GIS stands for “Geographic Information System”, which is a technology that allows the user to produce and interact with many types of maps. This is a list of geospatial providers that use GIS.
Esri: Tools and data by the company that helped develop geospatial information systems, Esri is firmly entrenched in government IT shops where they help make decisions based on GIS data about the environment.
GeoData.gov: Data clearinghouse This government site features lists of the many local and federal sources of data like climate, coasts, conservation, environment, geology, hazards, hydrology, topo maps, weather, and wildfires.
Google: Google Maps is only five years old. It shot to prominence quickly by making geospatial data a household commodity, by facilitating mashups that brought geospatial apps to the masses. Need information on Google Maps query strings?
Navteq: Data provider One of the “big two” (Tele Atlas) for geospatial data, Chicago-based Navteq is considered by some to be the main provider of geospatial data in the United States.
OpenGeo: Open source GIS OpenGeo’s business model, like many open source-focused organizations, is to sell support around open source offerings it maintains.
OpenStreetMap: Crowdsourced map data It describes itself as “a free editable map of the whole world. It is made by people like you.” Think of it as Wikipedia for geographic data.
Pitney-Bowes Business Insight: Pitney-Bowes is known for postage meters, but in 2007 it acquired MapInfo, for many years Esri’s top rival. It has put substantial resources behind MapInfo’s GIS software like MapInfo Professional 10.5 (Learn the latest features and functions).
Pushpin: Map tools Pushpin’s JavaScript API for embedding maps into any Web site got really interesting in 2009, when Placespace was acquired by Apple. The move was seen as Apple reducing its dependency on Google for geospatial software.
Tele Atlas: Data provider The other “big two” (Navteq was the other one) of geospatial data, Netherlands-based Tele Atlas has been in business for over 20 years, with substantial expertise in Europe and Asia.