The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) formally announced its formation Wednesday as a non-profit organization that brings together the key players involved in the geospatial intelligence sector to promote the tradecraft and to collaborate on the execution of a national geospatial intelligence agenda.
The vision of the USGIF is to have an organization that serves the many disciplines involved in the geospatial intelligence community, and to develop a stronger partnership between government, industry, academic and professional organizations and individuals involved in the development and application of geospatial intelligence data and the deployment of geo-processing resources.
“The geospatial intelligence community operates in an environment characterized by a number of often competing, diverse data sources, amidst an equally sophisticated array of geo-processing technologies to counter the full range of threats to the national security of the United States,” said K. Stuart Shea, chairman of the board of directors, USGIF.
“The USGIF will be a forum where members can work together — outside their own organizational and corporate interests — toward a mutual goal of improving our Nation’s national and homeland security through the benefits of their work.”
The USGIF aims to promote geospatial intelligence by conducting and sponsoring education programs and developing scholarships, as well as publishing and distributing educational publications. Membership will include individuals, companies, non-government organizations, academics and government agencies involved in the geospatial intelligence industry sector.
“The founding members of USGIF realized that there was an inherent need in the geospatial intelligence community for a unified vision and approach to promoting the tradecraft,” said USGIF vice president of operations Steve Jacques. “We aim to be the glue that holds the GI community together.”
In only three months since it began, USGIF members already include Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI), BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, DigitalGlobe, Inc., EarthData International, ESRI, General Dynamics, Harris Corporation, Intergraph, Lockheed Martin Corporation, ManTech International Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Oracle Corp., Questerra, LLC, Raytheon and Science Applications International Corporation.
The USGIF will host a national GEOINT 2004 symposium October 12-14 in New Orleans, at which key members of the Geospatial intelligence community are expected to attend and exhibit.
The symposium builds upon the highly- acclaimed GEO-INTEL 2003 symposium and will assess how geospatial technologies can further the national security agenda.
