INTEGRATED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (IGIS): 
STATUS AND RESEARCH ISSUES 
Manfred Ehlers 
David R. Steiner 
ISPA, University of Osnabrück-Vechta 
Vechta, Germany 
Nickolas Faust 
Georgia Institute of Technology 
Georgia Technical Research Institute 
Atlanta, GA, USA 
Commission II, Working Group 2 
KEY WORDS: Geoinformatics systems, Integrated Geographic Information Systems (IGIS), Technology Advances 
ABSTRACT 
This paper presents status and trends for recent developments of integrated geographic information systems. Progress in 
computer hardware and software are the basis for a structural change in the systems aspect. Boundaries between systems 
for image analysis, geographic information processing, softcopy photogrammetry, and digital cartography are ceasing to 
exist. We will present challenges and possibilities for Geoinformatics Systems. 
KURZFASSUNG 
Dieser Beitrag zeigt den gegenwärtigen Zustand sowie zukünftige Trends für die jüngeren Entwicklungen im Bereich 
integrierter geographischer Infortmationssysteme auf. Fortschritte im Hardware- und Software-Bereich sind die Basis für 
einen strukturellen Wandel: Grenzen zwischen Systemen für Bildverarbeitung, für geographische 
Informationsverarbeitung, für digitale Photogrammetrie sowie für digitale Kartographie beginnen zu verwischen. Wir 
werden Herausforderungen an und Möglichkeiten von Geoinformatics Systems darstellen. 
1.0 WORKING GROUP ACTIVITIES 
The activities of the ISPRS Working Group II/2 
'Hardware and Software Aspects of Geographic 
Information Systems' were primarily directed toward the 
identification of significant trends for future 
developments and the integration with other systems for 
spatial data handling. Specific topics of interest included: 
* Design and operational aspects of the integration of 
GIS with image analysis systems; 
* Technologies for three-dimensional GIS; 
* Studies of man-machine interactions: display 
techniques, interactive techniques, and audio 
interaction; 
* Studies of benchmark design for integrated GIS; 
* Studies of GIS characterized by workstation, 
mainframe, and microsystems in a heterogeneous 
environment; 
» Studies of parallel processors, array processors, 
supercomputers, and optical hybrid systems for 
improving GIS; 
* Hardware and software for input/output aspects of 
GIS. 
Within this context, WG II/2 held three business 
meetings and organized an international workshop on 
"Requirements for Integrated Geographic Information 
Systems' which was held in conjunction with the 'Second 
Thematic Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and 
Coastal Environments'. Fifty-eight participants from 
thirteen different countries attended the workshop which 
was held at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel on February 
2 and 3, 1994. 
Twelve oral presentations were given on a variety of 
topics related to the issues and challenges faced by 
researchers using integrated GIS for work in Belgium, 
Egypt, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, and 
the United States. These topics included functional 
requirements for implementing and using GIS; the 
integration and use of various tools and techniques such 
as virtual reality, neural networks, and numerical 
modelling; metadata management; the use of temporal 
components; commentaries on the status and challenges 
of implementing GIS in several foreign countries; and 
case studies in wetland and aquaculture applications. 
Vendors from six different software corporations also 
attended to participate in a panel discussion, which was à 
highlight of the workshop. An interactive poster session 
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