Is this why Google bought Keyhole?

Thursday, September 29, 2005 (20:11 UTC)

Via Grasshoppermind's del.icio.us bookmarks, an excerpt from The Semantic Earth, a quarterly report published by an outfit called Release 1.0.

It's not exactly cheap — the report costs $80. But what I find intriguing is these three things; first of all, the gist of the message:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been stuck where information retrieval was in the early ��90s: a technology that could have transformative effects if only it didn��t require high priests to build and maintain it.

Second, an endorsement of Release 1.0 reports by none other than Google CEO Eric Schmidt, right next to it:

"It's obvious to me -- and to most of my peers in the industry -- that Release 1.0 is absolutely indispensable. It consistently combines the latest thinking of the brightest minds on issues of significance to the industry. I can't be without it!"

Finally, the timing: The report was published in January 2004.

In October, Google bought Keyhole.

[Update 20.19 UTC: Grasshoppermind has further interesting context on his blog.]

Permalink | Del.icio.us | Connotea