THE FUTURE OF GIS
GIS has seen tremendous growth in the last 20 years, with companies, governments, policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and university researchers using GIS in their daily workflow. This is just the beginning. But one wonders, what is the future of GIS?
The current state of the GIS industry seems promising, with market leaders’ analysts documenting exponential growth. Tech heavyweights such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Space X, Telsa, and IBM have also taken notice.
ESRI defines GIS as a geographic information system (GIS) that creates, manages, analyses and maps all types of data. GIS connects data to a map, integrating location data (where things are) with all types of descriptive information (what things are like there).
According to PS Market Research, the GIS market generated revenue of $8,185.9 million in 2020, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period (2020–2030). The key factors responsible for the growth of the industry include the increasing investments, proliferating availability of spatial data and cloud technology, and the surging need for global geographic information system (GIS) solutions in the transportation sector.
According to technology insight firm marketers and market, the development of smart cities and urbanization, integration of geospatial technology with mainstream technologies for business intelligence, growing investments in modern GIS solutions, and increasing accessibility of spatial data and cloud technology are some of the major factors driving the growth of the GIS market.
Based on a Global Market Insights, Inc. report, the geographic information system (GIS) market size is poised to exceed $9 billion by 2024.
Here are some trends that will shape the geospatial industry.
IoT
The term IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves.
The connection between IoT and GIS is geographic location.
Most devices combine their physical location with a GPS receiver, giving real-time sensor information and positioning.
Smart cities
According to McKenzie, smart cities put data and digital technology to work to make better decisions and improve the quality of life. More comprehensive, real-time data gives agencies the ability to watch events as they unfold, understand how demand patterns are changing, and respond with faster and lower-cost solutions.
GIS will play a big part in the implementation of smart cities. A lot of geographical positioning systems, data analysis, sensory, location intelligence, and geo-referencing will be required if smart cities are to become a reality.
Driverless cars
As the name suggests, these will be cars with the capacity to get from one place to another without human intervention. This will need an advanced level of GPS coordination and georeferencing.
That is why electric manufacturing firm Tesla has invested a lot in driverless cars, which entails global positioning systems and geo-referencing technology. Tesla has applied to patent a new multi-band GPS antenna that it believes will be more precise for self-driving and navigation applications.
According to Telsa VP of Engineering, GNSS antenna systems can be useful for providing Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and/or other signals to vehicle systems for different functions involving accurate location information.
5G
5G, according to Nokia, is set to be revolutionary. It is the first mobile technology designed for machines and systems in addition to people. To that end, 5 G-enabled networks need to be designed from an end-to-end perspective, beyond mobile access.
Nobody knows how big 5G will get, but in the coming year, GIS will definitely play a part in bringing 5G to the masses. This could be through locating and connecting remote areas with 5G access, ensuring everyone has streamless 5G services.
Space exploration
Space exploration has started to pick up pace, with billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Richard Branson all investing in space exploration companies. Geospatial technology will play a part in this venture, especially remote sensing and space observation.
NASA has equipped the Odyssey with a camera called the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). This system maps the surface, both capturing images in the visible spectrum and detecting thermal energy in wavelengths that are undetectable by the human eye.
AI
Finally, we that AI or simply known as artificial intelligence. This will mean little to no human requirements in performing tasks. GIS is already embracing AI in its day-to-day activities. GEOAI is a term that has been widely accepted in the geospatial community.
Indeed, AI will be a game changer not only in the GIS field but throughout all the tech sector.
This is the future of GIS as far as I can tell. Keep in mind that there is a possibility that a new trend may emerge in the next 5 years that will change the course of the GIS industry. As for now, the future is GIS.
