Mobile technologies keep growing in capabilities, diversity and availability by the week. The decreasing prices of mobile devices and mobile services, better coverage and new software have made it one of the most dynamic services today - so no wonder that mobile GIS applications are getting more and more popular, both in the professional world and with the average outdoor enthusiast.
Being free from desktop hardware has many advantages. The user can easily use relatively cheap smartphones or tablets to access maps, collect and report data and even perform analysis. The software client interface is usually simpler, the costs of data collection can be greatly reduced and the data can be quickly synchronized with the client’s servers.
However, mobile technology has
some drawbacks as well. The small screen size of smartphones, short battery
life, limited keyboard functionality and limited processing power are some of
the most common shortcomings of mobile GIS.
Nevertheless, most professional GIS
software companies, such as ESRI and Google, are investing in this quickly
developing market, constantly developing their mobile and online services. But
there are also many start-ups and web communities that are developing their own
mobile GIS solutions, that may be more easily adapted to personal users or
small business needs. There are services that are available online and offline
so not even a remote location is out of reach.
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