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What is GIS
GIS Stands for Geographic Information Systems which is defined as a system of computer hardware, software and data for collecting, storing, analyzing and disseminating information about areas of the earth. For land transportation purposes, GIS is defined as a highway network (spatial data which graphically represents the geometry of the highways, i.e., an electronic map) and its geographically referenced component attributes. GIS is primarily used by Towns for Property Assessment, Site Development, and Planning.
Most non-GIS users hear the term “G-I-S” and think “M-A-P.” That is, they think of GIS, and GIS practitioners, as mapmakers. Most GIS practitioners have unknowingly perpetuated this image. Ask any GIS practitioner what they do for a living and most will say, “I make maps;” however, the reality is that what they do for a living is help people make better decisions through the power of location.