Compare and Contrast Essay on Arc GIS & MapInfo

Introduction

It is always tricky for analysts in law enforcement units to choose the right Geographic Information Systems for their agencies. Crime mapping is used by these analysts to map, visualize and analyze crime incidents and crime mapping is very useful in different types of crime analysis. There are too many offers, options, and features to choose from but the best options to select include the MapInfo by the Pitney Bowes Software Corporation and ArcGIS produced by the Environmental Systems Research Institute. These soft wares are both suitable for different crime analysis, and the only difference they have is in the design and layout of each program. The traditional systems used cannot match up to the modern day crime scenarios hence the need to use information technology by the police department. This essay focuses on the comparison between the two software programs and the best recommendation an agency can purchase (Kumar, Liu & Hwang, 2012)

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ArcGIS vs. MapInfo (The Differences)

With the MapInfo program, the legend and data range bins can easily be updated without necessarily having to leave the software map behind whereas for the ArcGIS; the map has to be left to update the data.

The ArcGIS has very many different tools which perform diverse tasks hence making the officers perform their work effectively, therefore, it is costly. As for the MapInfo although cheaper it only has many features and not tools

The MapInfo has file formats supported by the program which enables the software to integrate existing systems and platforms easily. This is because MapInfo supports different files, for instance, the wms files. On the other hand, the ArcGIS lacks the file formats hence the existing platform and system cannot be easily integrated.

The MapInfo can easily customize the display wizard since the options for customization are detailed. But as for the ArcGIS, one has to know python scripting to be able to customize anything.

Benefits of MapInfo

The MapInfo program has multiple capabilities and features. Examples of elements in MapInfo are things like; with this program, one can easily update their legend and the range of data bins without necessarily having to leave their map. There is the instantaneous response from the control galleries; one can easily make custom solutions with the Mapbasic, modify the ribbons with their groups and tabs, can be easily integrated with ones existing platforms and systems. The MapInfo program supports an extensive range of GIS formats and the data (Stahle, Marcus & Karlstrom, 2007)

With the MapInfo software, the display wizards can easily be used, and the customization options are usually detailed. MapBasic language "development environment" can easily be downloaded for the advanced MapInfo programs. It can be customized in many different ways ranging from rearranging or hiding some menus to the establishment of comprehensive crime mapping applications. MapBasic gives sample applications and documentation to enable an individual to carry out the programming work with ease (Esri, 2019).

Benefits of Arc GIS

ArcGIS is the leading software dominating the GIS Technology market. The ArcGIS can be compared to MapInfo regarding the office products each program possess. The software is costly when it comes to the subscription of its programs and services. The ancient and current data can easily be accessed for examination and used to identify crime hotspots and the trends in crimes in the United States and through the use of online maps, the community can easily be engaged by the police department to enable the citizens to be aware of their surroundings (Kneissl, Gasselt & Neukum, 2011).

ESRI reports show that "The Real-Time Center Viewer" enables the crime agencies analysts to give live information to the other police officers on duty in the fields. The viewer's center of interest is the management and display of the current responses and situations. The ArcGIS has a diverse range of data and tools and the information about incidents in the environment is always relevant. The software has data subsets which can be turned on and off depending on the type of information the police agencies require. (Scott & Janikas, 2010).

Conclusion

In conclusion, both programs play a crucial role in helping analysts to carry on their crime mapping duties. However, I would recommend my agency to purchase the ArcGIS because it has a diverse range of tools. These tools are expansive and can affect the officers in the agency effectively. Although the program is costly as compared to the MapInfo software it is more effective hence worth the pricing.

References

Esri, 2019. Technology for Law Enforcement: Transform Data into Intelligence. Retrieved on 23rd January 2019, from http://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/brochures/pdfs/esri-technology-law-enforcement.pdf

Kumar, S., Liu, M., & Hwang, S. A. (2012). A multifaceted comparison of ArcGIS and Mapmaker for automated geocoding. Geospatial health, 7(1), 145-151.

Kneissl, T., van Gasselt, S., & Neukum, G. (2011). Map-projection-independent crater size-frequency determination in GIS environments-New software tool for ArcGIS. Planetary and Space Science, 59(11-12), 1243-1254

Stahle, A., Marcus, L., & Karlstrom, A. (2007). Place Syntax Tool-GIS Software for Analysing Geographic Accessibility with Axial Lines. New developments in space syntax software, 35-42.

Scott, L. M., & Janikas, M. V. (2010). Spatial statistics in ArcGIS. In Handbook of applied spatial analysis (pp. 27-41). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.