My personal career has really been the outcome of my passion for mapping and for being close to the forefront of how technology has and continues to transform mapping as used by people, companies and organizations to better meet their needs for location-specific information, getting places (or avoiding getting lost), analyzing data from a location based perspective, etc. This passion goes so far back that I was one of the very few college undergrads in the US who knew they wanted to be a geography major when I entered college. I guess I was a total map geek!
Combining my passion for maps with a strong interest and fascination with math & computer science, I went all the way to getting a PhD in this area before entering the real world. I was fortunate to have been the CEO of the company that launched the mapquest.com website in 1996, which changed the way many folks get directions and also was one of the first truly interactive websites following the introduction of web browsers.
Since then I’ve had the opportunity to continue to ‘feed my passion’ at companies on the forefront of mobile location based services and mapping content.
At ALK, I have become immersed in the fascinating and challenging world of transportation and logistics --- we are taking fundamental mapping data and software tools and providing our customers with the answers they need related to routes, mileages, locations, costs and navigation. Many of the leading trucking companies, shippers, logistics companies, railroad companies and companies with mobile workforces are users of our PC*MILER and CoPilot solutions which provide the answers they depend on for efficient planning and operations. It is fulfilling to know that the efficiencies that we play a small role in (and are continuously working to improve) help our customers save fuel (and reduce emissions), reduce costs (and therefore the price of goods) and contribute to safe operations, beneficial to drivers as well as the public at large.
In future installments of this blog, we will talk about trends in our industry and in mapping and related technology, important goings-on at ALK, views on the industry from ALK team members and other topics that hopefully will be informative and interesting.
We are interested in your feedback about this blog and ALK and the industry in general. We'd also love to hear which topics interest you, so please give us your comments – we’ll publish those that are relevant and appropriate.