Analysis of GIS-Software – a GIS software market survey in the business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) market

1  Contents  

1  Contents  2

2  List of Figures  4

3  List of Tables  5

4  List of Acronyms and Abbreviations  6

5  Introduction  7

5.1  Hypothesis and definition of the aims of the bachelor thesis  8

5.2  Description of the methodology of the bachelor thesis  8

6  Description of the project Analysis of Prof GIS-Desktop SW  11

6.1.1  Overview of the project Analysis of Prof GIS-Desktop SW  11

6.2  Project framework  12

6.3  Information about project matter  12

6.4  Description cascade model a procedure model for the bachelor thesis  

  research process  12

6.5  Description about the Project Analysis GIS-SW  13

6.6  Phases and milestones of the project  14

6.7  Project Overview: GANT Chart  16

7  Topics  18

7.1  GIS-Software Market Overview  18

7.1.1  Description market research company Daratech Inc  18

7.1.2  The Prof GIS-SW Market 2003  18

7.1.3  The Prof GIS-SW Market 2006  19

7.2  GIS-Software Systems Overview  20

7.2.1  Types of GIS SW systems  20

7.2.2  The structure and logic of GIS SW  22

7.2.3  The difference between Desktop and network GIS  22

7.2.4  Understand the architecture of GIS-Desktop Software  23

7.3  Developing process of the criteria catalogue  25

7.4  Description of raw and fine criteria of a Prof Desktop GIS-SW system  

  according to the results of the primary research phase (qualitative  

  interviews)  26

7.5  Description benchmarking process and design of the criteria catalogue29  

7.6  Discussion about the results of the primary research phase (qualitative  

  interviews)  30

7.6.1  Design of the interview process  30

7.6.2  Conception of the interviews and visualisation of the questionnaire31  

7.6.3  Final results of the qualitative interviews of the b2c b2b  

  companies interviewed  33

7.7  Analyzed reference Professional GIS-Desktop Systems  36

7.7.1  Professional GIS-Desktop System Arc Info (ESRI Inc )  37

7.7.2  Professional GIS-Desktop System MapInfo (MapInfo)  38

7.7.3  Professional GIS-Desktop System GeoMedia (INTERGRAPH)  39

8  Conclusion and Views Forward  40

9  Literature  42

9.1  Literature  42

9.2  Online Sources (proquest database)  42

9.2.1  Online Sources to the reference systems of Prof GIS-Desktop  

  Software  43

10  Appendix  48

10.1  Conception and design of the questionnaires for the structured interviews48  

  Questionnaire WIGeoGIS GmbH 48 10 1  1

  Questionnaire GISquadrat GmbH 57 10 1  2

  Questionnaire RegioData GmbH 65 10 1  3

10.1.4  Questionnnaire ÖBB Immobilienmanagement GmbH  74

2  List of Figures  

  Figure 1 research and criteria catalogue process own source  10

  Figure 2 The Cascade Model own source  13

  Figure 3 GANT Chart of the project Analysis of GIS-SW system own source  17

  Figure 4 GIS 2003 software vendor market share  18

  Figure 5 GIS 2006 software vendor market share  20

  Figure 6 classical three tier architecture of a GIS-SW system  24

  Figure 7 Centralized desktop GIS architecture  25

  Figure 8 excerpt of the design of the criteria catalogue basic criteria and  

  quantifier own source  30

  Figure 9 Screenshot of ESRI ArcGIS Arc Info Desktop GIS  37

  Figure 10 Screenshot of MAP Info Prof Desktop GIS  38

  Figure 11 Screenshot of INTEGRAPH GeoMedia  39

3  List of Tables  

Table 1  conception of phase models of the bachelor thesis project own source  

   14

Table 2  Conception of a phase-model plan of project phase own source  15

Table 3  project milestone plan own source  16

Table 4  conception of a phase model own source  16

Table 5  Different types of GIS SW systems  22

Table 6  Comparison of desktop and network GIS  23

Table 7  Listing of Basic criteria with description of raw and fine definition own  

  source  27

Table 8  Description new criteria raw and fine definition included own source  28

4 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

B2B Business to Business

B2C Business to Consumer

DB Database

DBM Database Marketing

EBM Event Based Marketing

GIS Geographical Information System

GIS-DB Geographical Information System Database

GIS-Desktop SW Geographical Information System Desktop Software

GIS-SW Geographical Information System Software

IS Information System

ODBC Open Database Connection

ver. Version of Software

q.v. [abbr.] quod vide

cp. [abbr.] compare

e.g. [abbr.] for example

Prof. Desktop GIS-SW Professional Desktop GIS-Software

appr. [abbr.] Approximately

expl. Explanation

chapt. Chapter

B.c. Basic criteria

5 Introduction

"Der Wechsel allein ist das Beständige."

(Quadbeck-Seeger, H.-J. 2002)

This Bachelor thesis deals with geographic information system software in the traditional GIS-Desktop SW range. The idea of this literature work and qualita- tive field study is to arrange the concept of a criterion catalogue as a decisive base for the acquisition of the market segment‚ professional GIS-Desktop SW systems of Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business enterprise (B2B) serves. A basis for the production of a criterion catalogue was the analy- sis of the extracts of the GIS-Research study of the company Daratech, Inc from the year 2006 [Dara06]. This criterion catalogue should be developed for Business to consumer (B2C) companies that have the application already in use or decide towards this market segment in the close future. For these B2C companies the criterion catalogue was created in this work and should become an important high-class instrument for future purchase decisions of the market segment‚ Professional Desktop GIS-Software (Prof. Desktop GIS-SW).

In accordance to the current scientific literature “criterion catalogue” of the coarse criteria and fine criteria do not to date exist (publicly not accessibly) on the segment Prof. Desktop GIS-SW systems that summarises as a research basis on qualitative interviews (primary research) and literature studies (secon- dary analysis) to be based on.

This work contains the following main chapters: ‘Introduction’ (chapter 5), ‘pro- ject description’ (chapter. 6), ‘GIS-SW Market Overview’ (chapter. 7.1), ‘GIS- Software systems overview’ (chapter 7.4), ‘developing process of the criteria catalogue’ (chapter 7.5), ‘Discussion about the results of the primary research phase’ (chapter 7.6) and ‘Analyzed reference Prof. GIS-Desktop Systems’ (chapter 7.7). The final chapter ‘Conclusion and views forward’(chapter 8) sums up the main parts of this work and shows cognition results of the primary re-

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search phase as well as other modelling and design possibilities of the intro- duced criteria catalogue.

5.1 Hypothesis and definition of the aims of the

bachelor thesis

This work lights up the basic questions with the concept, planning and produc- tion of a criterion catalogue in view of the problem formulation of this Bachelor's work is the Hypothesis as follows:

“Which qualitative criteria are important for a Prof. GIS-Desktop system in the b2c and b2b sector to saturate the GIS- business/business model for their cus- tomers/company's?” The question shall demonstrate in particular how possible criteria in the re- search sphere‚ ‘professional desktop software - geographic information sys- tems’ can be pulled up for the evaluation. The idea of this work is the production of a criterion catalogue for B2B&B2C firms/students/science staff for the qualita- tive evaluation of the market segment “professional GIS-Desktop SW systems” is pulled up and should demonstrate therefore a critical overview about this market segment in the range of GIS-Desktop SW. Beside, the finished criterion catalogue should be customizable specifically for the requirements of the re- spective company by separated weighting (quantifier) from primary & secondary research phases to resultant criteria. In particular, the criterion catalogue should be integrated actively into the call for tender’s process by new acquisition of new GIS-Desktop SW of system.

5.2 Description of the methodology of the

bachelor thesis

The representation of the methodical approach of this work occurs in 3 steps, namely

1. The representation of the Research process, 2. The representation of the Criteria Catalogue process, and

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3. The representation of the Conclusion process referring to point 2.

The following illustrated research process (see fig. 1 research-and criteria cata- logue process) is embedded into the ‘cascade model’ (q.v. Chapter 6.4), that means that it is possible that between in Fig. 1. For illustration the research phases‚ the research process and criteria catalogue process backward steps between the single phases are possible (q.v. Figure 1).

Figure 1 research- and criteria catalogue process, own source

The research process is applied in all phases of this Bachelor thesis and con-

tains, how in Figure 1 displayed, high-class cheque after end of each research

phase.

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6 Description of the project ‚Analysis of

Prof. GIS-Desktop SW’

6.1.1 Overview of the project ‚Analysis of Prof. GIS-

Desktop SW’

In today's times, a dynamic enterprise-covering change of communication policy takes place in the enterprises increasingly – here is used the catchword „Cus- tomer Relation-ship marketing“- in the foreground of every bigger company. At rapid speed the process of the customer connection walks in the range B2C (Business to Consumer), however, also in the B2B (Business to Business) area. The Internet gets by progress of the portal technologies and increasing know- how of application of GIS-SW a significant strategically factor for the customer connection. By application of new communication technologies, companies are in the position to increase individualised customer solutions (Customized mar- keting) and provide and allow long lasting customer respect (customer connec- tion) [Meff00, 161 ff.].

This work deals at first with the worldwide GIS-SW market. From chapter 7.2 it is entered on the topic of Prof. GIS-Desktop SW (Professional Geographical Information System Desktop Software). A systematic overview about the appli- cation and meaning of Prof. GIS-Desktop SW in the B2B and B2C market should be given to the reader of this work. The main focus of this work concen- trates on the concept and application of a qualitative classification schema for Prof. GIS-Desktop SW in practice, concerning the Prof. GIS-Desktop SW in companies that are positioned in the scope of business B2C and B2B.

The idea of this work is to develop a criterion catalogue and to conceive, how to make it for B2B and B2C companies possible to give a profound and critical market overview of Prof. GIS-Desktop Software systems. This criterion cata- logue should work in practice as a qualitative basis with choice processes (e.g., call for tenders process of GIS-SW newly to be purchased) for Prof. GIS- Desktop SW application. At first a concept is created for a criterion catalogue. The representation of the criterion catalogue should occur to form of a qualita- tive system of evaluation. The criterion catalogue should measure the meaning of the quality of the criteria for Prof. GIS-Desktop SW systems respectively to be examined in form of a rank procedure (more detailed description, see ‘De- scription, benchmarking process and design of the criteria catalogue' (chapter

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7.5). Building up all criteria it should flow systematically onto the criterion cata- logue to become one qualitative measurable meaning for the B2B and B2C companies.

6.2 Project framework

This Bachelor thesis is done in the context of the deepening course VI of the IT specialisation "e-commerce" of the studies of business applications of computer science at the ‘University of business Administration and Economics’ (Vienna). The assistance on the part of the department of business management and business applications of computer science of the ‘University of business Ad- ministration and Economics’ (Vienna) occurs from my supervisor. The work is based on a subject suggestion called the ‘support IT of direct marketing’ by my supervisor.

6.3 Information about project matter

The project starts from point zero and has got no offshore project phases. The most important contents of the project get described in the following chapters: ‘Description about the Project Analysis GIS-SW’ (chapter 6.3), ‘Phases and milestones about the project' (chapter 6.6)‚ and ‘Project overview: GANT CHART' (chapter 6.7).

6.4 Description ‚cascade model’ – a procedure model

for the bachelor thesis research process

The project realisation orientates on the ‘cascade model’. The cascade model’ partly takes into consideration the possibility of backward steps. It analyses a sequence of the steps, requirement and preliminary investigation, analysis, de- sign, implementing, test and company and admits a reverse step of a step on the direct predecessor. Nevertheless, a step can be concluded when all prod- ucts intended for it have been finished. This should lead to a risk minimisation during the project period. Below the ‚Cascade model’ is charted (q.v. Figure 2)

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Figure 2 The Cascade Model, own source

6.5 Description about the Project ‚Analysis GIS-SW’

The project ‘Analysis GIS-Software’ is divided into five phases. The ‘Phase of theory’ or Research phase, the ‘Phase of analysis’, the ‘Phase of design’, the ‘Phase of design II’ and finally the ‘Phase of Evaluation’ The following table (q.v. Table 1) shows the project phases during the project ‘Analysis GIS-SW’.

Table 1 conception of phase models of the bachelor thesis project, own source

6.6 Phases and milestones of the project

In the following tables the project phases of the project ‘Analysis of GIS- Software’ (q.v. Table 2 ‘Conception of a phase model’) and project milestone plan (q.v. Table 3 ‘Project milestone plan’). In this place, it is important to men- tion that the ‘cascade model’ is used here (q.v. chapter 6.4 ‘Description cascade model’).

Table 2 Conception of a phase-model, plan of project phase, own source

Table 3 project milestone plan, own source

6.7 Project Overview: GANT Chart

In the following table the project is displayed for easier understanding in the form of project phases. In the next picture the phases of the project are dis- played including a picture of the project plan in form of a GANT-Chart (q.v. Fig- ure 3 GANT-Chart of the project ‘Analysis GIS-SW’). In this place, it is important to mention that the cascade model is used here (q.v. chapter 6.4 ‘Description cascade model’).

Table 4 conception of a phase model, own source

In the following there is displayed the picture of the GANT-Chart (q.v. fig 3). The black rhombs represent the project plans; the red rhomb at the end displays the project end.

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Figure 3 GANT Chart of the project ‘Analysis of GIS-SW system’, own source

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