What’s The Difference Between Google Maps, GIS, and Vesta?

For most of us, Google Maps is a daily companion. It gets us from point A to B, helps us find the best local coffee shop, and even shows us what our dream vacation spot looks like from street level. But have you ever wondered about the technology that powers this familiar tool? 

While you might be comfortable with Google Maps, it’s actually just one application of a much broader and more powerful field: Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  

At first glance, they might seem like the same thing, but they are fundamentally different. This post will explore the key distinctions between the consumer-friendly Google Maps, the professional-grade world of GIS, and when it’s time to use the advanced features of Vesta.

What is Google Maps?

Google Maps is a consumer-focused, web-based mapping platform developed by—you guessed it—Google. Its primary purpose is to make the world around you easy to navigate and discover. Think of it as your digital atlas, travel guide, and business directory all rolled into one.

Several key functions and features have made Google Maps a household name, including:

• Navigation: Providing turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transit.
• Location Search: Effortlessly finding addresses, landmarks, and points of interest.
• Business Discovery: Locating restaurants, shops, and services, complete with reviews, hours, and contact information.
• Real-time Traffic: Offering live updates on traffic conditions to help you find the fastest route.
• Street View: Providing panoramic street-level imagery for a virtual exploration of locations.
• Satellite Imagery: Offering a top-down view of the Earth.

Accessible for free through a web browser or a mobile app, Google Maps is designed for the general public and businesses that need straightforward location-based services.

What is GIS?

GIS is a far more comprehensive and powerful concept. It’s a framework for gathering, managing, analyzing, and visualizing all types of geographical data. A GIS isn’t just one piece of software; it’s a system comprising five core components:

1. Hardware: The computers and servers that run the GIS software.
2. Software: The programs that provide the tools to work with geographic data (such as Vesta)
3. Data: The geographic information itself, which can include everything from satellite imagery and elevation to property lines and demographic statistics.
4. Procedures: The methods and workflows for analyzing the data.
5. People: The trained professionals who operate and interpret the results of the GIS.

Healthcare professionals, geostaticians, epidemiologists, and other experts across numerous fields use GIS for complex problem-solving and decision-making. For example:

• Urban Planning: Analyzing population density and infrastructure to plan new developments.
• Environmental Analysis: Tracking deforestation, modeling the impact of climate change, or managing natural resources.
• Emergency Management: Mapping disaster areas, planning evacuation routes, and coordinating response efforts.

The Relationship Between Google Maps and GIS

So, how do the worlds of Google Maps and GIS connect? 

Google Maps actually incorporates many principles of GIS. The satellite views, the road networks, and the business locations are all layers of geographic data, much like you would find in a professional GIS. In a way, Google has played a massive role in democratizing geographic information, making it accessible and easy for everyone to understand.

Many GIS professionals even use Google Maps in their daily work. It can be a quick and convenient tool for a preliminary look at a study area, for simple visualization, or for gathering basic context before diving into a more detailed analysis with specialized GIS software.

Key Differences: Google Maps Versus GIS

While Google Maps and GIS are related, their differences are significant and stem from their core purposes and capabilities.

When Should You Use Each Tool?

The choice between Google Maps and GIS ultimately depends on your goal.

Use Google Maps when you need to:

• Get directions from one place to another.
• Find the location of a specific address or business.
• Explore a new neighborhood virtually.
• Check real-time traffic conditions.
• Find basic information about a place, like operating hours or reviews.

Use GIS when you need to:

• Analyze spatial patterns and relationships in data.
• Create highly detailed and customized maps for a specific purpose.
• Perform complex geographic modeling, such as predicting the spread of a wildfire.
• Manage and analyze large volumes of geographic data for a business or research project.
• Make critical decisions based on in-depth spatial analysis.

What’s the Value Added by Vesta?

Beyond the everyday utility of Google Maps and the heavy-duty analytical power of traditional GIS, there’s a growing need for tools that can handle a specific type of complex data: information that changes over both space and time. This is where Vesta, a powerful software from BioMedware, carves out its niche.

Vesta stands for Visualization and Exploratory Space-Time Analysis. It’s designed to make sophisticated spatio-temporal analysis accessible, not just to GIS experts, but to researchers and analysts in fields like public health and environmental science. Think of it as a bridge between the simplicity of Google Maps and the steep learning curve of professional GIS.

The key value of Vesta lies in its ability to:

• Analyze Temporal Trends Geographically: Vesta excels at tracking how data changes over time in different locations. For example, it was used to monitor lead levels in the Flint, Michigan water supply, assessing how risks changed across the city over time.
• Change Spatial Scales: Vesta uses advanced geostatistical techniques to bring different data layers to a common geographic scale, making complex, multivariate analyses through time.
• Identify Clusters: The software can automatically detect statistically significant clusters of events, such as disease outbreaks or crime hotspots, as they emerge and evolve.
• Make Complex Analysis User-Friendly: While a traditional GIS can perform some of these functions, Vesta provides a more intuitive interface and specialized tools for this type of analysis, lowering the barrier to entry for users without deep statistical or GIS expertise.
• Handle Missing Data: Traditional GIS and Google Maps cannot handle missing data; it is a native function in Vesta.

Vesta doesn’t just show you where things are; it helps you understand the story of how they got there and where they might be going next.

Harness The Power of GIS

While Google Maps is a powerful and indispensable tool for everyday life, it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the world of geographic information. GIS is the robust engine that drives complex spatial analysis and empowers professionals to understand and shape our world in profound ways. 

But sometimes, you need to tackle more specific challenges like space-time analysis. That’s where Vesta comes in.

By understanding the unique strengths of each tool—from the universal accessibility of Google Maps, to the deep analytical power of GIS, to the focused temporal insights of Vesta—we can better appreciate the diverse and exciting field of geospatial technology. So, the next time you fire up Google Maps to find the quickest way to your destination, take a moment to appreciate the broader field of GIS and the specialized tools like Vesta that make in-depth space-time data analysis possible.