Knowing where everything is located is an important aspect of having good situational awareness. It is important for port security and many other aspects of port operations.
See a video that speaks to how one port, the Port of Los Angeles is using geographic information system (GIS) information to map their port areas and share information among the various business interests at the port and with other regional and national partners. The enterprise wide approach that they have taken is absolutely critical to long term success.
Ports are infrastructure heavy environments that require huge investments in funding to create the transportation and other systems that enable the smooth flow of cargo onto and off of the docks. Knowing the location of this infrastructure allows security forces and others to maximize this knowledge to protect the facilities and utilities to ensure business continuity and the resiliency of port operations.
While most ports and the maritime industry are not known to be bastions of high tech operations, GIS mapping is a 21st century tool that makes good business and security sense.
