Geospatial Industry

The geospatial industry encompasses the production and consumption of geospatial data and technologies. The relevance of the geospatial industry to geography stems from the fact that the production and use of geospatial technologies and data represent the practical side of the geographic theory, inquiry, and analysis that define the discipline. Furthermore, geospatial technology and data have become ubiquitous throughout academia, industry, business, and modern society. This entry describes the components of the broad suite of geospatial data and technologies in the geospatial industry, their production and application, and their transition from isolated, expert systems to integral parts of mainstream information technology.

One way to categorize the geospatial industry is to first consider a separation of data from functionality. Although they are often discussed in tandem or ...