August 2006

Welcome to The Sensor -- the newsletter of the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) bringing you the latest developments from Mississippi’s emerging geospatial industry cluster. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues. To subscribe, visit www.eigs.olemiss.edu

For further information, or to submit story ideas, please contact Lisa Stone - lstone@olemiss.edu 

Director's Cut

As I read through industry publications, I am always pleased to see such exciting things happening in the geospatial technology industry. From the release of Daratech’s industry forecast for 2006 that expects total GIS core-business revenue to top $3.6 billion to the extensive efforts of GITA and AAG to define and communicate geospatial workforce demand, this certainly is a dynamic industry.

Activities in the region reflect the national stage as we have a number of exciting things going on here, particularly as we continue to see the technology being more widely adopted at the local level. Scanning the local newspapers provides a glimpse of the many ways our communities are integrating geospatial technology to streamline everyday operations and address pressing issues in new, innovative, and cost-effective ways including:

• The (Adams County) tax assessor’s office may soon be able to use the county’s GIS. The system compiles data and maps to create detailed images of the county. It can be used a number of ways, from locating fire hydrants to city planning. The main building blocks for the maps are parcels of land determined by the county tax assessor’s office. (Natchez Democrat, July 4, 2006)

• It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s DeSoto County’s high-tech GIS system. For six years, Desoto County’s GIS system has become the indispensable aid for developers, realtors, engineers, private landowners, and county officials. From 10,000 feet, a horse can be seen grazing on what’s left of rolling pastureland in Desoto County. If one zooms out, entire land contours are visible, along with new road and bridge construction along the I-269 corridor. Flood zones and flood maps are also available, guiding developers and city officials alike. (Desoto Times Today, June 8, 2006)

• In Hancock County, reductions were automatic in severely damaged areas identified through aerial photography and GIS mapping. Roughly 12,000 of 20,700 improved parcels that were destroyed or severely damaged (due to Hurricane Katrina) were pre-approved for reduction. (The Sun Herald, June 2, 2006)

• The City of Olive Branch will now be able to pinpoint the exact location of its vehicles and employees with the purchase of GPS Vehicle Tracking Service units. The units use satellite technology to track city vehicles at any time, allowing city supervisors to log onto a secure website to determine a vehicle’s exact location. The units also include digital maps for traveling, tracks travel distance, speed, and mileage. (Desoto County Tribune, April 13, 2006)

• Bobby Smith of Southwest MS Planning and Development asked the board to sign a resolution to re-affirm their obligation to pay $55,000 per year for the next three years as the county’s match with a grant of $165,000 for the installation of a state-of-the-art GIS system in Wilkinson County. The GIS system can be used to aid law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel in finding locations where aid and/or assistance is needed. (Woodville Republican, April 6, 2006)

• The Farm Service Agency will use producer certification information to populate GIS data bases that will provide farmers more analytic tools to help them compete in the ever changing global marketplace. (Tylertown Times, June 22, 2006)

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

07/22/06 - USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) anchors off the coastline of Beirut, Lebanon, July 22, 2006. Whidbey Island and other ships of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group are currently assisting in the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert J. Fluegel) Source: U.S. Department of Defense website; Photo courtesy DefenseLINK.mil. More info

SEEN AND HEARD

"I am able to predict where a fire is moving and how fast without putting fire crews in danger... This is an ongoing process that we're developing further and further. It puts information at your fingertips quickly."

- Steven Robinson of the Los Angeles Fire Department, on how the Department's aerial program can map a fire in progress and provide vital information, including evacuation routes and other emergency plans, to ground crews.

July 24, 2006 from the LA Daily News article by Angie Valencia-Martinez

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 7–11, 2006
Twenty-Sixth Annual ESRI International User Conference
San Diego, California

September 18 - 20, 2006
Geospatial Information & Technology Association’s (GITA) 15th Annual GIS for Oil & Gas Conference
Houston, TX

October 1-5, 2006
National States Geographic Information Council 2006 Annual Conference
Little Rock, AR

October 25-27, 2006
Mississippi Forestry Association 2006 Annual Meeting
Jackson, MS

November 13-14, 2006
Memphis 6th Annual GIS Conference
Memphis, TN

DID YOU KNOW?

The Worldwide GIS/Geospatial revenue is forecast to reach $3.6 billion in 2006, up from $2.82 billion in 2004. This growth is driven by sales of commercial data products and the emergence of desktop and Internet-based systems.

Source: DARATECH, Inc.

Geospatial in MS:
Innovative & Industry Leading

You have probably seen the images. Dramatic overhead pictures of Hurricane Katrina, stunning aerial views of Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, or shocking snapshots of whole villages wiped away by the Asian tsunami. All of these are the result of geospatial technology which generates images of the Earth from satellites or airplanes. But these images are more than just vivid pictures of a tragic scene, they can be powerful and innovative tools for displaying data and solving problems.

Geospatial technology provides the ability to identify the geographic location and characteristics of natural or man-made features and boundaries on the earth. It allows a user to manipulate geographic data in its entire context, allowing a better understanding of the “big picture.” Today, geospatial technology is being used to address planning, decision-making, and operational needs of people and organizations of all types. From flood management and precision farming to national defense and community development, geospatial technology is the basis for an emerging $30 billion global technology sector predicted to have a significant impact on the U.S. economy.

Mississippi has become a leader in fostering new businesses and encouraging the development of innovative products and services within this emerging high tech sector. Mississippi’s geospatial technology industry cluster, which initially began in 1998 with seven charter members at the Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi, has grown into a full-fledged statewide cluster with over 30 companies.

If this is a global market, how and why Mississippi?
In 1997, the U.S. Congress passed the Commercial Space Act, which mandated that remote sensing technology, once the domain of scientists and the military, be moved out of government into the private sector. Mississippi, with over 30 years of remote sensing applications and commercial development experience resident at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, was well positioned to take on a leadership role as a result of this mandate.

Then-NASA Administrator Dan Goldin issued a challenge to the Chancellor of The University of Mississippi, Robert Khayat to, “Make Mississippi the nation’s focal point for remote sensing industry development and become a leader in research, product development, and information sales.” The state eagerly accepted the challenge and since 1998 has actively supported the growth of a geospatial cluster at a level not found anywhere else in the U.S.

The Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS), the program that coordinates the activities of this cluster for the state, works with private companies as well as university research programs, state agencies, and other related organizations to support geospatial technology business development, research, and workforce development efforts. While the cluster has developed a wide range of services and products over the years, what continues to tie them together is the commitment of working to research, develop, and market new geospatial technology products from a Mississippi zip code.

Everyday Solutions for Everyday Business
One of the more exciting aspects of this industry is the seemingly limitless ways it can be applied to so many business areas. Mississippi’s geospatial companies are developing new and useful solutions for everyday business including: real estate, transportation, agriculture, natural resource management, homeland security, local government, weather services, public health, retail, media, recreation, and utilities.

Mississippi’s geospatial companies have found success serving a variety of markets including the private sector, local entities, state and federal agencies, and academia. A number of companies have even branched out geographically beyond U.S. borders to work with customers in South America, Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Asia, and other regions globally.

While over half of the cluster companies operate from the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, there are geospatial companies located throughout Mississippi. The growth and continued impact of this industry in Mississippi was evidenced by an announcement last Fall by The University of Mississippi about the development of a Research Park in Oxford with geospatial technology as one of the four cluster areas for the park. This research park will provide additional infrastructure and expertise to continue innovations from the commercial and research sectors.

Building a New Industry for Mississippi
For over eight years now, Mississippi’s geospatial cluster has shown consistent and steady growth, contributing to Mississippi's leadership position in the global geospatial arena. By continuing to foster new and innovative ways to support Mississippi’s geospatial businesses, the state is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of this emerging technology sector. As recently observed by Carl Schramm, President of the Kauffman Foundation, “What we are seeing here is unprecedented. This industry cluster has been methodically put together piece by piece. When the market forces kick in, this cluster is going to take off faster than others created by chance.” While geospatial markets are still being defined and even created, Mississippi has a head start on capturing a share of these evolving markets and leading the nation with innovative geospatial products and services.


This article by Lisa Stone, Acting Director of EIGS, was featured in the Northeast MS Business Journal, July 7, 2006.
 

Conference Reports

Mississippi Municipal League 75th Annual Conference

Celebrating 75 years of service to Mississippi’s cities and towns, the Mississippi Municipal League held its Annual Conference in Tunica, MS on July 24-27, 2006. The MML represents 291 city, town, and village governments in Mississippi, with over 2,100 municipal leaders. EIGS was a sponsor and exhibitor at the conference. Joining Marty Inman at the booth were Clark Love of Forest One and Larry Cowart with Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

The Mississippi Economic Development Council 2006 Summer Conference
Held July 19-21, 2006 at the Grand Convention Center in Tunica, EIGS was both a sponsor and an exhibitor at the conference, with Marty Inman, Assistant Director, on booth assignment. The theme of this conference was “Navigating Into A New Era.” Attendees of the conference included members of city chambers of commerce, economic development districts, planning and development districts, county development foundations, development partnerships, industrial boards and growth alliances. Attendees who visited the EIGS booth were informed on how GIS could be used for site selection and marketing for future industrial growth. They were also informed on how GIS can be used as a decision-making tool.

Global Perspectives

France Offers Alternative To Google Earth

Paris (AFP)
Millions of internet users have clicked on to "Geoportal", the French answer to Google Earth offering high-resolution aerial imagery of France, in the first days of the site's operation, the portal's developers said. More information

South Korea To Launch Arirang-2 EO Satellite

Seoul, South Korea (SPX)
South Korea plans to launch a satellite for geographical updates, natural resource searches and environmental observation from a Russian spaceport late this month, government officials have announced.

The multipurpose Arirang 2 satellite is scheduled to lift off July 28 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of Moscow, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

The launch previously had been scheduled for last November, but it had to be delayed due to technical problems. The satellite is expected to give the country the ability to take high-resolution pictures of Earth's surface. It will be placed in a 685-kilometer (425-mile) orbit by a Russian rocket, Yonhap News Agency reported. For more information, visit Korean Press Agency.

Israel MoD Considers Commercial Sale of Ofeq Imagery

Space News Correspondent
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israel's Ministry of Defense (MoD) is considering a proposal by ImageSat International, owner and operator of the Eros-series imaging satellites, to offer imagery from Ofeq and future government-owned spy satellites for resale on the commercial market.

Billed as a cost-effective means of meeting intensifying demands for strategic intelligence and supporting the nation's satellite industry, the ImageSat proposal calls for capitalizing on excess capacity of MoD-operated spacecraft. For more information, visit Space News.

ESA donates mosaic of global images taken by Envisat to United Nations

ESA PR 22-2006.
The European Space Agency has donated a composite satellite image of global land cover provided by its Envisat satellite to the United Nations in Geneva, as a testimony to the current state of our planet, to be handed down to future generations.

The world is looking for a pandemic strain of flu…

The Red Herring - July 3, 2006 Print Issue
In fall 2002, a computer in Ottawa plucked a small article in a Chinese newspaper from deep cyberspace. The article gave advice to parents with children in day care about how they might reduce the chances of their child catching a respiratory disease…

Governments now realize they must get better at tracking infectious diseases—and flu is the top priority. Flu surveillance systems are networks that continuously observe indicators of an influenza outbreak. The technologies run the gamut from Internet web crawlers, such as GPHIN, to private online networks linking hospitals to government agencies, as well as coordinated sample testing facilities. More information

Partner News

Congratulations to MARIS:
MARIS' website has been selected as one of the best educational resources on the Web by StudySphere. StudySphere is one of the Internet's fastest growing sites of educational resources for students, teachers and parents. StudySphere has scoured the Internet to select only the finest sites to be included within its listing of educational links.

Congratulations to GTAP!
The Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute's Geospatial Technology Apprenticeship Program at the University of Southern Mississippi was presented with a 2006 Innovator Award from Southern Growth Policies Board in New Orleans, as part of the Southern Innovation Summit conference last month.
The GTAP is the first research-based, nationally recognized training program designed and developed for the geospatial industry.

Item of Interest:
2005 American Community Survey Data for Gulf Coast Area

Below is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of ArcNews:

In August 2006, the Census Bureau will release its regular data products for American Community Survey, reflecting data collected in 2005. These products will include data for areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since the data collected in any year represents an annual average of the characteristics in all months of the year, the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will influence annual averages to a limited extent. The planned special data product is designed to address this limitation by providing data for two different time spans of 2005: one corresponding to prehurricane conditions, the other corresponding to posthurricane conditions. In providing this data, the Census Bureau hopes to inform decision making about recovery strategies to address the needs of affected areas based on solid statistical information that transcends anecdotal evidence… ::MORE::

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