Geographic Information Systems, Its Role And Purpose In Belize

You may not know what GIS is, but the Geographic Information Systems are critical planning tools that is used in everything from archaeology, to urban planning to utility management.
This week, ESRI, the leading Global software company dedicated to GIS is in Belize this week with a vision, it says, aimed at developing GIS technology in Belize. ESRI, has teamed up with the Land Information Center and Trimble Navigation to host the First Annual Belize GIS User Conference and Exhibition, and by all accounts, interest was high amongst Belizean companies and government departments, as was evident by the huge turnout at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza.

“Right, depending on the device that you have, you can get just the position of where that vehicle is but more importantly you can get information about say humidity of our cargo, the temperature of the cargo or whether someone actually tries to get in and all that is in real-time going through either your cell phone. Network or in remote areas though satellites.”

Tracking drivers, their location and speed at any given time of the day might be one very useful aspect of this technology both government and private sector could take advantage of, in reducing wasteful spending, whilst increasing productivity, not to mention saving lives on Belize’s dangerous highways. Reporting for Seven News, I’m Jim McFadzean.

The two day Conference and Exhibition concludes tomorrow evening at 5. So for those of you who would like more information on Geographic Information Systems, you still have time to get a peek at the exhibit which is free and open to the public.