It’s easy to understand how geospatial technology is used to help the military and government organizations, however, there are also several ways that geospatial information is used in everyday applications all around us. In fact, every time you use an app on your smartphone, you’re using geospatial technology.
Below are some of the other ways that geospatial technology is used for real-world applications:
Transit and transportation systems in metropolitan cities all over the country use geospatial intelligence systems and technology to monitor the condition and progress of thousands of miles of underground and above-ground subway tracks. Drones with GPS capabilities are also used to check on all the conditions instead of manual inspectors traveling dangerous tracks.
Utility companies also use geospatial technology. Municipal water providers use geospatial mapping to improve infrastructure and optimize location-based projects. GIS technology captures images that track water levels, environmental conditions, and weather patterns that may impact the water supply for communities.
Government organizations, as mentioned above, use geospatial technology in several ways. Detailed mapping information of cities and communities prioritize improvement projects and keep community members safe while doing so. The military has been relying on special technology for decades to protect the country and its assets.
Businesses are also increasingly using geospatial data in conjunction with machine learning and artificial intelligence in several applications. For example, insurance companies show climate change and extreme weather events will increase or decrease the risk for certain geographical regions and adjust premiums accordingly.
Beacons, smartphones, and wearables are all becoming ubiquitous in retail marketing strategies, and can all be leveraged as geospatial tech that helps round out the customer experience. Retailers can get a comprehensive look at how shoppers move, how much time they spend in stores, which store locations they choose most, and other behavior that helps brands shape product development and brand expansion.
Farmers have decisions to make and questions to answer each growing season: What crops do I grow? When do I plant them? Where should I plant my crops? Any questions left unanswered could impact their revenue that particular season. Many of those questions would traditionally be answered anecdotally or historically, but the agricultural industry now has access to sophisticated data tools that offer location-based information to make sure those questions get answers. From weather, machinery maintenance, and even soil conditions, geospatial technology can offer that information and answer those questions.
Businesses of all sizes that are looking to take advantage of geospatial data need to take a calculated approach to get started with these tools. There’s no shortage of geospatial tools available to organizations to use to gain a competitive edge. But to understand how these tools can help your business, consider these four pillars to keep in mind.
The first is the architecture of your geospatial system. This is the infrastructure of tools that your organization uses to collect and disseminate data. (For example, are you using a hybrid cloud approach or storing everything on-premises?) The second pillar, analytics, refers to how you collect that data; that covers what tools you decide to use – like drones for imagery, satellite technology, or real-time quantifiable data. Artificial intelligence is the third consideration and is used for deep learning by studying countless algorithms created by the data that your geospatial tools collect. The final consideration is automation, which allows for general workflows to be streamlined during geospatial data collection.
Whether you’re looking for geospatial tools for your business or you’re considering a career in geospatial intelligence, you have plenty of options to choose from. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team to talk about mapping your career and the options you have.