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Abstract | Full Paper | PDF
Building Spatial Portals: Key Issues and Lessons Learnt
 Winnie Tang Chief Executive Officer, ESRI China (Hong Kong) Limited Phone : (852)2730 6883, Fax : (852) 2730 3772 Email : wtang@esrichina-hk.com Jan SELWOOD Project Manager ESRI China (Hong Kong) Limited Phone : (852)2730 6883, Fax : (852) 2730 3772 Email : jrselwood@attglobal.net Abstract Developments in GIS technology now offer far greater opportunities for distributed geospatial computing. These include access and use of both spatial data and functional services, and their integration with other remote services or within traditional desktop environments. These developments are significantly impacting the GI industry, bringing new efficiencies and challenges, as well as altering system design, development and management strategies. Spatial portals, both within individual enterprises and for state, national and international data infrastructure initiatives (NSDI or GSDI) provide a means for ordering, managing, discovering and accessing distributed geospatial services, and as such are essential to the future of GIS. The paper considers the evolution of spatial portals within the broader context of distributed GI computing. This approach is helpful in illustrating both the origins and extent of the background preparation that supports many of the most successful spatial portals, and the factors that have come together recently to enable these efforts to bear fruit. Drawing on the experience of a number of international examples of regional, national and enterprise portals, the paper will look at different ways in which portals have been approached and identify criteria for success and lessons that can be learnt from these pioneering systems. |