Shapefile (.shp) and File Geodatabase (.gdb) are two different storage formats for spatial data. Both were originally developed by Esri and can be used in Esri software, so why would a user choose one file format over the other? This brief [...]

It makes sense that map data is only valuable if its capabilities and functionality align with the user’s needs. But therein lies the difficulty: you don’t know if the map data will suit your needs without sampling and working with it first. If [...]

Automating repetitive or time-consuming tasks saves time – and often frustration – for GIS professionals. A scripting language like Python is an ideal solution for automation and also provides efficiencies around stringing together multiple tools [...]

Thematic maps are hardly a new concept. The mid-17th century found English astronomer Edward Halley developing maps of stars, trade winds, and magnetic variations that paved the way for navigation and the study of the physical environment. In the [...]

In today’s world we use maps for everything from tracking packages to navigating from point A to point B to monitoring a fleet of drivers. Map data has become an important part of our everyday lives. Using open source maps in your map-centric [...]

The fourth industrial revolution — Industry 4.0 — has taken hold and continues to transform how manufacturers manage their operations, do business in the marketplace and lean into the future. The technologies powering the revolution are dynamic, [...]

For more than a decade, GIS professionals have relied upon TomTom MultiNet to deliver high-quality map data with:

• Unsurpassed accuracy and currency
• Highly accurate geocoding match rates
• Seamless street network with names, classes, ramp [...]

Licensing map data for any number of uses — fleet management, geocoding, route optimization, etc., — also means assuming responsibility for data storage, security and maintenance. Meeting these responsibilities can be a burden on staff and [...]

For many organizations map data is a necessity. As such, its value can sometimes be reduced to a budget line item instead of how the map data can be leveraged to create efficiencies.

Accuracy, reliability and updating frequency are typically on [...]

Map data is only effective if it is reliable, and updating map data is the only way to ensure its accuracy. That could raise some questions about the map data you’re using or considering.

To assume that your map data is reliable can be risky. [...]