GIS (or geographic information systems) are software that are built to store, analyze, and display geographic data. It operates on a system built on 5 pillars: Users, Hardware, Software, Data, and Analysis.

With GIS, users can solve a myriad of problems where location is a factor. Where should city planners put a new hospital or clinic? Where will election districts be drawn after a decennial census? Where will a hurricane make landfall, and how will that area respond to a major storm? What routes will make transportation companies more efficient? All of these questions and many more can be answered with the right data and the proper analysis.