CityGML provide a scalable, interoperable foundation for next-generation spatial analysis and urban innovation.

CityGML: An Open Standard for 3D City Modeling and Urban Data Exchange

Accurate postal addresses play a vital role in most business analytics. Whether your aim is to understand your target customers, the physical infrastructure of an area, traffic flows, or even weather patterns, an accurate address is an essential first step toward linking meaningful datasets. By leveraging addresses, that place provides important context to how and why things occur as they do.

For example, most data points exist within some kind of geospatial context. For instance:

        Consumers almost always have a primary residence address.

        Businesses can have an office address, one or more warehouses, satellite offices, and more.

        Products you buy must first move through a supply chain, stopping at multiple physical locations along the way.

Most of the data that matters can be associated in some way with one or more addresses, which is why address data is an important link in providing the context you need to understand the relationships between multiple entities. A customer’s home address can offer clues to their income level, lifestyle, and what services are around them, for example. Businesses operate in the context of a broader economic environment, and location may offer clues as to a company’s competitive climate, its physical plant, and potential environmental risks.

Location unlocks a world of contextual detail about customers, competitors, markets, and opportunities. But you can only gain access to that information with accurate location data. Accurate, standardized addressing can be a meaningful first step in that process.

But on the road to achieving all those benefits, there’s a common challenge we see across industries: address verification and accurate geocoding (adding latitude and longitude coordinates).

Postal addresses can be the common thread to join disparate datasets together, but working with postal data, especially across multiple countries, can be a real challenge. It is extraordinarily difficult to standardize addresses due to variations among street names, spellings, abbreviations, numbering systems, and formatting options – especially across multiple countries. And without a verified address, it’s virtually impossible to join datasets and analyze information in its full context.

Some of the common sources of confusion and issues we see include:

        One street with multiple names, such as “Amherst Street” and “Route 101A”

        Abbreviations that lead to multiple variations of a single address

        Names and numbering schemes that may be subject to change

That’s why you need the right address verification and geocoding technology, or geo addressing – to ensure accurate and standardized address data that meets your application requirements and budget.

The solution to common addressing challenges is access to complete, accurate, and contextual data. This is accomplished using a combination of geocoding and address verification, which we at Precisely call geo addressing.

We offer the world’s leading solutions for both geocoding and geo addressing, and curate one of the largest, most accurate address databases on the planet. Our geo addressing algorithms resolve addresses to a highly accurate location, even in many cases where basic information has been omitted. We can correct errors in addresses and assign a latitude and longitude coordinate based on our vast global database of address locations.

In addition to inaccuracies, addresses are highly complex and constantly changing, and our Geo Addressing solution is built to tackle errors and complex formatting issues head on – thanks to the ability to:

        Match and validate the accuracy of addresses with Address Verification

        Associate latitude and longitude coordinates with Address Geocoding

        Enable easy and efficient look-up with Address Autocomplete

        Append a unique and persistent identifier also known as the PreciselyID for ease of enrichment

Let’s talk about that last point a bit more.

At Precisely, we don’t simply see an address as a random collection of text fields. Instead, we standardize, geocode, and verify that address, making it possible to link that information to a trusted unique and persistent ID.

The PreciselyID is a unique and consistent identifier attached to each address during geocoding. In the same way a DUNs number removes ambiguity about a business’s identity, a unique identifier resolves questions about a location.

While the PreciselyID can help to manage and organize data, it also brings greater context to data by linking an address to location-based information in one of our 400+ enrichment datasets. The unique and persistent nature of the PreciselyID facilitates this seamless data interoperability for data enrichment.

More than ever before, your address data can help you discover critical relationships in your data.

No need to rely on applications or on-prem solutions, simply access our Geocode API to integrate these industry-leading capabilities into your application or existing architecture. Your application will have ongoing access to up-to-date and accurate geocoding and address verification services.

And it’s simple to do; Precisely customers are leveraging the power of location to drive game-changing insights. Using our Geocode API for Snowflake, for example, one Data Integrity Suite customer achieved a 10% uplift in geocoding performance, with an implementation time of only 5 minutes.

Precisely’s Geocode API capabilities build data that is trusted and rich in context, when and where it’s needed most.

Addresses are as complex as they are valuable. But to fully realize that value, you need to tackle those complexities with reliable geo addressing solutions, building data that’s complete, accurate, and contextualized. Our APIs are easy to use and fit for any budget. As a result, you’ll spend less time fixing errors and missing opportunities, and more time making better decisions for your business.

Unleash the Power of Addresses without the Hassle of Managing Software

In February 2015, IEEE-USA, "the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity," released a position statement urging US government officials to support and incentivize development in the space-based remote sensing industry, for fear of falling behind foreign governments and other global commercial organizations. Although the U.S. pioneered the industry in the 1970s, Europe and Asia have surpassed our capabilities over the last decade.

"Carefully targeted investments in space-based remote sensing and geospatial imaging technologies are urgently needed to enhance the operational effectiveness of public and private sector earth observation programs that advance scientific knowledge, promote economic growth, improve public safety and ensure national security in increasingly competitive global markets," the report stated.

IEEE-USA's concerns are well-grounded. The U.S. cannot afford to fall behind since space-based remote sensing is already a major component of growth in a wide range of commercial industries. Today, remote sensing is being used to locate sub-surface commodities such as natural gas and oil; improve agricultural yields by measuring soil moisture and crop growth; and aid environmentalists in detecting air, ground and water pollution—just to name a few of its many applications. Military, national security and international crisis management applications are also increasing. And thanks to a unique convergence of economic and technical factors, the industry appears to be on the verge of an enormous growth spurt.

"The [earth observation] industry is about to get merged into the much larger big data industry in terms of geoanalytics, at which point the economic impact of the industry increases from being a few billion dollars in size to potentially tens of billions of dollars.  There are numerous indications and studies suggesting that that transition is already underway," Wade Larson, President and CEO of UrtheCast, recently told Directions Magazine.

BBC Research recently released a report on the state of the industry. The organization and report agree with Larson predicting that the global market for remote sensing products should reach nearly $8.9 billion this year and grow to $13.8 billion in 2021. The space-based conventional platforms segment of the industry is expected to grow from $3.3 billion this year to $4.3 billion in 2021.

While the industry grows, it will also continue to transform from one largely controlled by a small number of "government space, maritime and weather forecasting agencies" to one in the hands of "hundreds of small entrepreneurially driven enterprises," according to a quote in MarketWired from BBC research analyst, James Wilson.

UrtheCast is one of the entrepreneurial companies already leading the industry's transition. The Vancouver-based, Canadian company currently operates "the world's only Ultra HD 1m, full-color video camera in space"— known as Iris— and a multi-spectral sensor, Theia, from the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The company also owns and operates the Deimos-1 and Deimos-2 satellites through a Spanish subsidiary, Deimos Imaging.

UrtheCast's imagery is transmitted to a series of ground stations. Individuals, companies and government agencies can then order that video and imagery via customer service agents, or access imagery on the company's web platform APIs — in some cases, very close to realtime. Clients may request specific data and imagery over specific coordinates, and have access to open source code to create their own applications — all at a surprisingly affordable price.

The company's first space-based data began transmitting in 2014. Since then, its clientele has put the data to very innovative use:

Last year, UrtheCast partnered with the United Nations to task and deliver imagery of Palmyra's Temple of Belin Syria. "That image was used for UN-led analysis, which confirmed that the temple was indeed demolished by the extremist group ISIS," Larson said. "We also anticipate that this will be possible for missions like refugee crisis monitoring." He added, “Global Forest Watch (a World Resources Institute initiative) has begun ingesting UrtheCast data into its platform, which allows people to monitor forests across the world. This is a very admirable program, and we’re happy to have partnered with them in the name of planet stewardship.”

Some companies have used UrtheCast's imagery for some plain old fun and straight-forward advertising, as well. "The Pepsi video that featured about a dozen UrtheCast videos and the Heineken space selfie that was snapped with help from Deimos-2 [are memorable]. Those were two crowd-pleasers, and both presented unprecedented brand-driven uses of video and imagery from space," Larson shared.

What motivated the pioneering company to get into the business back in 2010, when it first unveiled its single-minded mission "to provide a high-resolution video data platform for internet users, app developers, educators, media outlets, government bodies, humanitarian relief organizations, and environmental monitoring services?"

"First, we are keen Earth Observation enthusiasts; like many others in the business, we want to see the use cases and applications of EO expand and gain far broader application and utility in society and the economy.  We think there are numerous big, important global problems that can benefit in really significant ways from the broader and more systematic application of space-based remote sensing.  And what we are doing, along with others around the world, is helping pioneer that democratization of EO data in order for it to have a huge impact upon areas as diverse as deforestation, disaster relief, agriculture, desertification, security, water management, and many other areas besides.  

Second, we believe that the industry is entering an exciting period of profound growth and change, driven by a number of important converging trends:

a reduction in the cost of building satellites thanks to new, ultrafast space-qualifiable micro-electronics

a reduction in launch costs thanks to a newly competitive international commercial launch industry

the emergence of massive, low cost cloud computing services

the maturation of the Internet for large-scale global data distribution

the emergence of many new and powerful “big data” predictive analytics and geoanalytics algorithms

the massive growth in hand held devices that provide near ubiquitous mobile and in-situ computational decision support to governments, businesses, and consumers

the rapidly accelerating growth in demand for “big data” information solutions in a wide variety of domains, including agriculture, forestry, water management, mining, infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, transportation, shipping, security, taxation, industrial production growth prediction, urban planning, traffic, and insurance, to name a few. 

Third, we are a business and we think these new trends present an amazing opportunity to create value for our customers and our shareholders, " Larson said.

The converging trends Larson mentioned are driving the growth of the industry word-wide, so just how does his company plan to stay ahead of the competition? By releasing several more innovations currently in the works, of course. According to Larson, GIS professionals should be on the lookout for these developments coming soon:

"In addition to fully launching our UrthePlatform, UrtheCast’s 16 satellite OptiSAR™ Constellation is right now being designed to bring something very unique and special to the EO and GIS industries by offering for the first time, a fully-integrated SAR and optical imaging capability.”

OptiSAR™ will be theworld’s first fully-integrated, multispectral optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar commercial constellation of Earth Observation satellites, and more than commercial industries are interested in its capabilities. Just days ago, April 4, UrtheCast announced that it had established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. According to the press release, OptiSAR™"is expected to provide unmatched space-imaging capabilities, enhancing support to NGA’s national security mission and the broader global remote sensing community."

"As well, our recently-announced 8 satellite UrtheDaily™ constellation has been designed to offer unprecedented coverage of the world’s landmass — the entire planet imaged at 10:30 am, everyday, with high quality multispectral imagery at 5 meter GSD.”  

To prepare for the future, you can get familiar with what UrtheCast already offers on its website. View the gallery of images; sign up for a developer's account or subscription services; or check out the company blog. If you happen to be in Vegas, stop by the National Association of Broadcasters Show this week to meet the UrtheCast Crew in person. 

Rapid growth, change predicted for remote sensing industry: Urthecast leads way

High quality geocoding is a strategic requirement in today’s business. Esri is leading the charge with the ArcGIS World Geocoding. Organizations around the globe rely on geocoding and ArcGIS to spatially visualize data, perform analysis to make key decisions, and ultimately, gain a competitive edge. Learn how Esri's ArcGIS software offers a high-quality geocoding capability that you can use quickly, accurately, and securely use to map addresses around the world.

How to make key decisions with geocoding products

Several deployment patterns that fulfill business needs

Vineet Sharma, Product Marketing Manager, Data and Location Services, Esri

Robert Jensen, Product Manager, Data and Location Services, Esri

CIO/CTO, GIS Managers, GIS Analysts, Developers - GIS app developers and Non-GIS developers (only seeking to integrate location services in their apps)

Esri is the global market leader in GIS. It builds ArcGIS, the world’s most powerful mapping & spatial analytics software. ArcGIS software and apps combine mapping and data analytics to deliver location intelligence and meet digital transformation needs for organizations of all sizes.

Learn How to Make Quick and Accurate Decisions with ArcGIS World Geocoding

There are nearly 50,000 community and 200,000 public and private water systems in operation today.Concerns have been raised over protecting the nation's water supply from terrorist attacks.While many believe that the threat of contamination of drinking water through terrorist activities is low (those that are out of touch with reality), a grim warning from Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson acknowledges the threat.In his resignation speech he stated that an attack on our food or water supply would be 'so easy to do.' However, it should be noted that there are no specific, credible threats to the nation's drinking water at this time.

In October 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began working with other government agencies and water suppliers to ensure that the nation's water supply continues to be protected from terrorist attacks.The EPA is providing local water utilities with the best scientific information as well as technical training, on conducting vulnerability assessments and enhancing emergency response plans should an attack occur.To further protect the nation's drinking water supplies, the EPA has set up a special task force to enhance protection efforts already underway.

Protecting the water supply from terrorist attacks is a very large task.With all the attention and activity since 2001 why is the water supply still a likely area of attack? How real is the threat? How difficult would it be for terrorist to strike? These questions and more will be addressed in this article.

Let's look at the characteristics that make the nation's water supply a primary target.

In the U.S.the water supply systems are owned and operated by many different entities.Some by State or local government and others by private companies.The water systems throughout the nation are highly distributed by design.A distributed design allows flexibility when the system suffers equipment failures or routine maintenance.It is this type of design that makes safeguarding the water supply highly complex and extremely costly.The nation's water system is comprised of interlocking components that include: the water supply system (dams, reservoirs, natural lakes, wells, etc.); water treatment and filtration system; the water distribution system (pipes, pumps, valves storage tanks, etc.); and of course control systems often run by computers. These systems are mostly aging and in urgent need of upgrading, not simply to protect them from terrorist attack but to keep them handling the growing water needs of the nation.

Where could attacks occur? Our nation's water systems are set up to deal with contaminants.Many feel that a terrorist attack which places chemicals or even biological agents in the water supply is unlikely to be successful.Contamination of a reservoir with a biological agent would not likely produce a large risk to public health because of the dilution effect.These reservoirs contain hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of gallons of water.A massive amount of contaminant would be required for a successful terrorist attack at this point.If agents were to be introduced at this point they are likely to be detected and unlikely to survive the chlorination process. Even so, filtration and disinfection of the water may occur down stream mitigating the contamination.However, if the point contamination is after a treatment facility where filters, chlorination and other preventative measures would no longer be effective, the likelihood of success is much greater. Fortunately, this type of act is still subject to the dilution issue which would lessen the severity of such an attack.There are scenarios that have been discussed where the likelihood of success is high and for obvious reasons we will not go into any further details about those specific scenarios.

Attacks on the nation's water supply can come in many forms.Contamination from chemical or biological agents or merely disruption to the processing, filtration and distribution are two types of attacks.The primary threats to the nation's drinking water supplies are contamination by chemical, biological or radiological agents; damage, destruction, or sabotage of physical infrastructure; and disruption to computer systems.

Did you know - The first documented use of a biological or chemical agent occurred in the 6th century B.C.

Contamination can be caused by chemical, organic or biological materials.There are laws governing the acceptable amounts of contaminants, measured in parts per million or parts per billion in the nation's drinking water.We are examining the intentional contamination of drinking water as an act of terrorism.

Did you know - Biological agents occur naturally and that the parasite Cryptosporidium in Milwaukee's drinking water resulted in about 100 deaths and made 400,000 other people ill in 1993.Cryptosporidium is a naturally occurring microbiological parasite commonly found in lakes and rivers that can infect humans and cause gastrointestinal illness.

The U.S.water supply is one of the best in the world.Equipment is in place to filter and chemically treat the water to make it suitable for human consumption.These facilities are required by law to monitor and report all levels of contamination on a regular basis.At this time water treatment facilities are not capable of testing for all known chemicals or biological contaminants.In fact, the detection technology to do so is costly and does not address the wide spectrum of possible biological and chemical agents. Real-time monitoring is critical to minimize the impact of a terrorist attack.At present there is currently no real-time detection capability for biological pathogens in water and only a limited capability for chemicals.

Impeding the ability of the water supply to reach the populace can have far reaching implications.Businesses would not be able to conduct operations, process manufacturing would be halted, restaurants would close and our daily routines would be thrown into disarray.In many areas drinking water is also used to supply fire hydrants.Without adequate water supply, the fire department's ability to fight fires would be all but neutralized. Attacks on holding tanks, major distribution arteries, pumping stations or filtration and treatment facilities could cause significant disruption to the water supply.

Cyber-terrorism is another potential threat to disrupt service.Computer networks and digital monitoring technology play a key role in the management of our nation's water supplies.In theory, a skilled hacker could create all kinds of havoc either from within or from beyond our borders.

Did you know - Authorities previously have found a computer belonging to a person with indirect ties to Osama bin Laden that contained architectural and engineering software related to dams and other water-retaining structures, according to the FBI.

The highly distributed nature of local water supplies places pumping stations, holding tanks, electronically controlled valves and miles upon miles of piping in remote and often obscure locations making them prime targets for terrorists.The ability to continuously monitor this vast distribution is not economically feasible.Even if it could be accomplished economically, the time to design, install, test, and train the operational staff of the security equipment could reach into the decades.

In looking at this problem we used the TIE (Transdisciplinary Intelligence Engineering) framework to rate the water supply threat, protection and impact.The output of this framework is represented in the following graphic.

So what security measures have been taken? Rapid detection and quantification of a chemical or biological attack on a water supply is difficult at best.Organizations responsible for water distribution systems have increased the physical security of each of facilities.However, one in-ground holding tank had a padlock on the door leading to the water contained in the tank.A simple pair of bolt cutters could have defeated that security. For the most part, water supply security has focused on access control and intelligence, with minimal attention being given to enhanced sensors that detect chemicals or biological agents.Indications are that in the coming years this will change and more R&D dollars will be spent on monitoring and detection.

Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services, threatening public health and safety as well as the environment.It could even cause loss of life.The entire water treatment and distribution system must be protected not just the treatment or storage facilities.A real-time chemical biological detection system with remote sampling and sensing capabilities coupled with GIS will significantly improve the safety of the nation's water supply.Engineering changes in water distribution system design and metering must also take place.We should not forget the SCADA systems.SCADA is the acronym for SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION.SCADA systems are a critical component and are at risk from cyber terrorism.The entire software industry must be made to rethink software security and be held accountable.Security is designed in; not bolted on.This holds true in the physical world and in the software world.

Protecting the Water Supply from Terrorism

MPrintSE 1.90: A Practical Print Mapping Tool

MPrintSE 1.90 is a standalone print mapping utility designed to support GIS professionals and spatial analysts with straightforward, high-quality map output. Developed for use alongside geospatial datasets and mapping platforms, this tool provides simplified controls for layout design, scale management, and print configuration without the overhead of a full GIS suite. Its intuitive interface helps users produce presentation-ready maps with greater efficiency and less manual effort.

The utility focuses on delivering consistent, accurate print results that align with the expectations of planners, cartographers, and technical users. With MPrintSE 1.90, preparing hard-copy maps or exporting digital layouts becomes a more streamlined part of the geospatial workflow.

Enhanced Control Over Map Layout and Output

MPrintSE 1.90 includes features that enable users to customize their map layouts with precision. Users can define paper size, orientation, scale, and margin settings to match project requirements. These layout controls are especially valuable when preparing maps for reports, proposals, presentations, or client deliverables that demand professional appearance and accurate spatial representation.

The utility also supports the placement of essential map elements such as titles, legends, scale bars, and gridlines, helping ensure that printed output communicates insight clearly and effectively. By automating the technical aspects of print configuration, MPrintSE allows users to focus on spatial interpretation rather than manual formatting tasks.

While lightweight in design, MPrintSE 1.90 integrates seamlessly into GIS workflows where high-quality map export is a routine requirement. Users can import spatial datasets, set up layouts that reflect project needs, and produce consistent prints without switching between multiple applications. This capability reduces friction in geospatial production pipelines and accelerates delivery of visual materials for analysis, review, and decision support.

The tool is suitable for professionals working in planning, environmental management, transportation analysis, land administration, and other domains where precise map output supports communication and documentation. By centralizing print management in a dedicated utility, organizations can standardize their map production processes.

Delivering Value with Simplicity and Precision

MPrintSE 1.90 exemplifies how focused tools can deliver significant value by addressing specific workflow needs in geospatial work. Its emphasis on simplicity, control, and reliable output makes it an asset for users who require dependable print mapping without the complexity of full GIS printing modules. Whether producing maps for internal review or external publication, this utility enhances the quality and consistency of spatial documentation.

Downloading and integrating MPrintSE 1.90 into existing workflows helps GIS professionals save time, reduce errors, and maintain a high standard of cartographic output across diverse projects.

 Geospatial Files and Tools

Download MPrintSE 1.90 – Print Mapping Utility for GIS

Executive Interview with Jean-Marc Nasr, Spot Image's CEO

Location Intelligence for Emerging Markets: Focus on China

An Executive Interview with Carsten Heiermann, CEO, LuraTech on JPEG 2000

Choropleth Mapping with Exploratory Data Analysis

The Location Aware Enterprise: An Integrating Business Principle

Location Intelligence Perspective: “The map is not important”

Location Intelligence Perspective: To 'GIS the Enterprise, Or Enterprise the GIS?'

Location Intelligence Perspective: More than ROI

Location Intelligence Perspective: Demonstrating the Value of Location Technology

GIS Provides Customer Satisfaction for Hong Kong Bus Company

Autodesk University 2004: Las Vegas Valley Water District

Autodesk University 2004: WOW! Technology

A Look at the Leading Edge in Geospatial Information Gathering

Mid Suffolk District Council's e-government Initiative Includes GIS Intranet and Internet Access

Autodesk University 2004: Strategic Trends

A Primer on How to Create a Customized Segmentation System

Interview with Xenotran Founder, Dr. Derrick Page

GIS Finally Making Cents: Growth Companies Tap the Enterprise Power of GRID Systems

Turkish Government Bases National Emergency Response System on GIS Technology

Convergence: GIS/Communications/Information Technologies

NGA Head General James R. Clapper Answers Wide-ranging Questions about NGA

Election Results - MapInfo's Jon Winslow Follows Up On His Predictions

Martin Bruenig and Sisi Zlatanova 11-06-2004

Data Integration and Interoperability: ISO/OGC Standards for Geo-information

Call for Papers Issued for Location Technology & Business Intelligence 2005

Location Based Services – MapPoint Location Server and Global Positioning System (GPS)

Articles from Directions Magazine

The planning committee for the Upper Midwest Geospatial Conference (UMGEOCON) is exceptional pleased to announce the release of its 2018 program. Headlining the event will be community titan Dr. Carl Reed who will discuss his nearly 50 years at the forefront of some of the most important advancements in the industry, and what those developments say about the dangers ahead for anyone using geospatial technology. Other keynotes will be delivered by Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, Director, Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Vermont, and National States Geographic Information Council President-Elect, Dan Ross. Additional conference highlights include:

Five featured talks including a lightning round of presentations and panel discussion by experts on big data, and another by Emmy winning director Dan Bertalan,

Four diverse pre-conference workshops, all available for free,

Multiple tracks of sessions delivered by subject matter experts during each event time block, thereby allowing attendees to focus on topics of specific personal interest, and

A price sensitive admission – at $195/$50 for attendees/students, the UMGEOCON ticket price is 80% less than what some other GIS conferences are charging this year.

The planning committee also notes UMGEOCON is the nation’s premier geospatial charity event which gives back to the community 100% of the profit earned. The seven regional host nonprofit geospatial organizations share equally in proceeds for the benefit of their scholarship and other charitable programs.

Given the facts above, the UMGEOCON planning committee representing the state GIS associations of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, along with ASPRS Western Great Lakes Region, GITA and SharedGeo believe they have again delivered a program which will allow GIS professionals to substantially broaden their GIS knowledge, expand cross-border connections, and explore emerging trends and technologies in a collaborative learning environment which supports the greater community. 

Scheduled for May 23-24, 2018, at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, the planning committee encourages anyone interested in attending UMGEOCON to purchase their ticket as soon as possible. The venue is capacity limited, and ticket sales to date have been accelerating. 

UMGEOCON is a collaborative endeavor of seven geospatial nonprofits with a total active membership of over 2,500. They are:

ASPRS-WGLR: The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing - Western Great Lakes Region (ASPRS-WGLR) is comprised of public, private, and academic professionals dedicated to the advancement of the geospatial imaging sciences. ASPRS-WGLR is one of sixteen regions nationwide and consists of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Indiana, and northern Illinois. There are currently five universities with ASPRS student chapters in the Western Great Lakes Region: Indiana State University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Minnesota, and Michigan Technological University.

GITA: The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is a member-led nonprofit professional education association and leading advocate for anyone using geospatial technology to help operate, maintain, and protect North America’s infrastructure. Through industry leading conferences, research initiatives, chapters, and outreach programs, GITA provides ongoing learning and engagement opportunities for its members. 

IGIC: The Iowa Geographic Information Council (IGIC) is a member driven nonprofit organization that works to foster an efficient GIS environment through cooperation and coordination with public and private entities that access, collect, provide, and share data, metadata, applications and educational opportunities. 

ILGISA: The Illinois GIS Association is the only statewide organization of GIS/geospatial professionals in Illinois. ILGISA advances the understanding, communication, and effectiveness of geospatial technology in Illinois. ILGISA connects over 500 members working in local, regional, state and federal government, higher educational institutions, and private industries. ILGISA strives to offer a wide-variety of high-quality, low-cost programs that educate and inform our members. ILGISA programs include an annual conference, regional meetings, training events, and webinars that address the ever-evolving geospatial technologies, applications and standards.

MN GIS/LIS: The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium (MN GIS/LIS) is a collaborative, volunteer-based organization with a long standing and dedicated mission to develop and support the GIS professional in Minnesota for the benefit of its state and citizens.

SharedGeo: SharedGeo is a nonprofit dedicated to helping government, nonprofit, education, and corporate entities use mapping technologies and share geographic data for the public good. Past and current project partners include federal, state, tribal, county and municipal entities. www.sharedgeo.orgWLIA: Founded in 1987, the Wisconsin Land Information Association (WLIA) is a grassroots organization representing a collection of concerned professionals working to develop, maintain, and apply a network of statewide land information systems. Its members are united by an interest in land records modernization, GIS, and related technologies, and by the need for government policies and programs that support their efficient and effective application. WLIA is a registered 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, and is open to individual, non-profit and corporate members.

Geospatial Industry News

Upper Midwest Geospatial Conference – May 23-24, 2018 Program Announced

The City of Tamba in Hyogo prefecture, Japan, performs field survey work using a mobile GIS application designed for Apple iPad tablet computers. The application, called Mobile Matilda, is developed by Osaka based GIS solution specialist, Tsukasa Consulting, using the TatukGIS Developer Kernel 11 (for Delphi edition) with the Embarcadero FireMonkey framework. The mobile application compliments desktop and web-based versions of the Matilda software that are enabled with more features.

Unlike web applications, Mobile Matilda can operate in a local (off-line) environment because map layers and data are read from the iPad memory. Users can update records in the field for later synchronization to the desktop or server via a secure Wi-Fi or GSM connection, when available. TatukGIS development tools enable efficient storage of even huge GIS datasets as SQLite database layers on iOS and Android devices.

A mobile map project can also incorporate information streamed via the web, such as TatukGIS hosted OpenStreetMap web tiles as a background layer.