GIS politics may be tougher than technology

Geographic information system vendors believe their software is up to the task of security planning and emergency response without much modification.

Governments "can do most of this with what they have today," said Russ Johnson, public safety industry manager at ESRI. Therefore, they can "simply repurpose what they have already invested in."

With that in mind, some executives believe the politics of GIS may be as daunting as the technology. "I think the challenge is as much organization and culture as it is.