Software/Release year/Reference

Developed by

Useful for application

Development

Platform/

Language support/

Software License

Open Source

GRASS, 1982 [33]

Research institutes, universities, companies, volunteers worldwide

Analysis scientific and visualization, cartography, modeling and simulation

C, Shell, Tcl/Tk,

Python GPL

ILWIS, 1985 [34]

Universities, companies,

(Raster) Analysis

MS Visual C GPL

TerraView, 2001 [35]

Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE)

Vector and Raster analysis, Statistical analysis

C++, R GPL

SAGA, 2001 [36]

Universities

Analysis, modeling, scientific visualization

C++ (MS Visual C++)

LGPL (API), GPL

QGIS, 2002 [37]

Universities, companies, volunteers worldwide

Viewing, Editing, Analysis, Grass-GUI, SAGA-GUI,

C++, Qt4, Python GPL

gvSIG, 2003 [38]

Companies, universities, government

Viewing, Editing, Analysis (Mobile

Applications)

JAVA GPL

SPRING, 1991 [39]

Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE)

Digital Image Processing, spatial analysis, modelling, visualization

GPL

Proprietary

IDRISI/TerrSet, 1987

[40]

Clark Labs at Clark University, Worcester, and Massachusetts.

Digital analysis and visualization of spatial data, including the remotely sensed imagery, in a single package

C++

ERDAS, 1978 [41]

Hexagon, Leica Geosystems

Geospatial Imaging

Digital analysis of remotely sensed data.

C, C++

ENVI, 1994 [42]

Research Systems (now called ITT Visual Information Solutions)

Processing large multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data

IDL

ER Mapper, 1990 [43]

Australian software company

Digital image analysis.

C, C++

PCI Geomatica, 1982 [44]

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada

Remote sensing, Digital photogrammetry, and cartography.

Python

ArcGIS, 1999 [45]

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)

Digital analysis and visualization of spatial data, including the remotely sensed imagery, in a single package

C++, Python