The main advantages of spatial databases are as follows:
1) Interoperability in a Distributed Computing Environment: By using a client/server architecture, internationally accepted industry standards and the Web browser as the universal client on the Internet, Web enabled spatial database systems provide one of the most interoperable environments in distributed computing, not only among spatial database systems themselves, but also between spatial database systems and other types of information systems.
2) Hardware and Software Independence: Web-enabled spatial databases can be accessed transparently regardless of the types of computers that information providers and end users use. This eliminates the need for multiple-platform application development.
3) Rapid Deployment and Universal Accessibility at Manageable Cost: The technologies for Web-enabled spatial database systems are relatively mature now.Because the Web browser is a standard the application installed on all desktop computers applications can be developed relatively quickly using commercial or open-source software tools, and deployed to serve unlimited numbers of end users within a relatively short time frame at minimal cost.
4) Lowering the Cost of Using Spatial Information Technology: web-enabled spatial database systems can be built and deployed without using expensive proprietary software products. The growing market of spatial information has also led to the introduction into the spatial database arena of a new business model of providing information services, known as application service providers (ASP). ASP offer complete fee-based service packages, including data and application, to enable organisations to use spatial information in their business without incurring the capital costs for hardware/software acquisition, database creation and application development, and on-going costs for systems operation, maintenance and upgrading.
5) Improved Spatial Information Customer Services: By taking advantage of the ubiquitous nature of the Internet as the medium of communication, organisations are able to provide spatial information services to their clients throughout the world twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. At the same time, anyone with access to the Internet is able to use spatial information to enjoy, to learn and to make decisions whenever they want to. As data can be downloaded electronically over the Internet, there is no need for users to travel to information centres or points of sales to acquire data. Further, Web-enabled spatial databases can be linked directly to field data loggers or collectors (for example. GPS, Web cameras, Web sensors, weather stations and satellite imagery receiving stations) to provide spatial information to end users in real time. These features of Web-enabled spatial database systems provide a new business model of customer service that conventional over-the-counter information services can never match.
