Integrating spatial information into the back end enabled not only a richer information base, but also snazzier, more intuitive reporting on the front end.
People understand data much faster when they see it on a map than in a table.
Users would then query the spatial data using SQL and then present it with table-oriented analytic tools or more intuitive visuals. The ESRI-IBM agreement indicates that spatial intelligence may finally be gathering momentum. 2000, offering both traditional and geospatial data management on a single platform. The companies believe that their fidelity to open standards will set the stage for more packaged applications. Call me overconfident, but I've always harbored the reasonable view that I can beat a dolphin in processing language any day.