The geospatial community has a new forum that will foster discussion of policy and technical issues, promote openness and effective collaboration, and present a united front on issues of common concern — whenever its components agree.
The geospatial industry consists of individuals, private companies, non-profit organizations, academic and research institutions, and government agencies that research, develop, manufacture, and employ geospatial technology (also known as geomatics) — including geographic information systems (GIS), total stations for surveying, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), and multi-spectral imaging. Geospatial disciplines include surveying, geodesy, mapping, cartography, remote sensing (satellite imagery and aerial photography), and geographic information science. The market for geomatics products can be divided, by level of accuracy, into consumer grade, resource grade, and survey grade — each with its own industry leaders.
