Business Applications of Geographic Information Technology

The aim of this paper is to review the present situation of business Geographic Information Systems （ GIS ） in Japan. This paper especially focuses on various geographic information services produced by geographic information technology. Geographic information is defined as attri-bute data with location and geographic information technology is considered in the second section in terms of software and hardware for manipulating geographic information. The third section reviews location-based services （ LBS ） , which trace positions in real-time using location sensor technology. LBS are classified into six types of service: provision of information specified for a position, tracing service for people, tracing service for vehicles and ships, tracing service for luggage and goods, proximity-based notification, and proximity-based actuation. Spatial analysis on GIS has been applied in business tools to assist sales promotion activities and the posting of handbills in shops and offices. The fourth section presents trade area analysis used to perform effective sales promotion activities. Rating methods and spatial interaction models are also used for location assessments of sites proposed for new shops. The fifth section considers geodemographics as an area marketing tool. The last section presents the outlook for business GIS in Japan.