State and Local Government

Last week the news was all about Hurricane Isaac. All sorts of maps beyond those of its predicted course filled government and media websites and blogs. Old apps were refreshed and new ones announced. A week later, we look back and share six pieces of advice for mapmakers as learned from Hurricane Isaac.

What is the Dept. of Defense doing with its Enterprise Software Initiative? Why is the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency asking for input on its procurement of apps? Does this tell us anything about the state of the geospatial market in the DoD or elsewhere?

Do the maps we geospatial professionals put online for citizens serve their needs? Data from Denver indicate users want answers, not powerful, configurable maps.

Our editors attempt to judge the health of the geospatial tech industry based on evidence from last week's Esri International User Conference. Do they see mergers, morphing or mortality?

The editors of Directions Magazine joined 15,000 Esri software users at the opening plenary events of the 2012 User Conference. They discuss the trends, ideas and technology products that will impact users and non-users in the coming year.

Bernie Szukalski, technology evangelist and senior product manager at Esri, introduces ArcGIS Online for Organization and helps potential users imagine how it might fit in their organizations.

Google shared some of the history of its geospatial offerings and then made three announcements about some features and technology that are

How do you put a value on geospatial technology? Does it just come down to revenue and profits? Or intrinsically is it more because critical information is held within the bounds of certain technology formats?

GeoEye and DigitalGlobe have been communicating via letter and press release over the last few days. The topic: who might acquire whom. As we go to press neither company has said

On the ground, Tropical Storm Irene floodwaters devastated Vermont's communities, cutting off roads and washing away homes and businesses. Now with a digital bird's-eye-view, the world can see the dramatic statewide extent of Tropical Storm Irene's damage to Vermont's landscape. Google has just updated its maps for Vermont with post-Irene satellite imagery. VPR's Mitch Wertlieb turned to two professors at St. Michael's College, Geography Professor Richard Kujawa and Environmental Studies Professor Laura Stroup to tell us the value of having these images at our digital fingertips.