geographIT™ (also known as Advanced Technology Solutions, Inc. or “ATS”), of Lancaster Pennsylvania, was founded in 1990 by president Ashis B. Pal and Bruce E. Stauffer, vice president. At its inception, ATS was one of only two firms specializing in geographic (now geospatial) information system (“GIS”) technology-related services within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2007 the company added the trade name geographIT™. Keeping its original management and founding principles intact, the new name was adopted as part of the company’s long term plan to establish a more prominent brand identity as a leading geospatial and IT solutions provider.
Technology
In 1990, Advanced Technology Solutions was one of only 2 firms specializing in GIS technology and related support services in Pennsylvania. Because GIS was a relatively new technology at that time, it required specialized programming languages and databases that were outside the realm of mainstream information technology (IT). This allowed us to establish and cultivate a strong following in the GIS niche market serving state and local governments as we focused on growing our company through our holistic and innovative partnership approach to providing the best and most cost-effective solutions for each client’s needs. Our commitment to providing the best possible solutions is best illustrated by our continuing technological independence and developing solutions using commercially available GIS software components from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) and GIS modules available within the Open Source community.
As GIS technology became more “mainstream,” our geospatial and IT capabilities continued to expand, allowing us to provide more creative solutions to the wide variety of challenges our customers face. The ArcGIS software product line virtually eliminated the need to design, develop and implement stand-alone geospatial programs using proprietary languages known only by GIS programmers. GIS databases are now designed, implemented and managed using spatially enabled relational databases. This allows any enterprise to leverage existing investments in Oracle, SQL and other 4GL relational databases for better data management. Our highly trained professionals apply their skills to developing customized GIS solutions through a full array of available software and application development tools.
As ATS, our company evolved from a strictly GIS technology firm to a broader range of consulting, customized development, and integration services for both GIS and IT. Today, as geographIT™, we continue to serve the geospatial marketplace in addition to providing a wide range of IT services for our clients.