ESRI, Inc., Redlands, CA
- clear market leader with about a third of the market
- originated commercial GIS with their ArcInfo product in 1981
- privately owned by Jack Dangermond, a legend in the field
- Strong in , education, utilities and business logistics
MapInfo, Troy N.Y.
- Aggressive newcomer in early 1990s, but now well-established.
- Strong presence in business, especially site selection & marketing, and telecom
Intergraph (Huntsville, AL)
- origins in proprietary CAD hardware/software
- Older UNIX-based MGE (Modular GIS Environment) evolved from CAD
- Current GeoMedia was the first true MS Windows-based GIS
- strong in design, public works, and FM (facilities management), but weakening
Bentley Systems (Exton, PA)
- MicroStation GeoGraphics, originally developed with Intergraph, is now their exclusive and main product..
- Strong in engineering; advertises itself as “geoengineering”
Autodesk (San Rafael, CA)
- Began as PC-based CAD, but now the dominant CAD supplier
- First GIS product AutoCAD Map introduced in 1996
- Primarily small business/small city customer base
QGIS Software is the latest open-source software that can be freely downloaded and used