WebGIS: Status and prospects.

WebGIS is the product of integration of GIS and Internet technologies. It changes the modes of acquisition, transmission, release, sharing and application of geographic information and represents the future direction of GIS. This paper introduces the concept, functions, structure model and platform softwares of WebGIS, At present there are still problems in WebGIS development, such as the lack of space data sharing, bad interoperability, monotonous presentation functions, noncross-platforms and limitation in data transmission by the Internet bandwidth; thus WebGlS cannot be used in practical space data analysis through Internet and is still far from commercialization and practical application. Based on an analysis, the paper indicates that the combination of WebGIS with such new technologies as OpenGIS, GML, NGI, distributed computing, .Net, mobile communication, virtual reality and grid computing is the future direction of WebGIS.