The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B4. Beijing 2008 
development of Internet and mobile communication technology, 
GIS, RS and GNSS technology often use integrately. Modem 
surveying technology also refers to "3S" technologies. 
Therefore, the above indicators have intersected parts and need 
to be modified. P G is is the indicator of GIS project applications 
which doesn’t involve the isolated data process, application and 
service. The geoinformation application without GIS system 
development is calculated in surveying industry. The RS 
application integration with GIS should be removed, and the 
indicator PRd is modified as PRd' which indicates RS 
application without use GIS technology. Surveying and GIS 
applications (PGNsg) in GNSS industry is also need to be 
removed. In surveying industry, RS industry related aerial 
photography (PSVa) and photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 
(PSVr), GIS industry related GIS project(PSVg), mapping 
industry related map complication(PSVm) are all need to be 
removed. The modified indicators are shown in table 1. 
Industrial 
Branch 
Industry size decompostion 
Decomposed 
Indicator 
Modified 
Indicator 
Surveying 
Industry 
Geodetic and survey(PSVs) which including geodetic surveying, engineer 
surveying, cadastral surveying, real estate surveying and administrative 
boundary surveying. 
Aerial photogrammetry 
Photogrammetry and remote sensing 
GIS project 
Map compilation 
PSVs; 
PSVa; 
PSVr; 
PSVg; 
PSVm 
PSVs 
GIS Industry 
GIS application 
Pgis 
Pgis 
Remote Sensing 
Satellite image data receiving and agent service Aerial photogrammetry 
PRS; 
PRs; 
Industry 
Remote sensing data process and application service 
PRa; 
PRd 
PRa; 
PRd’ 
GNSS Industry 
Car monitor, car navigation, consuming products, OEM products, voyage, 
aviation, information services 
Surveying/GIS 
PGNg; 
PGNsg 
PGNg 
Mapping 
Professional mapping in surveying department 
PCS; 
PCs 
Industry 
Other professional mapping 
PCns 
PCns 
Non-professional mapping 
PCo 
PCo 
Other 
Geospatial 
Industry 
Such as CAD technology application, 3-D imaging technique application; 
IT application for geoinformation internet services, including LBS and 
Internet map services. 
Po 
Po 
Table 1 Decomposition and modification of industry size indicator 
With the modified indicators, there exists the following 
formula: 
Psum=PGis +PRs + PRa +PRd’+PGNg+PSVs+PCs+ PCns+ 
PCo+ P 0 
2.2 Accessing Method for Indicators 
Based on the different characteristics of each industry branches, 
considering the data availability, the study integrates direct and 
indirect research methods to obtain the value of each indicator. 
Direct research methods including questionnaires survey, 
on-the-spot investigation, expert visit and sampling study, 
indirect methods include: Internet data collection, comparison 
analysis, calculating with existed authoritative data, the survey 
data verification and revision. 
Software, data, hardware and services are the main components 
of GIS industry. It is difficult and complex to find out the output 
value of each component. By comparison, GIS software is 
provided by the software vendor, usually with a clear price. In 
addition, foreign and Chinese researcher (Andrew U. Frank, 
1991; Douglass A. Smith & Roger F. Tomlinson, 1992; Zhong 
Ershun, Zhou Ning, 1994) conducted economic analysis on GIS 
project. By GIS software output value and its proportion in GIS 
application, GIS industry size can be calculated. This approach 
avoids the complicated breakdown of data, hardware and 
services, and be relatively simple. 
Many companies and institutes are involved in surveying 
industry, but all are managed by SBSM. It is relatively easy to 
conduct survey. In addition, SBSM has 2005 statistics data of 
surveying industry and its breakdown. Chinese satellite remote 
sensing data industry is characterized with few and concentrated 
companies and institutes, and the on-the-spot investigation is 
appropriate to access the output value directly. Mapping 
industry companies and institutes is classified by data 
availability. The output value of professional mapping 
companies and institutes in surveying department can be 
obtained by statistics; output value for other professional 
companies and institutes can be obtained by conducting 
sampling survey. Because there are many industry branches and 
some existed estimate data about GNSS industry, using indirect 
methods, collecting and analyzing these research data, 
conducting interviews is appropriate way to update the value. 
Table 2 identifies accessing methods of the study to the 
indicators of the geospatial industry size. 
3 PROCESS AND RESULTS OF INDICATOR 
OBTAINING 
3.1 Value Access for Surveying Industry Indicators 
The companies and institutes with qualification on surveying 
and mapping are the major providers in surveying production 
and services market, with the support the Information Center 
of SBMS, the author conduct a questionnaire survey to the 
9,096 qualified companies and institutes, 5,981 companies and