Gates’ Departure

Bill Gates’ decision to end his day to day oversight of Microsoft in 2008 and move to full time work on his foundation shook the tech world a bit last week. It got me to thinking about the closest parallel we have in our industry. Would Jack Dangermond consider such a move, down the road?

No. Why? Because Dangermond has been and continues today to change the world with GIS technology. He does it with his continued emphasis on the value it brings to decision makers.

Educator Scholarship to ESRI Ed UC

Each year for as far back as I can recall Tele Atlas and ESRI have offered a few scholarships to the ESRI Education User Conference (held in conjunction with its bigger brother, the ESRI User Conference) for educators. I like to think lots of people apply, but I don’t know.

So, a reminder here to let your geospatial educator friends know about this opportunity. Five educators (primary, secondary, college, university, library, museum) from the U.S. and Canada will get free admission and $400 travel stipend. And, they need only answer five questions to apply.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the ESRI education team and this conference within a conference is offers a great environment for sharing.

Quote of the Week

“I’ve watched our software grow for 35 years but this release [ArcGIS 9.2] is more technology than we’ve ever released in 35 years.”

- Jack Dangermond, Founder and President of ESRI, quoted in Forbes

Inland Empire Small Business Growth Profiled in NYTimes

The Inland Empire is that part of southern California that includes San Bernardino and Riverside counties, home of ESRI. The New York Times article profiles a few smaller businesses before it gets around to ESRI. The segment on the company concludes:

Now it is about to start what Mr. Dangermond calls its “biggest effort ever,” an interactive Internet edition of its geographic information systems. Customers, he says, “will post their specific applications on the global system, creating a cumulative, growing base of knowledge.”

First off, I have to appologize to those to whom I spoke this week at the Pennsylvania GIS conference. There I noted that you didn’t read about ESRI in that (or other) major papers. Second, I have to note that ESRI, even in these couched terms for the public, continues to push ArcGIS Explorer, which will sure be part of this new shared database of data and services. Third, it’s important to note that neither Google, nor Microsoft, nor any other new player is mentioned alongside ESRI suggesting its in another league, in addition to being in another geography.

ESRI Lobbyist Connected to Alleged Investigation of Congressman

The San Bernardino Sun reports on Representative Jerry Lewis’ response to allegations he is being investigated by federal authorities.

The front page of LA Times earlier this week pointed to an alleged investigation of misbehavior on the part of Jerry Lewis. He denies any investigation. The story suggests the alleged investigation involves a connection between Lewis and Bill Lowery, a lobbyist. Lowery’s name is connected to a defense contractor who gave money to Lewis’ campaign. That same company hired Lowery. That same company was determined to be an “unindicted co-conspirator” in bribing former Representative Randy Duke Cunnigham.

Lowery is a longtime friend of Lewis and, it turns out, his firm is ESRI’s one and only lobbyist. ESRI’s owners have long supported Lewis. There are no suggestions of improprieties on the part of ESRI, nor is the company under investigation, according to a company spokesperson. The article does cite some interesting numbers.

ESRI has received more than $70 million earmarked in federal contracts over the past decade. Work included such efforts as building software that assesses the fire danger of the San Bernardino Mountains, helping move troops in the Iraq war and assisting in the reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina.

But the company has received many millions more in contracts, according to the Center for Public Integrity. From 1998-2003, ESRI received nearly $132 million in defense contracts, the center reported.

ESRI has paid Lowery’s firm $320,000 since 1998.