Spatial Infrastructures White Paper Now Available
Second Paper Released in “CIP-ER” White Paper Series

Aurora, Colo., Feb. 3, 2009—The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) announced the release of Spatial Infrastructures, the second white paper to be published in the Geospatial Dimensions of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Response (CIP-ER) White paper series, which will include at least six more white papers published into the spring of 2009.

This paper is (available for download at http://www.gita.org/ciper/white.asp) is intended to help readers understand spatial data infrastructures, their value in managing, using, and sharing spatial information and services, and how they can assist citizens and their corporate, academic, and government institutions in addressing some of the vital issues confronting our nation and its communities.

“GITA members recognize that ‘everything is somewhere’ and that critical infrastructures are vital to the well-being and health of our communities,” said John Moeller, author of the white paper and former GITA Board of Directors member, current GITA FLAG chair, and former FGDC staff director. “As the community improves its use and management of geospatial information and its enabling technology, we see that spatial information is an information infrastructure itself, and is becoming the key part of the cyber-infrastructure that connects all other elements of critical infrastructure."

The CIP-ER White Paper Series focuses on the interdependencies of the vertical markets where GITA members and constituents use geospatial technology, including electric utilities, gas utilities, public agencies, telecommunications companies, water utilities, transportation agencies, and pipeline companies. Upcoming white papers in the series will focus on those vertical markets, GITA’s Geospatially Enabling Community Collaboration Workshop, and  emergency response.

For full details on the white paper series, visit GITA’s CIP-ER Space at http://www.gita.org/ciper. The project will also be a major topic at GITA’s 2009 Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference  and 2009 Geospatial Dimensions of Emergency Response Symposium.

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The mission of the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is to provide excellence in education, information exchange, and applied research on the use and benefits of geospatial information and technology in worldwide infrastructure. Visit GITA on the Web at www.gita.org.