got geoint?

Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post officially on got geoint? As we do each week, we have compiled a number of GEOINT/Intelligence/Defense-related stories that we consider “actionable” news — news you need to kick off the work week in the right foot. This week’s installment has a mixture of international news (Iran is planning to launch a communications satellite in 2011) to stock-related news regarding TomTom (yes, the stock is down – not a surprise). So, as we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on. Happy Monday.

Iran Plans to Launch Satellite by 2011
An Iranian official said on Friday that Tehran will launch a communications satellite into orbit on its own, after Italy and Russia declined to put it into orbit. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Reza Taqipour said that Iran’s capability to launch a satellite “has increased”, and that the country hoped to launch the satellite by the end of 2011, reports the Fars news agency. Check out the AP story here.

South Korea Eyeing Four Spy Satellites
South Korea is eyeing the purchase of at least four spy satellites to monitor North Korea. Local reports citing an unnamed Defense Ministry official said the purchase would extend over a 10-year period. The South Korean official said Seoul was considering the option but no official decision had been taken. He did not elaborate. The news came hot on the heels of local media reports commenting on the Defense Ministry’s decision to forge technological cooperation with countries including Germany to pick up the spy satellites. Read the full UPI article here.

A-Space Melds Social Media and Intelligence Gathering
Government Computer News recently did a story about A-Space and how when it was launched in September 2008, it was to be a one-year pilot project. The social media entity achieved operational status early this year, and several of the 17 agencies that use the DIA service have decided that A-Space will be the official workspace for their analysts — the place where they store their working documents and hold electronic conversations. So, it seems that A-Space is reaching its full potential. Very exciting. Read more here.

Prize Pool for 2010 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge Hits Record $10M US with Addition of New Sponsors
NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, today announced the addition of eight new sponsors for the 2010 Global LBS Challenge, contributing to a new record global prize pool valued at over $10 million US. Read the full press release here.

TomTom Stock Loses Its Way
Given the recent news about Google offering free GPS applications, we are not surprised to see that TomTom, provider of portable GPS systems, shares have lost their sense of direction over the last month, with the stock down by more than a third, as worries about competition and third-quarter earnings lead the stock off route. Read more here.

Enjoy your short work week!

Tags: GEOINT, geospatial, Iran satellite, Korean satellite, TomTom, TomTom shares, USGIF