This new Geospatial Leadership Awards program was created to identify and recognize individuals and organizations for both vision and achievement in the geospatial industry.

“We’re excited to begin this awards program on the 20^th anniversary of GeoWorld Magazine’s inception,” stated Jo Treadwell, VP and Group Publisher, GeoTec Media. “As the first and leading magazine in the geospatial technology market, we felt it was important to celebrate our landmark anniversary by honoring those companies and organizations that have strengthened our industry.”

GeoWorld magazine and GeoReport e-newsletter subscribers as well as visitors to GeoPlace.com cast their votes this past April for their top candidates in the following four categories: Geospatial Innovator, Private Enterprise, Public Enterprise and Visionary Achievement. Each category was supported by a sponsoring organization, including BAE Systems, Colt Geomatics and Digital Globe.

And the winners are:

Geospatial Innovator Award - Given to a geospatial tool developer that has created new software or hardware that expands the possibilities of the geospatial industry. Category sponsor: BAE Systems

Public Enterprise Award - Given to a government entity or non-profit association. Category sponsor: Digital Globe

• City of Edmonton, Alberta, Spatial Land Inventory Management (SLIM) – winner
• Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation (TIMS) – honorable mention
• GeoConnections – honorable mention
• NASA – honorable mention

Private Enterprise Award - Given to a private organization that has either successfully extended GIS throughout its enterprise or contributed significantly to the advancement and adoption of geospatial technology. Category sponsor: Colt Geomatics

• National Geographic Society – winner
• ESRI, Educational Resources – honorable mention
• Las Vegas Valley Water District – honorable mention
• The Nature Conservancy – honorable mention

Visionary Achievement - given by GeoTec Media to an individual for dedication to the technical advancement and widespread use of geospatial technology. The recipient of this important award is David Schell, CEO and founder of the Open Geospatial Consortium.

About GeoTec Media
GeoTec Media has been providing guidance for geospatial industry practitioners and a voice for vendors for 21 years as the publisher of GeoWorld magazine, the developer of the Web portal GeoPlace.com, the distributor of the weekly “GeoReport” e-newsletter, and the organizer of the annual GeoTec Event tradeshow and conference.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems’ Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) division is a global provider of software for image analysis, geospatial analysis and photogrammetry. From critical mission planning and disaster relief to topographic mapping, land use management and transportation planning, GXP develops groundbreaking tools used to deliver accurate geospatial and intelligence data - when every minute counts. GXP helps its customers optimize their return on investment by delivering quality technical support and training. Software products include SOCET SET® and SOCET GXP®.

About Colt Geomatics

Located in Calgary, Alberta, Colt Geomatics is a leader in geomatics services for the hydrocarbon industry. From initial concept to operating environment, Colt Geomatics provides an unparalleled view of data. Utilizing the latest spatial data management tools and techniques, Colt Geomatics delivers the acquisition, collection, storage, management and analysis of spatial data to both projects and operations.

About Digital Globe

DigitalGlobe is the clear leader in the global commercial Earth imagery and geospatial information market. DigitalGlobe is the only geospatial content provider to take an end-to-end approach to geospatial imagery, from acquiring proprietary high-resolution images through a leading-edge satellite and aerial network, to integrating and distributing that data through GlobeXplorer, a proprietary web-based search and retrieval system that makes it easy to find, purchase and download global imagery. DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite is the world’s highest resolution commercial imaging system. The company’s next-generation WorldView 1 satellite is scheduled to launch in mid-2007, and its WorldView 2 satellite is anticipated to launch in late 2008. The company’s updated and growing ImageLibrary contains over 200 million square kilometers of QuickBird imagery and an extensive global library of aerial imagery suited to countless mapping and planning needs.