by Ian Masser
ESRI Press, 2005, 336 pp.

Geographic data is becoming increasingly valuable as GIS technology is adopted around the world, across diverse industries. The ability to share the dynamic information leads to efficient decision making and effective operation. The presense of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) used to build a policy framework around GIS technology. SDIs are defined as the technology, policies, standards, human resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserved spatial data.

This book provides an overview of the developments that have taken place with SDIs over the last 10 to 15 years. Author Ian Masser focuses on the new policy options of SDI initiatives. "The importance of SDI has grown as our capacity to handle large quantities of spatial information has increased exponentially over the last 20 years as a result of developoments in GIS technology," said Masser. "at the same time, our power to access this information has been transfored by the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web."