There are many Internet-based Geographic Information System (GIS) applications that allow the user to view and have some interaction with GIS, GPS, and remote sensing data. Many sites use an Internet map-serving software made by ESRI, such as ArcIMS or ArcGIS Server, to produce the online map interface. Others use other commercial products such as Autodesk's MapGuide or an Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service (WMS) such as Geoserver or Mapserver. Some sites allow users to include their own data or to send someone else the settings of the map they create.
Google Earth, Google Maps, ESRI’s ArcGIS Explorer, Microsoft’s Virtual Earth, and NASA World Wind all have some capacity to let you include and manipulate your own GIS data online in fundamental ways. Professional versions of these applications allow more functionality. For example, Google Earth Pro allows you to include your own GIS data (in Shapefiles) overlaying the Google Earth Base, providing a substantially less expensive alternative for providing Internet-based versions of your maps.
