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G E O W O R L D / J A N U A R Y 2 O 1 0 8 Imagery/LIDAR Special Issue GIS Improves Charity Fundraising Comic Relief, a UK-based charity organization, con-tracted with ESRI (UK) to introduce GIS technology to boost its marketing activity for Sport Relief 2010 and other upcoming fundraising events. Comic Relief is upgrading its existing software marketing system, which relied heavily on manual input, to a platform that will use geographic analysis to maximize its fundraising potential. ESRI's ArcView and ArcGIS Explorer desktop software will enable Comic Relief to map and make targeted marketing decisions on the location of potential participants likely to attend the Sports Relief events. We are delighted that Comic Relief is benefiting from the ESRI ArcGIS software platform and its ability to offer a geographical perspective on its planning, noted Richard Waite, managing director, ESRI (UK). The technology's advantages are not only available to the commercial sector but also those organiza-tions that are tackling some of the world's biggest issues and helping the most vulnerable. The Sport Relief events comprise various-mile runs across the United Kingdom. Being held March 19-21, 2010, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. With spatial representation of potential fundraising hotspots, Comic Relief can target specific advertising and local grassroots marketing campaigns to encour-age support. The software integrates with Microsoft's Bing Maps, which enables detailed planning of upcoming event locations such as the nearest train stations, parks, police stations, etc. The overlay of hybrid aerial street maps with Bing Maps adds an extra layer of critical information when planning the location of new events, said James Taylor, database analyst, Comic Relief. States Get Millions for Broadband Mapping The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana and Missouri under its State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning. The data will be displayed in NTIA's national broadband map, which will inform policymakers' efforts and provide consumers with improved information on the broadband Internet ser-vices available to them. This program will advance efforts to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide, which is vital to job creation and economic recovery, said Lawrence E. Strickling, assistant secretary for com-munications and information, and NTIA administrator. NTIA will continue to provide guidance to applicants where necessary to help them improve their pro-posed projects, so that all states and territories can soon participate in this initiative. The State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program is a matching-grant program that imple-ments the joint purposes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Broadband Data Improvement Act (BDIA). The program will provide grants to assist states or their designees in gather-ing and verifying state-specific data on the availability, speed, location and technology type of broadband ser-vices. The data collected also will be used to develop NEWS LINK MICR OSOFT ESRI's ArcGIS software was integrated with Microsoft's Bing Maps and used by Comic Relief to improve marketing activities for Sport Relief 2010.