Information Resource Integration

If a region or nation is to make the best use of its information assets and reduce duplication in gathering data, information sharing across the public sector is essential. For example, from tracing the origins and spread of foot and mouth disease to locating crime hot spots for law enforcement, geographic information systems have become indispensable for effective knowledge transfer within both the public and private sector. The potential importance of GIS is indicated in recent studies. For instance a recent US study showed that projects, which had adopted and implemented geospatial interoperability standards had an ROI (return on investment) of 119%, which means that for every dollar invested, there were annual cost savings of more than a dollar (Cabinet Office, 2005).