Introduction
Support for spatial data was first introduced to SQL Server with the release of SQL Server 2008. At that time, many developers and DBAs didn't really know about spatial data, how to use it, or what benefits it could bring. As a result, the spatial functionality was treated as a curious niche addition that, while causing excitement among a small group of specialists interested in geospatial data (including myself), was largely disregarded by the mainstream SQL Server community.
Over time, more and more people have come to appreciate that, far from being a specialized, niche area, spatial information is all around us; what's more, if correctly harnessed, that information can be used to answer a wide range of practical business questions: ...
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