EIGS Insight
Contributor: Craig Harvey, MBA Co-Founder
Welcome to the new Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) newsletter. On August 5, 2010, I was pleased to participate in a signing ceremony officially transitioning the management and support of the industry cluster from The University of Mississippi to the private sector. EIGS is now a program of the Magnolia Business Alliance, which is a non–profit, industry–independent organization formed by Cluster members with a passion to enhance the small business ecosystem in the region. Funding for our organization was awarded through a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration meant to promote clusters of jobs in innovative economies. We will use the money to provide business support, counseling and classes for businesses that provide services using geographic information systems and allied technologies. The one–year grant we received comes with an option for a second year, if the SBA has funding and the group can show results.
We are currently comprised of 20–plus member companies and employ more than 700 workers across Mississippi. It is our goal to have 35 member companies by August 2011. Our overarching goal is to make it easier for people to start or do business in the region.
Mississippi and its neighboring states, Louisiana and Alabama, possess enormous potential for economic prosperity fueled by determination and resiliency. However this region continues to suffer from the combined impact of Hurricane Katrina, the economic recession, and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster. MBA is committed to the continued success of EIGS. The direct investment of the US Small Business Administration “Innovative Economies” initiative serves as a catalyst for EIGS services leading to new partnerships and growth within this industry. The EIGS Cluster has a proven track record of multiplying state investment through partnerships and in–kind contributions and will continue that in the future.
As part of our commitment, MBA intends to continue the strong tradition established through The Sensor of bringing the latest news from Mississippi’s geospatial industry. It is our goal to provide mentorship, training, logistics, and other support as needed to facilitate the development of new companies, a better environment for existing companies, and foster community and national awareness of issues affecting small businesses. We hope you continue to enjoy the latest news and information provided by The Sensor. For more information on MBA, visit http://www.magnolia-ba.biz/
Company Spotlight
Q&A with WorldWinds Inc.
EIGS recently visited with Elizabeth Valenti of WorldWinds, Inc. to discuss the latest on their purchase of new technology which will help run storm simulations for Hurricanes. WorldWinds is an active member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA).
The Sensor:
Elizabeth, tell our readers a little about WorldWinds and what you do.
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MBA Presents Post-Election Round-Up
The Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA) recently facilitated a panel discussion addressing the results of the 2010 election and how they will affect small business. The discussion was led by public policy management and marketing firm Dutko Worldwide. A panel discussion was led by Karen Yeager, former advisor to President George W. Bush, Michael Liu, former Deputy Undersecretary with USDA and HUD Assistant Secretary, and (Ret.) AF Lt. Col. Victor J. Tambone, a former Chief of Staff for the DHS Science and Technology Directorate.
The synopsis of the discussion was centered around the notion that Americans voted to put its government on a diet. So, what does this mean for small businesses like members of EIGS? For Its’ members associated with regular programs in Homeland Security and Defense, current funding levels will generally be maintained. However, there will be no immunity if a program is alleged to be linked with ‘waste, fraud or abuse’ or just plain mismanagement. Earmarks will be eliminated or sharply curtailed. Finally, for programs funded through discretionary spending, there will be major cuts...and these cuts could even begin with the current fiscal year we are in, and certainly will be a feature of the next fiscal year's budget process. Competition for resources will be incredibly fierce. Michael Liu, Sr. Vice President of Dutko Worldwide, says, “Those who don't anticipate this and fail to secure the skills to develop a comprehensive strategy that includes real understanding of how programs are funded and allocated will lose. Those who invest in understanding the political and bureaucratic decision making processes that affect the agencies they work with will come out winners.”
Resource Spotlight
Learn How APIs And Web Technologies Can Improve Your GIS
New Book from Esri Press, Web GIS: Principles and Applications, the latest offering from Esri Press, is an important resource for geographic information system (GIS) students and professionals who want to learn state–of–the–art concepts, architectures, and techniques for working with Web–based GIS applications.
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Image of the month
Trapped Miners Rescue–San Jose Mine, Copiapo, Chile
Trapped Miners Resuce–San Jose Mine, Copiapo, Chile–October 13, 2010: This is a satellte image of the rescue of the miners from the Chile Miners. (credit: DigitalGlobe) www.digitalglobe.com
Items of Interest
JCJC forestry students get technology lesson
Most people and even some foresters can’t imagine how computer technology can be utilized in the middle of a forest. However, one of the world’s leading forestry equipment company’s showed Jones County Junior College students and guests some of that cutting edge technology.
At a recent workshop hosted by JCJC’s forestry department, Information Technology manager for Haglöf, Patrick Lidstrom, demonstrated how the forestry industry is changing with better equipment, software and technology. “GIS or geographic information systems, is revolutionizing the industry,” Lidstrom said. “Because you need to store more and more data to be more accurate, this one small system can do everything; height, diameter, qualities, and values... Before foresters were just measuring and calculating diameters of trees. Now we're also processing that information in the field.” “The U.S. is just now starting to adopt LiDAR for forest inventory,” said JCJC forestry and GIS instructor, Brian Mitchell, PhD.
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Student research could be used to search out, bust meth labs
Imagine creating a geo–spatial datamining map that can predict the occurrence of methamphetamine production sites based on the variables of human geography. Kenneth Roberts did and recently won first place in the National SAS M2010 Data Mining Conference. “The main reason I chose this project is because this is the only crime where there’s a longitude and latitude,” Roberts said. “Nationally any meth lab that’s found, the police make a record of it. I actually have an address for the methamphetamine labs, so from there I was able to get longitude and latitude location.”
Roberts processed the statistics through computer programs he created. He used an advanced data mining system called Geographic Information System (GIS) for hydraulic modeling and cartography. He said he hopes police will be able to utilize the material to better understand and stop crimes related to methamphetamine.
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Google Maps Error Leads to Invasion of Costa Rica by Nicaragua (for Real)
Search Engine Blamed for Invasion
A mistake on Google Maps is being blamed for a Nicaraguan invasion of Costa Rica last week. Costa Rica is fuming after Nicaraguan troops crossed the border, took down a Costa Rican flag and raised the Nicaraguan flag in a Freudian display of territoriality.
The troops' commander Eden Pastora, told Costa Rica's largest newspaper La Nacion that it was not his fault, he thought the territory belonged to Nicaragua because it said so on Google Maps. Nicaraguan government officials have also blamed a “bug in Google" for the error in a bizarre case of "the dog ate my homework” that is threatening to turn into a real war.
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NGA Director Presents New Vision at GEOINT Symposium
National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency director Letitia A. Long shared her new vision for the agency recently at the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. “I want to put the power of GEOINT directly in the hands of our users,” said Long in her keynote address. Long presented her vision–“Putting the Power of GEOINT in the Hands of the Users”–and established two main goals. First, fundamentally change the user experience by providing online, on–demand access to our GEOINT knowledge. Second, create new value by broadening and deepening analytic expertise by providing contextual analysis of places informed not only by the Earth’s physical features and imagery intelligence, but also by “human geography.”
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Remote sensing to kill prostate cancer
Times of India
The revolutionary technique has already been used on dozens of patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. Because it only pinpoints cancer cells, ...
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Doing business in Mississippi
Project to Create 35 New Jobs
Bay Springs, Miss. (October 29, 2010) – Officials from Hol-Mac Corporation, supplier of steel fabrications, cylinders and tanks, have announced the company is expanding its operations in Bay Springs, Miss. The $2.5 million project involves an addition to the company’s existing facility, as well as the purchase of new machinery in order to increase production capacity. The project will create 35 new jobs.
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EIGS IN THE NEWS
Small Business Agency Awards $6M For Business Clusters
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded $6 million in contracts to 10 regional economic development groups under a pilot initiative designed to foster business clusters nationwide…
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WorldWinds Installs Computer Cluster in New Orleans Area to Run ...
HPC Wire
WorldWinds, Inc., has installed one of the most powerful computer clusters in the New Orleans area at Slidell’s Gause Boulevard Complex.
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Global Perspectives
India to launch rockets with Russian, Singapore technologies
Economic Times
BANGALORE: India is getting ready for two rocket launches next month with Russian and Singaporean technologies on-board for strengthening space-based communication and remote sensing services back home.
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NASA To Help Pakistani Flood Forecasting And Alert
U.S. News
NASA will help Pakistan in creating a warning system and a real–time flood forecasting, by using the United States satellites. Thus the American officials hope to reduce the number of victims and material damage recorded in the rainy season. For three years the researchers at NASA will prepare Pakistani scientists from the National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad to use data from U.S. satellites in forecasting with greater accuracy catastrophic flood.
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China Information Technology Inc. Plays Critical Role in ‘Map World,’ China’s ...
PR Newswire (press release)
China Information Technology was engaged by the Bureau to be the sole provider of the GIS platform software for Map World, GeoGlobe, and as the sole ...
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