GIS and Big Data

We were early users of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) when we helped manage Alberta Pine forests.   True it predated 'Big Data', but emerged at about the same time as optimization analytics, which we used to great value.  Nice to see a piece to that see how its still valued and is evolving.

Benefits of Pairing Big Data with GIS Technology

GIS technology is driving the discovery of big data.
by Rehan Ijaz  via Gib Bassett  in SmartDataCollective

GIS is a remarkable technology that has changed our world in unimaginable ways. Its roots can be traced back to 1962, when Roger Tomlinson invented this breakthrough technology for the Canada Land Inventory, which means that GIS predates big data by about 50 years.

Nevertheless, big data is having a tremendous impact on future of GIS. The relationship is a two-way street, because GIS technology is driving the discovery of big data as well.

Here are some of the fascinating ways that big data and GIS technology are playing off of each other

Tapping customer demographic information for market growth

Every brand needs to understand the demographics of its customers. Before the advent of big data, companies were forced to make educated guesses about their clientele.

Portland State University has found that GIS is the future of small business marketing. Local businesses can collect data on customers in their region. This data can be incorporated into heat maps, so that they can formulate a better marketing strategy. They can even break their data down by neighborhood, so they can target their advertisements to each neighborhood based on whether or not customer is living there meet their customer profile. .... "