QUARTERLY LOCATION BUSINESS NEWS
Here are the most interesting or important articles from the web, according to Location SmartBrief readers:
LOCATION ECOSYSTEM
1. Microsoft’s GeoFlow tool creates vibrant maps with Excel data
April 24,2013
The new GeoFlow tool for Microsoft Office Excel 2013 allows users to visualize spreadsheet data geographically by mapping it into columns, heat maps or bubble visualizations overlaid on Bing Maps. The tool also allows users to correlate data from various spreadsheets and can animate maps to show the passage of time. Read More
2. Why the food industry needs to embrace precision agriculture
March 16, 2013
The time has come for wider adoption of precision agriculture technologies as customers show greater concern about the quality of food, while processors worry about consistency and providing transparency to the public, Matt Ball writes. New machinery commonly has the necessary equipment on board and the costs have come down as well. Read More
3. Geo-targeting helps marketers drive local business
April 3, 2013
Geo-targeting technology customizes searches using the location of mobile phones or other location-enabled devices, giving small-business customers a more personalized experience. “No two search experiences will be alike. Search results will be specifically based on customer location, previous search history, and preferences. Having a better experience will lead to better sales,” Flekel writes. Read More
INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
1. Which states and counties have the highest taxes?
April 17, 2013
Tax Day has come and gone. This analysis features interactive maps that look at how states and counties stack up against one another when it comes to income and property taxes. There is also a map that shows the ZIP codes throughout the U.S. where residents were most likely to use tax software to prepare their returns. Read More
2. Survey: Location-based services are a priority for insurers
February 27, 2013
An Accenture survey found that 42% of insurer chief information officers rank mobility among their five biggest priorities, with 79% expecting the technology to enhance revenue. Location-based services topped the mobile-priority list of nearly half of CIOs, the survey found. “It’s encouraging that companies are embracing the importance of mobility but they need to go further by identifying the top areas for mobile deployment,” Accenture’s Jin Lee says. Read More
3. Esri leverages unique space for mapping gurus at SXSW
March 13, 2013
This year’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival was as much about interactive media and technology as it was about music. Software firm Esri commandeered a unique venue in Austin, Texas, to connect developers, hackers, entrepreneurs and executives with its geographic information systems mapping solutions. “GIS has been used for a long time in natural resources and government… But commercial companies are starting to use it more and more, for things like, ‘Where’s the best place to locate a store?’” explains Esri Chief Marketing Officer Linda Hecht. Read More
BUSINESS AND STRATEGY PLANNING
1. Esri’s Maps for Microsoft Office brings data points to life
April 10, 2013
Esri’s Maps for Microsoft Office allows users with access to ArcGIS Online to transform Excel spreadsheet data into an interactive map within the application. Maps of customer addresses or distribution points can be generated quickly, Karen Richardson writes. “Using this, I honestly created a map within minutes. Nothing could have been easier,” Mike Cooper of Leica Geosystems said. Read More
2. Facebook working on app to track mobile users
February 6, 2013
Facebook is developing a location-based application that would track mobile users as a way to help them find their friends—even when the Facebook app is closed, according to a Bloomberg report. Another report asserts that Facebook issued—and quickly rescinded—a similar app called “Find Friends Nearby” in June 2012. Separately, Facebook announced that as part of an agreement with the Better Business Bureau, it will become more forthcoming about its targeted advertising efforts. Read More
3. Putting a (woman’s) face on the location industry
March 13, 2013
Women are naturals for the location industry, as “location-based thinking, applications, and technologies are so naturally aligned with the way women think and view the world, but they remain in the minority in the field,” Natasha Léger writes. Léger has profiled 18 women in the industry who are making advances in areas like location-based services and mobility, 3D Big Data management and mobile marketing. Read More
