"It could be the largest industry that no one has heard of. Consumers, businesses, and government agencies all rely on its services every day—local searching, online mapping, customer targeting, logistics and routing, urban planning, and disaster response are just some of the common applications and activities that it enables. Still, few people know its name. The geospatial services industry is big and growing fast—and so is its economic impact."

David Potere,
The Boston Consulting Group

Read more, bcgperspectives.com

The Year's Most Stunning Satellite Images
Slate Magazine (blog)

Think of it like the earth's 2012 digital scrapbook.

DigitalGlobe is a company that specializes in collecting earth's satellite images. From photos of a fated luxury cruise liner to a famous volcano that could be on the verge of eruption, DigitalGlobe has compiled the year's most stunning satellite images, and now they're asking you to choose your favorites. Click to view images. weather.com.

ASPRS Hot Topics Session
The International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF), taking place from February 11-13 2013 in Denver, is delighted to announce that the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) will be running special 'hot topics' sessions alongside… Read more, directionsmag.com.

ESRI Learning Center Opens
Police officers, firefighters, and Ministry of Interior officials from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will get extensive training in how to use geographic information systems (GIS) technology, thanks to a new Read more, gisuser.com.

Top Ten Storeis of 2012
As promised, Esri began to roll out more tools (templates and the credit estimator, to name two) to help users understand and implement its cloud-hosted GIS, ArcGIS Online. The product is not yet the household, media or enterprise name I think the… Read more, directionsmag.com.

Did You Know?

Did you know an estimated 25% of all National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) geospatial data and holdings come from international partners? That point was made even more emphatically by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper at the recent GEOINT Symposium in Orlando, Fla., when he said: "We are bound tightly to our allies and friends now more so than ever before." Read more, gov.aol.com

EIGS IN THE NEWS
 

MBA Selected for State and National Business Assistance Contracts
GISCafe

Bay St. Louis, MS--- The Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA) is pleased to announce the recent continued funding of two business assistance programs it… Read more, 10.giscafe.com

Penta students using GIS skills for community projects
The Press

Nov 21, 2012 … Penta students using GIS skills for community projects … For four years, Penta Career Center has demonstrated a focus on GIS (geographic information system) … The curriculum was developed by Digital Quest, Inc., … Read more, presspublications.com

Technology cluster adds Google-certified company » Mississippi …
Mississippi Business Journal

Technology cluster adds Google-certified company … member of the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS), … Read more, msbusiness.com

Global Perspectives
 

Vizzuality: Geospatial Entrepreneurism Grows In Spain
DirectionsMag.com

Start-up companies face enough obstacles without encountering the headwinds of the current European recession. So, how do geospatial technology entrepreneurs succeed in this environment? Spanish GIS consultant Alberto Santos Estévez talked with the… Read more, directionsmag.com

Expert shares GIS knowledge
Fiji Times

EIGHT Solomon Islanders are developing their knowledge and skills in applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) tools, during a three-month-long attachment with the SOPAC division of the Secretariat of the Pacific …Read more, fijitimes.com

Top geospatial seminar opens in Abu Dhabi
Trade Arabia

The global geospatial community turns to Abu Dhabi to learn about the future of geospatial technology and its impact on the Middle East and Africa as Esri, a leading provider of geographic information system (GIS) software and geodatabase management …Read more, fijitimes.com

1500 experts for Abu Dhabi GIS summit
Trade Arabia

Over 1,500 participants from around the region recently met to share information on geographic information system (GIS) implementation and the potential of geospatial technologies at an upcoming summit in Abu Dhabi. The three-day Esri Middle East and Africa User …Read more, tradearabia.com

  EIGS Perspective (Full text)

10. WorldWinds Inc. was competitively selected to develop new weather data sets for broadcast television derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration products (NOAA). NOAA awarded WorldWinds a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) competitive contract as a follow-on to research performed on a Phase I contract.

9. MBA, in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi School of Business, hosted a "Minority Women's Entrepreneurs Forum" in order to support the critical and growing role that minority women entrepreneurs play in the business community.

8. Geocent was honored with the 2012 Governor's Technology Award for "Growth Company of the Year" by the Louisiana Technology Council (LTC). Geocent provides technology solutions across a wide variety of functional areas.

7. EIGS hosted an annual meeting that featured local, state, and national speakers and unveiled a privately commissioned market study. The meeting covered a lot of ground and has put EIGS on a great trajectory moving forward as an industry-lead organization focused on breaking down barriers and creating new business opportunities for the cluster companies.

6. Digital Quest partnered with EIGS to enhance the EIGS workforce development program with Geospatial certifications. As a result, the State of Florida adopted the S.P.A.C.E. (Spatial Projects and Community Exchange) certification series created by Digital Quest and sponsored by EIGS. Florida included these new Geospatial certifications as part of its 2012-13 approved condensed "Comprehensive Industry Certification List" for the state's Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act.

5. EIGS companies have created over 100 jobs and saved 184 jobs. EIGS has also been directly involved in helping members secure $14 million worth of contracts and help its members learn about opportunities that have resulted in another $47 million worth of business.

4. NVision Solutions was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for exceptional achievement in supporting the Mississippi Valley Division's New Orleans District in the execution of Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System mission.

3. MBA received a contract from the Mississippi Development Authority to conduct minority enterprise outreach and provide technical assistance to women and minority-owned businesses in South Mississippi.

2. Lime Pi Digital became a Google AdWords Certified Partner. This elite membership shows the level of skill and ability available from the Lime Pi Digital team and makes Lime Pi Digital one of only two firms in the State of Mississippi to be listed as Certified Partners.

1. EIGS won a $385,000 contract from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for its continued work with small businesses in further stimulating job creation and innovation. The SBA contract is for a period of one year with four option years based on performance.

Whew! That is quite an impressive list -- 2012 certainly was a banner year! We are confident that Mississippi is up to the challenge of achieving equally impressive accomplishments in the coming year. From all of us at MBA and EIGS, we wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season. Here's to a prosperous year in 2013.