For more, see GPS to GeoSync
Global Positioning System, or GPS, is a global navigation system developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Based on a constellation of 24 satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of over 12,000 miles, GPS uses technology that yields accurate positions anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.
GPS technology has enabled numerous agencies, as well as individuals, to collect and maintain field data. Inventorying large quantities of data used to be time consuming and was almost always left to the registered surveyor. With the advent of hand-held and backpack GPS units, the data collection torch has been passed to municipalities and employees to collect and maintain their own data.
GIS technologies have enabled those same entities to create maps and use their data to run particular statistical analysis and “what if” scenarios. GIS also reduces the need for paper maps and provides the user with on-screen “smart maps” capable of providing meaningful, on-the-fly information to the user.
With the combination of GPS and GIS, data can be collected and “put to work” for the user. The procurement and maintenance of data then becomes a meaningful exercise, allowing for the collection and distribution of large data sets across multiple agencies.