AfriGIS, a leading provider of Geographical Information Solutions (GIS) has announced the launch of a new training course - GIS4managers, which is geared to educating today's managers on GIS technology and the benefits surrounding the use of spatial information in the organisation.

"As the value of GIS becomes increasingly evident, the responsibility for using spatial information is moving away from the technical expert and towards senior management," says AfriGIS Business Development Manager Marius van der Merwe. "IT managers are now expected to develop a complete GIS rollout plan, including software, hardware, personnel and support, while GIS professionals are required to devise ways to use GIS profitably in the business sector."

GIS4managers aims to address these demands by providing a nontechnical introduction to GIS technology.

"Managers learn how GIS can improve their decision-making by including the spatial dimension of data," Van der Merwe explains. "In other words, how GIS enables fast decision-making through the use of realtime information integrated with other business systems."

The course also deals with the various technologies available to distribute and display information, including software packages and basic considerations for choosing the right software.

GIS4managers is presented on the AfriGIS extranet, which is also available to delegates after completion of the course. "We intend to eventually make the site interactive, with a bulletin board and chat room," says Van der Merwe.

Managers who attended the first GIS4managers course, held at AfriGIS's Pretoria offices in March, found the training session extremely informative, saying that it definitely contributes towards helping them better understand the utilisation of GIS technology and applications. "GIS4managers provides managers with a set of tools to help them successfully navigate the exciting world of GIS," Van der Merwe concludes.

AfriGIS

(012) 362 3114

lydette@afrigis.co.za

www.afrigis.co.za