Where is the business market demand for GIS?

Where is the business market demand for GIS services is the crucial question for everyone working in this area. This knowledge can lead you to establish successful long-term business strategy or show you a proper path in GIS career. In March 2011 at the Esri Partner Conference in Palm Springs, CA, Lars Backhans, Esri Sweden managing director, was trying to answer this question.

The biggest growth in GIS will come from areas that are not yet 'Geo'.

Now why is that?

According to Gartner the growing practice of introducing new technologies into consumer markets prior to industrial markets will be the most significant trend affecting information technology (IT) during the next 10 years. As a result, the majority of new technologies enterprises adopt for their information systems between 2007 and 2012 will have roots in consumer applications.

So what does it really mean?

Basically an user behavior in the internet will drive demand for change in internal IT solutions. According to 10 Social Media Trends for 2011:

1. Location-Based Marketing:

2. Video Platforms:

3. Text Campaigns:

...

Now what's the 3rd most popular used application on iPhone?

What's the most popular used app on Android?

What's the 2nd most used service from Google network:

According to Backhanks sources Maps are in Google one of the first five priorities for the future.

Conclusions?

People are getting more conscious about the location aspect of life. They are already used to certain location-based ideas and their utilization. Google Maps revolutionized mapping, made it a part of everyday life of billions of people. Now it's time for implementing spatial dimension in business IT solutions.

Where in Business?

If internet users use 'Geo' and they want to see 'Geo' added to their internal IT solutions where is the demand going to happen?

Looking at the IT market 45% of all organization have budget to procure Enterprice Resource Planing systems, 31% have financial resources to procure Enterprice Content Managment systems and 24% have a budget to invest in Mobile Solutions. So in practice it means that if you meet 10 customers, 2.5 of them wants to know what's your mobility offer is...

Where to base your market strategy?

According to Backhans in practice all of listed bellow IT solutions can benefit from adding 'Geo' dimension:

Reference: ESRI Partner Conference 2011