got geoint?

Welcome to the Friday’s Food for Thought post on got geoint? Well, well, well, it’s been quite a week. And, now is the time to rest, recover, sift through all the business cards collected and, let’s face it, reflect. Before we take a moment to do this, we just wanted to point out that USGIF out-did themselves again. Drawing even more attendees and exhibitor companies, high caliber speakers and of course the best musical entertainment (World Classic Rockers) to date. Also, stay tuned for more videos from GEOINT 2009 — to capture things you may have missed, or to relive key moments. Now, time for reflection.

The GEOINT Community
Every year, GEOINT reinforces the fact that we really do operate in a community. We are all connected through business associations, friendships and, most of all, through the need to advance our business, organizations and careers. We often speak of how fortunate we are to be working in an industry that is weathering this recession, developing the most advanced technologies, is connected to Intelligence and Defense leaders, and plays a critical role in protecting our nation. We are all very fortunate on soo many levels.

GEOINT is the Foundation
Whenever we get the opportunity to spend time with Admiral Murrett and General Clapper, one things is always clear: GEOINT is the foundation and the functional manager for all other intelligence operations. We have certainly discussed this topic many times before on this blog, but again GEOINT 2009 further reinforced this concept in our minds. So, we think we all need to pat ourselves on the back for taking on this level of responsibility. We are a group of smart, talented and innovative people who are essentially the back bone of all intelligence functions. It is an amazing thing.

GEOINT: Industry Is Critical To Success
Now more than ever, the role of industry in the GEOINT community has never been soo vital. Unlike other space-related programs (we won’t name names), the GEOINT community leans heavily on industry to develop the most cutting-edge technologies and solutions for address the myriad of GEOINT challenges that face our nation and the world. And, industry has come through on soo many levels. In addition, DNI Dennnis Blair, Admiral Murrett and General Clapper all reinforced how important industry is to the intelligence community in each of their keynotes. We believe that industry is in a very good spot and will continue to be as our nation (and the world) will continue to face multiple GEOINT challenges.

GEOINT: We Like To Have Fun
What makes this community even stronger is the caliber of networking we like to do. Each year, USGIF makes this a priority with GeoWalk and now, the most rockin’ Closing Celebration ever. Yes, these events are fun, but the entire point is to bring us all closer together and bind the community. And, let us to tell you: it works. The editorial staff witnessed a number of networking moments where companies and organizations made connections that will benefit both groups. Isn’t that what networking is all about? Creating lasting connections with companies, groups and individuals that are mutually beneficial?

We would like to hear from our readers! What were the GEOINT 2009 highlights for you?

Tags: GEOINT, GEOINT 2009, geospatial intelligence, USGIF, World Classic Rockers