Internet based GIS solutions

Integrate Internet Based GIS with GPS and Wireless Device
Enterprise GIS can virtually be extended to any remote location by combining Internet GIS with GPS and wireless technologies. With GPS offering the location information, a user in the field can retrieve a map of the surrounding area. Retrieving and updating the database information for utility equipment, work order status, and data collection can be sent to a centralized database from multiple users in real time, eliminating database synchronization and ofice input efforts. GIS can then be integrated with enterprise IT subsystems such as equipment inventory, scheduling, invoice tracking and project management.

To achieve this, an ActiveX control is required on the client for the field computer to recognize the NEMA standard signals received from the GPS connected with the serial port. On the server, an Active Server Page (ASP) application is required to control the display of the browser as well as handle the communications between the browser and the Publishing Engine.

When a user opens the web page, an ASP application displays maps with GIS features published by the Internet GIS Server. According to the locational coordinates from the ActiveX GPS control, the browser displays the appropriate map. The ASP based application is also the middle tier object communicating the field browser with the Internet based GIS Publishing Engine. When a user selects an object, sends a query, or makes an update request, the ASP application sends the request to the Internet GIS Publishing Engine for processing and returns the database result back to the client. In order to achieve real-time mapping, a wireless modem is required on the field computer. As long as the user can connect to an Internet provider, the communication between the field computer and the corporate server will allow dynamic map display and GIS database access.

A schematic diagram on the following page illustrates all the components required to accomplish the real-time remote GIS.

Sample Projects
Four sample projects are selected to demonstrate Internet based GIS. They are:

Howard County ( Maryland) Property GIS (GeoMedia WEB Map based)
Maryland Property GIS – MdProperty View (MapObjects Internet Map Server)
PEPCO Utility Online (ModelServer Discovery)
Howard County (Maryland) Road Pavement Inventory (MapObjects, GPS, Wireless Modems)