Spatial Data Infrastructure

In the analogue era, concern for spatial data and its distribution were tasks for mapping organisations earning a reputation for producing quality products based on their spatial characteristics, including their visualisation in printed map form to be used for many different types of problems. In contrast, from the second half of the twentieth century onwards, with the developments in computer technology, digital cartography end GIS were also developed to capture, store and analyse spatial data, replacing the tedious analogue map making process. Nowadays, there is a rapid growth of the availability of digital spatial data and a growing need to use it for all kinds of applications in the field of spatial activities. In addition, with the development of today's communication technology, it becomes possible for every user, surfing the Internet, to collect datasets from a variety of sources and different types of application. This requires translation from the original source data into the user’s system, to make the received data user understandable and usable.