Q&A with Kevin T. Brown

Technical Director, GEOINT Programs
Raytheon, Intelligence and Information Systems

With over 30 years of experience, Kevin brings a broad perspective to the GEOINT community. As Raytheon's Technical Director of GEOINT programs, he supports the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and legacy organizations needs for GEOINT systems and services. He also leads the technical and management efforts for GOtab™.

Q: What is GOtab? Is it just an app?
A: GOtab is a visual GEOINT user environment that offers intuitive access to applications, data, information, products, tools, analytics, and services when and where the user needs them. GOtab is more than an app. It can be considered a super app for discovery, retrieval and exploitation of GEOINT. In other words, it is an integration of apps or an "app of apps" concept that empowers users to solve both routine and complex GEOINT challenges.

Q: How does GOtab differ from anything else currently in the market today?
A: GOtab responds to the need for rapid, easy-to-access GEOINT information independent of the users' computing devices environment. It provides a single point of entry into GEOINT information, services, and tools. The visual interface allows the user to tailor the discovery and retrieval experience, and offers users multiple ways to discover needed GEOINT information based on their needs.

Q: How does Appsmart™ integrate with GOtab?
A: Appsmart is an enabling component capability of the GOtab user environment. GOtab offers seamless access through Raytheon's application store into the NGA's existing GEOINT Online web presence and other open sources of GEOINT.

Q: How can GOtab's capabilities help during a natural disaster or weather crisis?
A: GOtab is designed to work in a desktop, laptop or mobile device environment. During and post a crisis event, GOtab serves as a mobile edge computing office environment, providing access to GEOINT information quicker and easier through online and on-demand services and capabilities. GOtab provides the flexibility to filter search terms, select the types of products and information that are of interest, using either a geospatial or textual query environment to define a specific area of interest.

Q: What is in the future for GOtab?
A: GOtab will continue to evolve and improve the users' ability to access GEOINT information from the tactical edge and back to the organic server environment. It will enhance two-way communication and collaboration capabilities, response time to mission, and the flexibility of obtaining specific data, product, or service of interest.

Q: What is the NGA Vision Implemented Breakout Session?
A: The changes will be in speed and accuracy; both due to full access to full content.

Q: Can you tell us how Appsmart will benefit the user and developer communities?
A: As a member of the USGIF Technical Committee, I helped set up this NGA Vision Implementation Team panel. The purpose of the panel discussion is to articulate what's been accomplished over the past year to implement NGA's vision and to share NGA's current strategic initiatives and provide an opportunity for interaction with selected initiative leads and partners. This discussion will include how they will integrate the vision going forward into 2012. It will be held on Monday, Oct. 17 and is open to the public.

Q: Why is interoperability a crucial aspect of GEOINT information?
A: The changes will be in speed and accuracy; both due to full access to full content.

Q: Why is interoperability a crucial aspect of GEOINT information?
A: Interoperability is paramount to sharing information and a common operating picture of the mission environment. On Oct. 19, we will discuss the importance of interoperability for online and on-demand during the Tech Talk panel. We will address the priority to get information to work together, share, and collaborate with users. This presentation will examine emerging interoperability issues related to implementing as well as identifying new challenges and assess potential approaches to successfully implement online and on-demand geospatial services.