A GIS deals with symbolic representations, not the actual cartographic production, but attributes that can be represented cartographically as symbols. While a map represents something, geographic data can represent many different things. Street data for Fayette county can be used to help identify the best route for delivering washing machines, finding families with children in private schools, or interpolating the amount of sealed surface. While data, taken by itself, is not that useful, the potential is enormous. The map, on the other hand, is the final product of processing data to information.
Information is the symbolic representation of data .
The data model is the canonical semantics for an information system. Defintions are connected to the practice of power. Geographic component serves as special key to integrate information from different sources. This makes it a very, very big business. In turn, the GIS may influence these structures.