You may have picked up on the rumors that I have a new job, well it’s true !!
This week I joined Google as the Geospatial Technologist for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and to say I am excited would be somewhat of an understatement.
Google (and yes Microsoft and Yahoo as well 🙂 ) have had a massive positive impact on the traditional GI industry and are developing truly innovative ways of distributing and exploiting geographic information – and there is still much more to come !
The “heavy lifting” of the data providers and sophisticated software tools developers is still a very important part of the industry which after-all is data driven, but through the efforts of Google the information is getting into the hands of a new community of some 200 million users, when they need it, and how they need it.
It’s really important that the world of neogeography and the more established industry come together as there is much to learn from both ends of the spectrum, there is already much good working going on to integrate geoRSS and KML with existing OGC standards for example.
Google lives up to its reputation – I feel like I’m back at university, really bright people getting on and solving problems, but unlike most university departments or corporate research units, with all the resources needed to do so – and yes there are lots of Lava lamps, as much free food and drink as you could cope with, and a games room 🙂
I have been smiling continuously for the last week, but I can see life is going to get really busy !!
Written and submitted from home, using my home 802.11 network.
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I was just playing around with the fab new ‘My Maps’ thing on google (so simple, I love it), and I thought to myself, “I wonder what Ed is up to these days?” Spookily I see my cognitive connections have become reality! Congratulations.
Wishing you all the best, Ed. Sounds like a win-win scenario for both you and Google. A door closes and another opens.
Judy
So Ed, is this:
–Go to Google.com
-Click on Maps.
–Click on “get Directions”.
–From New York
–To London
(read line # 23.)
your doing 🙂
Congratulations Ed. More travelling!
Ed
Great news – congratulations! Once you are sorted let us know if you would like to do another BCS talk in your new role…
Cheers
Dan
One more congrat.
Can I selfishly take this opportunity to shove the word “Ireland” into your field of vision at your new job, please?
It’s just that Google Maps (and each of its competitors) doesn’t do anything useful here at all, and we don’t know who else to prod.
Ta. 🙂
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Ed, first of all, thanks for signing off my voluntary-ish redundancy application form back in 2003 so I could leave Ordnance Survey!
Everyone in Geospatial Maintenance and Testing could see you were destined for big things when you too eventually left, but we could never have guessed this.
Great news, let’s hope you keep on having the time to share all your ideas with us while you are at Google. You must feel on top of the world.
Best wishes,
Paul Pridmore (you won’t remember me!)
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