Primer on Wireless GIS
By Paul Braun
The explosive growth of the wireless telecommunications market has taken mobile computing to another level: wireless GIS. Predominant uses of wireless GIS are in areas such as utilities, asset tracking, maintenance management, land management, public safety and environmental management. This Quick Study will minimize the hype related to wireless computing by providing a realistic look into the wireless GIS market along with outlining an actionable approach for planning and implementing wireless GIS within an organization. This Primer will provide an overview of the industry and dissect each of the critical components; the telecommunications industry, hardware availability, software capabilities, data design and security. The guide will clarify the differences between mobile and wireless computing, review the history and current state of the industry, and provide a vision as to where each component is going.
