The proliferation of smartphones and technological innovations such as cloud computing could point to a new era for geospatial intelligence, according to a recent Defense Systems report.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is sounding out the new tech tools to more easily put high-value geospatial imagery into the hands of warfighters.
âWeâre entering a new phase for [geospatial intelligence] â itâs going to be exciting,â said Keith Barber, who heads NGAâs implementation online on-demand services.
He added that thereâs âtremendous potentialâ with handheld devices, but acknowledged there are security issues yet to be worked out.
The mobile push in geospatial is also sparking the need for applications, which can be created by traditional software and app developers, industry partners and the warfighters, themselves, he said.
âWe have to find a balance in terms of investment and we need to understand new technology like the cloud, which is the buzzword du jour,â Barber said. âOne challenge is that we have to be smart about aligning resources.â