History
In 1974, a group of graduate students at the University of California, Riverside saw the utility in standardizing geographic data layers prior to converting them into digital format. By resolving inconsistencies and conflicts among the data prior to automation, the final product would be a more effective working database.
The students founded Area Information Systems, which soon became known as Aerial Information Systems. The company was located in Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, until it moved “down the hill” to Redlands in 1985. In the early years, AIS worked closely with another fledgling company, ESRI, developing the backbone of what is now called GIS.
Moving to the future
AIS is substantially more than just a data conversion company. The main focus of AIS has been and will continue to be providing skilled mapping of spatial phenomena. Over time we augmented our mapping expertise with the ability to convert mapped data into digital form. As GIS technology evolves, AIS will continue to gain the skills necessary to meet our clients’ needs.