7 Most Common Pitfalls When Shopping for Geospatial Data
Geospatial data is being collected by people, cars, smart meters and of course, your mobile phone. This is in addition to traditional data collected from government census, financial and econometric sources, and departments of natural resources. What users are finding today is a variety of data product choices for use with geographic information systems. However, with choice comes questions about where to buy, how much to buy, and cost.
The challenges facing users who need to purchase geospatial data come with a complex mixture of products arranged by geography, such as a country boundary or a variety of data types, such as demographics or points of interest, as well as licensing options that vary by time. Vendors of geospatial data recognize these challenges and are standing up data marketplaces as a starting point. Presenting choices assumes, however, that users know what they want and are familiar with how the vendor will price and license products.
Agenda
- Ask the right questions before buying data
- Understand how data is sold, especially in new marketplaces; how data is organized; and what choices users can expect to find
- What users need to know about the terms, conditions and licensing agreements of data
