Four Trends Sparking Growth in Geospatial

What trends will impact the growth of the geospatial industry? Wolfgang Biedermann, CEO of RapidEye AG, speaking at the MundoGEO Connect conference in Sao Paulo this week offered up his top four reasons that he sees for continued growth in the geospatial technology industry. Biedermann has led the remote sensing satellite company since 1999 and has taken the company through the period that saw RapidEye launch a constellation of earth-observing satellites with 5 meter spatial resolution.

Trend #1: Population Growth
Biedermann argued that the world's population growth has led to increasing demand on the world's food supply and infrastructure. The result has caused challenges to environmental sustainability and climate change. Geospatial technology therefore will become an important asset to gathering data and providing information on remote regions of the world.

Trend #2: The right data at the right time
The ability to provide a supply of specialized remotely sensed data is important in addressing the situation in trend #1. Remotely sensed data with a diversity of spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution, leading to more sensors in space, are needed. Repeat coverage of satellite imaging will support change detection and biomass analysis.

Trend #3: Customer Service
With the increasing supply of geospatial data options and growing competition, "customer service" will be a key differentiator in the data market. This means that companies will need to offer accessibility to data, provide competitive cost structures and be responsive to client needs. "Customers ought to pay only for what they need," said Biedermann. So, RapidEye is offering "EyeFind" an online data catalog.

Trend #4: Business Transformation
Biedermann said that customers are increasingly asking for solutions to real business problems, especially in the commercial market. Therefore, he is positioning his company to  solve business problems with remotely sensing data. He said that customers will want answers on a regular basis, and will be moving his company into more services and solutions rather than just data. "Remote sensing data availability [must have] the quality and 'fit' with the customer," said Biedermann.

Biedermann's final comment was that increasing complexity of geospatial solutions will lead to both business consolidation as well as increasing partnerships.

Quote of the Week - 6/17/11

"You may not use location-based services, but they use you."

- Paraphrased comment from audience member (please claim if yours!) at New York State GeoSpatial Summit during the event yesterday. Well said!

Apple Files Location-based “Buddy Finder” Patent Application

It's called Ad Hoc Networking Based on Content and Location and was filed in Dec 2009.

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for ad hoc networking based on content and location are described. A user of a mobile device can identify another user using another mobile device who is close by, if both users have requested to participate in networking. Common interests and experiences of two or more users located close to each other can be identified from content, including automatically created usage data of the mobile devices.

Usage data of a mobile device can be created based on activities performed on the mobile device (e.g., songs downloaded), a trajectory of the mobile device (e.g., places traveled), or other public data available from the mobile device (e.g., pictures shared). Each of the users can be notified that another user having the common interests and experiences is close by. A means of initiating communication can be provided to the users to facilitate communication between the users.

via SEO by the Sea

Update: Ubisense to Raise Funds, Join London Stock Exchange

The company goes public on Monday with a market capitalisation of £38.6 million following an oversubscribed fundraising with institutional investors that has raised £8.7m.

- Cabume

--- original post  5/31/11 ---

Ubisense Limited, the Cambridge, UK real-time location solutions company is joining the exchange and looking to raise £6 million institutional funding. The expectation is the company will grow both organically and by acquisition. The company offers and implements technology to use accurate location information (15 cm in 3D) to support manufacturing companies, utilities and the energy sector.

The company tracks back to 2004 and has roots with some former SmallWorld execs. (APB coverage)

- Business Weekly