The manipulation of imagery is a powerful tool.

It’s just about everywhere you look. Online advertisements, the billboards you pass by in the car, even down to the logo on your shirt. Not only can this be a way to communicate intent on behalf of individuals or brands, it can also be a great way to put the world into perspective. Demographic reporting tools are one of the most powerful resources we have today, allowing us to judge the flow of various industries and assure we keep as many people as possible accommodated. The location intelligence market is only getting bigger as the population does, so familiarizing yourself with marketing analysis services now will pay off big time.

How does geospatial data make the world a smaller place? Let’s find out.

The world’s population is growing at an astronomically fast rate. Recent estimates have suggested it could increase by 50% over the next four decades, shifting from the six and a half billion now to well over nine million. While some countries are seeing more steady growth than others, this is a number that will have an impact the world over. Countless industries will have to change the way they do things in order to adapt. Without manipulation of imagery and location intelligence we wouldn’t have the time to prepare for such a shift.

Europe, for example, has been using geospatial mapping to better determine the needs of its general population in accordance with the demographic shift. By the time 2030 arrives every 100 workers in Europe will have to support 40 people over the age of 65, whether as a profession or in the home. Compare this to 2008, where this number was closer to 25 people over the age of 65 per 100 workers. This research was published by Eurostat, the statistics arm of the European Union working night and day to make sense of seemingly impossible numbers. How, exactly, do we get these in the first place?

One of our most advanced tools is the GPS satellite. There are always 24 active GPS satellites circling the Earth, though today there are more than 30 (as well as a few spares). Each one will orbit the world once every 12 hours, with the satellites traveling 12,000 miles above us at roughly 7,000 miles per hour. A GPS receiver is also able to determine the current time to within 100 billionths of a second, as accurate as we can possibly be. Satellites, however, are just one of many elements involved in location intelligence solutions.

When faced with the monumental task of planning, collecting, reporting and analyzing data you need as many different tools as possible. Google’s data experts have found geospatial information comes with 15% data capture, 20% data reporting and 65% data analysis. The U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics is anticipating a steady stream of growth in jobs that relate to location intelligence solutions. These include geographers, cartographers photogrammetrists, among others. When demographic reporting tools can help us judge the flow of entire industries and better map out healthcare, it’s not hard to see why.

The geospatial industry grows as the world does. It generated nearly $75 billion in revenue back in 2011 and helped create over $1 trillion in revenue for the American economy alone. A report provided by MarketsandMarkets estimates the geospatial analytics market will grow from $28 billion to a staggering $70 billion over the next two or three years. With manipulation of imagery, photography and the aid of GPS satellites we’re able to map the growth of the planet and apply it logically. It saves money, provides us perspective and inches us ever closer to a more ideal world.

Thanks to spatial analysis and the manipulation of imagery we’re able to see more than a few feet ahead of us.