ESRI says GIS data management "a huge undertaking"

"With the rapid advance and use of satellite imagery combined with many other data types and the subsequent need of GIS technology to analyze the data to produce meaningful results, the requirements for large data repositories is growing faster than ever.... Security requirements will demand that these databases be fully replicated and that a solid disaster recovery plan and network be in place. The huge investment of time and dollars in building the database, the need to provide immediate accessibility to multiple users working in a heterogeneous environment, and the subsequent effort to manage the data, presents a huge undertaking."

Source:
ESRI
www.esri.com