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Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from got geoint? Yes, we are two weeks away from the Christmas/New Year’s Eve holiday. While many of us have been focusing on holiday preparations on the home-front, this is actually one of the busier times of year for the GEOINT community. So, before your mind lingers off to a world of holiday cheer, we have been kind enough to compile all the GEOINT-related news you need to stay sharp and focused as we round out 2011. As we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on. Happy Monday!

White House Orders Commercial Spy Sat Study As Deep Cuts Rumored
Worried that proposed cuts to the multi-billion commercial satellite imagery budget may be too deep, the White House has ordered a study to determine how much can or should be cut.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Seeks New IT Purchasing Model
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is seeking a managed services model for how it buys information technology services, according to a request for information posted last week.

Japan Launches Second Spy Satellite This Year
Japan successfully launched a spy satellite into orbit today and expects to complete its network of intelligence-gathering satellites with another launch next year.

Planning Panel Holds Back on Bethesda Intel Hub
The National Capital Planning Commission has withheld its approval of a massive intelligence campus planned for Bethesda, citing concerns about a proposed parking garage needed to accommodate thousands of federal workers.

Geography: Seeing the Big Picture
Esri Insider blog post about an upcoming ArcNews article by Jerry Dobson that highlights the need for a “macro” view of Geography.

U.S. Intelligence Community Explores What The World May Look Like in 2030
The U.S. intelligence community is exploring what the world might look like in 2030, and the key question focuses on our nation’s decline in power.

GeoPDF Maps Accelerate Japan Disaster Damage Assessment
Earth Imaging Journal article by Rick Cobb, CEO of TerraGo, on how GeoPDFs have helped accelerate disaster damage assessments in the wake of the earthquake in Japan.

Facebook Gets Location-Based Talent With Gowalla Buy
Facebook acquires Gowalla’s engineers and other specialists to help advance its own location-based projects.

Big Sky Associates Earns Recognition for Work With National Intelligence Community
Big Sky Associates recently issued a press release about being a charter member of USGIF’s Small Business Advisory Working Group.

Tags: Big Sky Associates, Commercial Satellite Imagery, EnhancedView, Esri ArcNews, Facebook and Gowalla, Gowalla, Japan Spy Satellite, Jerry Dobson and Esri, NGA IT Purchasing, Rick Cobb and TerraGo, TerraGo, TerraGo and Japan Respnse