Summary : KIMS is a user-friendly mapping system that displays and disseminates maps, charts, spreadsheets, meta data and links of food insecurity and vulnerability indicators and related data. The system is 100% Java based and portable across Windows, Macintosh, Linux and other Unix platforms. It has been specifically tailored for food Insecurity and vulnerability information mapping system (FIVIMS) requirements and may be modified as those requirements change or expand. KIMS is not a Geographic Information System (GIS). It relies on GIS systems providing it's mapping layers and data providers for its data content. The software allows for the importing and exporting of the major five GIS map formats (BNA, ARC/INFO, Shapefile, IDRISI and Map Info). KIMS is specifically designed to be a tool that combines GIS maps with related data sets and displays and disseminates the information in any easy and efficient manner in stand-alone mode and over the Internet.