Technology is great and it allows mankind to do so much more. One of the coolest technologies I think is NIMA. I am very impressed with the NIMA (National Imagery and Map Agency) Infotech Project. Not only does this give the US the edge from CIA, NSA and NRO but the implications for business are unbelievable.

The map imagery is great and combined with software available with ERSI and programs like ArcView and ArcData and ArcBiz we can do multi-layered can do unbelievable things for environmental mitigation, Target Marketing and when compiled with the declassified DMA-Defense Mapping Agency data it is more powerful than ever before. We can use this to prevent forest fires, estimate fresh water needs in regions, predict weather, droughts.

The military of course has their own experts in the Central Imagery Office and DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) which interprets data and imagery analysis. Satellite Spot and LandSat are used in both civil and commercial applications. Every inch of the Earth is being surveyed and anytime anyone changes any thing over three feet high in the way of putting in buildings will be noticed and areas of major concern can spot a truck parked where it was never before or a block wall that has changed shape.

These technologies will help business also and within a few years we can have a major advantage by doing aerial surveying in 3D from space. This is going to be rather incredible and it will change many of the ways we build things in the future and how we market to different area and how we study traffic and water, and Earthquakes and everything you can think of in the physical world.

Now that Hurricane Season is here, it is great to have the ability to see and assess damage immediately so we can plan how to best respond and restore power, roads and distribution of aid and supplies. Consider all this in 2006.