Our ability to compile location-based data and create accurate maps is one of the most underrated achievements of humankind. Many of us assume that after the “official” World Map was completed and after Google Earth was released to the masses, that everything about mapping was completed. This could not be further from the truth.

Every day, more than 150 million digital maps are created – from mapping Ebola outbreaks to visualizing how poverty is distributed.

Location-based data tells the story of humans and how we exist in our environments. It brings color to the relationship between man and environment. We’ve only just begun bringing this rich story to life. Truthfully, there are very few companies and organizations that won’t benefit or be affected by digital mapping, cartography, or geographic information systems.

Digital mapping is a massive opportunity, whether the goal is to:

• Design better cityscapes to accommodate a growing population
• Prospect the next physical store locations that will thrive
• Get passengers from point A to point B
• Provide environments for virtual and augmented reality spaces
• And even eradicate diseases

As we venture further and further into the metaverse, incorporating more technology into our lives, we’re going to bring more and more location-based data into our lives.

So how did we get here?