Keyhole, Inc
Encyclopedia
Keyhole, Inc., founded in 2001, was a pioneering software development company specializing in geospatial data visualization applications and was acquired by Google
in 2004. Initially launched as a spin-off of Intrinsic Graphics, first round funding came from a Sony
venture capital fund and others, additional capital came from an NVIDIA
bundling deal, from the CIA
(via its venture-capital appendage, In-Q-Tel
) and from angel investor
Brian McClendon
(who later came on as a board member and VP). Keyhole's marquee application suite, Earth Viewer, emerged as the highly successful Google Earth
application in 2005; other aspects of core technology survive in Google Maps
, Google Mobile and the Keyhole Markup Language
.
The name "Keyhole" is also a homage to the KH reconnaissance satellites
, the original eye-in-the-sky military reconnaissance system now some 30 years old.
, Keyhole's management team included the following people:
The board also included:
Keyhole Inc. founders include John Hanke, Chikai Ohazama, Mark Aubin, Phil Keslin, and Avi Bar-Zeev. Advisory founders include Brian McClendon, Michael Jones, Chris Tanner, and Rémi Arnaud.
Keyhole got a big boost during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, when CNN
, ABC
, CBS
& other major news networks used sophisticated 3D flyby imagery from its EarthViewer product line, to the delight of viewers and investors alike. "One of the problems (Keyhole) faced as a small company was getting exposure," said NVIDIA
's Dan Vivoli. "This will certainly help."
, media, urban planning
, state and federal governments, defense
, homeland security
, and intel
, but at the time of its acquisition its only named customers were US Army CECOM
, the United States Department of Defense
, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office.
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
in 2004. Initially launched as a spin-off of Intrinsic Graphics, first round funding came from a Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
venture capital fund and others, additional capital came from an NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
bundling deal, from the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(via its venture-capital appendage, In-Q-Tel
In-Q-Tel
In-Q-Tel of Arlington, Virginia, United States is a not-for-profit venture capital firm that invests in high-tech companies for the sole purpose of keeping the Central Intelligence Agency equipped with the latest in information technology in support of United States intelligence capability...
) and from angel investor
Angel investor
An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...
Brian McClendon
Brian McClendon
Brian McClendon is an American software designer, developer and engineer. He was a co-founder and angel investor in Keyhole, a geospatial data visualization tool; the start-up was purchased by Google in 2004 and later came to be known as Google Earth...
(who later came on as a board member and VP). Keyhole's marquee application suite, Earth Viewer, emerged as the highly successful Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
application in 2005; other aspects of core technology survive in Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
, Google Mobile and the Keyhole Markup Language
Keyhole Markup Language
Keyhole Markup Language is an XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within Internet-based, two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. It was created by...
.
The name "Keyhole" is also a homage to the KH reconnaissance satellites
Corona (satellite)
The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
, the original eye-in-the-sky military reconnaissance system now some 30 years old.
Notable personnel
Near the time of its acquisition by GoogleGoogle
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, Keyhole's management team included the following people:
- John HankeJohn HankeJohn Hanke is a founder and was the CEO of Keyhole, Inc., which was acquired by Google in 2004 and whose flagship product was renamed to Google Earth. Hanke the was formerly the Vice President of Product Management for Google's "Geo" division...
, CEOChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
– previously worked in "foreign affairs" in Washington DCWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
& IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Brian McClendonBrian McClendonBrian McClendon is an American software designer, developer and engineer. He was a co-founder and angel investor in Keyhole, a geospatial data visualization tool; the start-up was purchased by Google in 2004 and later came to be known as Google Earth...
, VPVice presidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Engineering – previously with @Home@Home Network@Home Network was a high-speed cable Internet service provider from 1996 to 2002. It was founded by Milo Medin, cable companies TCI, Comcast, and Cox Communications, and William Randolph Hearst III, who was their first CEO, as a joint venture to produce high-speed cable Internet service through...
, SGISilicon GraphicsSilicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
. - Daniel Lederman, Director of Business Development – previously with Aerzone, Inc.
- Bill Kilday, Director of Marketing – previously at Weelhouse Interactive, Cox Interactive.
- Noah Doyle, Strategic Marketing – cofounded MyPointsUnited OnlineUnited Online is a public company formed by the 2001 merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services. The company's range of products and services has evolved significantly since inception, primarily through a series of acquisitions that have included Classmates Online , MyPoints and FTD Group, Inc. ....
, a startup acquired by United OnlineUnited OnlineUnited Online is a public company formed by the 2001 merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services. The company's range of products and services has evolved significantly since inception, primarily through a series of acquisitions that have included Classmates Online , MyPoints and FTD Group, Inc. ....
. - Andria Ruben, Director of Government Affairs – previously at Intrinsic Graphics, GigaPixel, CompCore.
The board also included:
- Thomas Gewecke, SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. - Michael T. Jones, CTOChief technical officerA chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
, Intrinsic Graphics.
GSA President's Medal award
The Geological Society of America (GSA) Past President Jean Bahr awarded GSA's prestigious President's Medal for 2010 to the founders of Keyhole, Inc., developers of Earth Viewer, which evolved into Google Earth.Keyhole Inc. founders include John Hanke, Chikai Ohazama, Mark Aubin, Phil Keslin, and Avi Bar-Zeev. Advisory founders include Brian McClendon, Michael Jones, Chris Tanner, and Rémi Arnaud.
Major product lines
- At the time of its being rolled into Google EarthGoogle EarthGoogle Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
, Keyhole 2 consisted of 3 major branches: LT, NV, and Pro. - They also had EarthStream, a product for car navigation.
Keyhole got a big boost during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, when CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
& other major news networks used sophisticated 3D flyby imagery from its EarthViewer product line, to the delight of viewers and investors alike. "One of the problems (Keyhole) faced as a small company was getting exposure," said NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
's Dan Vivoli. "This will certainly help."
Notable customers
Keyhole boasted an active customer base in several sectors, including real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, media, urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, state and federal governments, defense
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, homeland security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
, and intel
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
, but at the time of its acquisition its only named customers were US Army CECOM
CECOM
The CECOM Life Cycle Management Command aspires to be the Army's premier Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities provider...
, the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office.
External links
- http://web.archive.org/*/keyhole.com - keyhole.com at the Wayback Machine
- http://www.geosociety.org/news/pr/10-53.htm - Geological Society of America Salutes Creators of Transformative Technology - October,30 2010