geographic information systems
Geospatial data present unique challenges due to the complexity of the organization and storage of data concerning a broad array of spatial objects collected in different formats, with different reference systems. Geospatial data storage and transmission are complicated by the storage requirements of geospatial data (archives of multiple terabytes are common), by the need to store the location of features or imagery as well as information on their spatial reference system and associated metadata, and by the increasingly common requirement that data be accessible by multiple users from a range of different platforms. [Source: Encyclopedia of Geography; Open Geodata Standards]
open geodata standards
concepts