Thanks to Ernest
Pecounis for this link.
“Following the lead of the open-source stalwarts who made the
Linux operating system and the Mozilla World Wide Web browser
respected, real-world products, developers of geographic
information system (GIS) software are providing open-source tools
that could become a valuable resource for state and local IT
departments.”
“Open-source distribution provides access to free, modifiable
source code without the technical support common to commercial
software.”
“Until recently, deciding which route to take for GIS has been
fairly easy. For a hefty price, commercial vendors will provide
robust tools and good support, enabling urban planners, zoning and
tax departments, and emergency service providers to access detailed
photos from satellites and high-altitude airplanes.”
“The high cost of commercial software, however, has put such
graphic data out of the reach of many state and local users, while
in-house programmers have had few resources available to help them
write their own code. The advent of open-source GIS and
remote-sensing tools promises to tip the balance in the
programmers’ favor.”