The metamorphosis of GIS – Is AM/FM dead?
Modern AM/FM/GIS
The Role of Standards
Today’s most efficient enterprise-wide GIS is one that is built on a client/server architecture
using standard computer and networking technology. The server piece of this architecture uses
commercially available relational data base management systems (RDBMSs) for data storage,
which have been extended to accommodate spatial data (geographic content). This spatial
extension can come from either the relational data base vendor or the GIS vendor.
The client pieces of this architecture run on standard PCs or workstations and address the
traditional AM/FM or GIS functions in addition to new functionality such as map publishing on
the Internet. These Internet components also make use of existing and emerging standards such
as HTML, XML and WAP.
Open Development and Data Access
A key to acceptance of an AM/FM/GIS into a utility or telephone company’s information
technology department is its ability to be easily customized and extended. Therefore, they
cannot contain proprietary development environments, but must be able to be programmed with
standard development tools, such as Visual Basic, Delphi, Visual C++ and Power Builder.
Likewise, the ability to externally access the data within the system is mandatory. With standard
relational databases comes the ability to access data via the Structured Query Language (SQL).
In addition, the ability to access spatial data with similar, but extended SQL commands can be
accomplished provided that the relational database has been spatially enabled through a spatial
extension.
Object Orientation – vs Relational
There is no question that object-oriented (OO) programming has revolutionized application
development in many computer systems. However, most AM/FM/GIS’ utilize commercial
relational database management systems at their core. Early implementations of object-oriented
geographic information systems utilized object-oriented databases. While this seemed to be an
efficient design methodology, the problem was that no object-oriented database became
commercially well accepted. So these systems were left using proprietary or obscure
commercial object-oriented data base systems.
King COM
The turning point for AM/FM/GIS was when the relational data base vendors began supporting
object-oriented tools and formats in their commercial systems. Microsoft’s COM (Component
Object Model) architecture is becoming the standard in GIS use. Rather than a programming
language, COM is a protocol or standard. COM specifies an object model and programming
requirements that enable COM objects to interact with other objects. Systems that take
advantage of this architecture can be easily customized with COM compliant programming
languages such as Visual Basic, Visual C++ or Delphi. With these standard tools, there is no
need for proprietary languages or data stores.
AM/FM Functionality in a True GIS
Since objects contain behavior (how they are displayed and interact with other objects), a GIS
that supports COM can easily provide functions that previously required a specialized data
structure. That is, it can provide the ability to trace a connected network and perform a spatial
analysis, using polygon processing or buffering.
Today, most utilities or telecom companies that have not considered AM/FM/GIS are now doing
so because of the threat of competition. A GIS can arm them with the tools to compete
efficiently, identifying where revenue is coming from compared to where they have facilities.
With the merging of these two disciplines, utility companies have to look to increased benefits to
offset the costs of these systems. Corporate dissemination of mapping applications, or maplets,
within existing IT systems will drastically increase the benefits for GIS implementation. The
streamlining of job functions through the use of these maplets will allow efficiencies not seen
before. Quick access to maps (and AM/FM or GIS functions) from within virtually all computer
systems will change the way most users of those systems do their job.
The Future – Embeded GIS
A Place for Wizards and Cyberspace
I have described the way components (COM compliant objects) are being utilized to enhance
existing or create new applications. However, the user interface is still of utmost importance. If
a user cannot quickly and efficiently use an application, its acceptance will be thwarted. Thus a
context sensitive user tutorial, called a wizard is being included in applications that have nonintuitive
functions. The use of wizards in existing programs that did not previously have any
geographic reference or content will greatly increase user acceptance for embedded GIS.
More and more users will be creating maps and performing geographic or network analyses
without using or even having a GIS on their computer. In fact, they may not be aware of the
terms AM/FM or GIS while they are performing these geographic-based functions in their other
programs.
Being able to see a map of the location for a new service, for example, will save great amounts
of time in determining the closest facilities when a customer applies for service. Having a map
of the customers downstream of a transformer damaged by an automobile will increase customer
service by being more responsive, or even proactive, to outages. The efficient routing of
vehicles using a GIS application can save significant maintenance dollars for a dispatch office.
These are just a few examples of what can be done with fast access to spatial or geographic
information within a utility.
Another media for the dissemination of GIS functions is the Internet or an Intranet via a web
browser. I am sure that most people have seen an example of this when searching through web
sites that support street maps and driving directions. Cyberspace will continue to be a significant
media for GIS functions. In future versions of GIS software, a user will be able to obtain and use
geographic data from across the Internet to create custom maps just as if the information was on
the users own hard drive. The publishing of metadata along with these geographic data will
make this process much easier.
Now Ain’t That Spatial
Aside from what I previously called maplets and embedded GIS functions, spatially enabled
relational databases will also provide geographic capabilities and analysis to new sets of users.
Making spatial queries like “show me all the customers within five miles of the phone store” will
be easy with a database equipped with a spatial extension. Such SQL requests will be supported
with a corresponding spatial expansion of the query language. The extent of the geographic
capabilities will be dependent upon the number of spatial operators contained in the database
extension.
You Don’t Have to be a Geographer to Read a Map
In the future, you won’t have to be a GIS operator to perform these embedded GIS functions and
spatial queries. This reasoning is just like the fact that you don’t now have to be a geographer to
read a map. The question is, though, how will this impact existing AM/FM/GIS systems used
for facilities management and spatial analysis? With all this embedding, will AM/FM systems,
as we know them disappear? Will the term go away? Will GIS entirely give way to spatially
enabled relational database systems?
Conclusions – Is AM/FM dead?
Specialization Will Survive
Regardless of how many maplets are created and how many new users of AM/FM/GIS
functionality we will make with our embedded applications, these are additional users, not
replacement users. What I mean by this is there will always be those intense users of dedicated
systems that manage facilities or provide geographic analysis that they will survive and even
grow as a group. The growth of high-end, professional GIS software will continue into the
future. The requirement for these high-end systems will expand into vertical markets not
previously penetrated with applications that we cannot now define. This has been the situation
since GIS’ earliest days and this will continue into the foreseeable future.
What is exciting about the prospect of adding all these GIS users in this new occasional-use,
non-traditional category (those that use embedded GIS functions), is that it will drive the
functionality of core GIS software beyond what we would do alone as GIS professionals.
Expanding GIS software with new functions (and selling them) is what keeps us vendors in
business.
As to whether the term AM/FM will die… Who knows? Maybe the folks at GITA can shed
some light on that question. After all, they were once called AM/FM International.
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