Ted Florence is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Avenza Systems and directs the company in coming up with innovative solutions to the problems that plague the map-makers and map users of the 21st century. He is a professional engineer, who spent seven years as an international executive for a major pharmaceutical company followed by two years in the toy industry before joining Avenza in 1997 as an investor and vice-president.
Ted Florence @Avenza
More about Florence… Ted took over the ownership and presidency of Avenza in 2000 and since has seen the company grow annually under his watch with a number of exciting and innovative products including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop and the revolutionary Avenza PDF Maps mobile app and digital map store. He is the president of the International Board of Directors for the International Map Industry Association as well as a member of the IMIA Americas Board of Directors.
We’ve known Ted for many years now, likely since about 2000 and he’s been a tremendous supporter of GISuser and our company. We’re also huge fans of Ted, his company, and their PDF Maps mobile solutions. Enjoy this short Q&A that Ted graciously participated in:
Q {Glenn}: PC or MAC?
A {Ted}: Right now I use a Mac and have been for the last 2-3 years. I love it.
Previously I was a devout Windows guy but I have since learned that Macs are better IMHO.
Previously I was a devout Windows guy but I have since learned that Macs are better IMHO.
Q {Glenn}: Coffee or Tea & Beer or wine?
A {Ted}: Coffee and lots of it. Often 3 or 4 cups a day.
No beer, wine or spirits at all. I do not drink.
No beer, wine or spirits at all. I do not drink.
Q {Glenn}: ArcGIS or QGIS (or other)?
A {Ted}: Dare I say it, ArcGIS. I am in favour of open source GIS products and I am not happy with ESRI’s dominance of the space but I do acknowledge that as a business in the GIS and mapping space once has to acknowledge and play nice with ESRI. Many of our customers are also ArcGIS users and there is definite synergies (not competitiveness) between what we do and what ESRI does. Having said that, though, I am a strong supporter of lower-cost yet equally or more powerful solutions like Global Mapper.
Q {Glenn}: iOS or Android?
A {Ted}: I am an iOS guy and have several iOS devices, but of course Avenza does produce apps for Android as well so as a company we treat both equally and have devices for both platforms. Personally I prefer iOS but I do have my complaints.
Q {Glenn}: ESRIUC, FOSS4G or other ?
A {Ted}: 6 weeks ago I would have said ESRIUC and screamed it out loud but since then we have been ejected from the ESRI Business Partner Program and as such are no longer invited or allowed to participate in the ESRIUC. We were diligent supporters of the UCs in San Diego, Washington and Toronto for almost 15 years and are very dismayed at this sudden and unexpected turn of events. Hopefully we will be back to UC in 2017.
Having said that, I am now the International President of the International Map Industry Association (IMIA)http://imiamaps.org/about-imia/imia-boards/ and one of the events that we, as an organization, are supporting and participating in this year is FOSS4G. So I guess the current simple answer to your question is FOSS4G.
Having said that, I am now the International President of the International Map Industry Association (IMIA)http://imiamaps.org/about-imia/imia-boards/ and one of the events that we, as an organization, are supporting and participating in this year is FOSS4G. So I guess the current simple answer to your question is FOSS4G.
Q {Glenn}: If I was to look on your coffee table, what are you currently reading? (Sorry of this sounded creepy!)
A {Ted}: I am reading Paul Stanley’s book, Face The Music: A Life Exposed and I just got the new Ronald Regan biography by Jacob Weisberg which my wife saw discussed and recommended by Fareed Zakaria and bought for me.
A {Ted}: I am reading Paul Stanley’s book, Face The Music: A Life Exposed and I just got the new Ronald Regan biography by Jacob Weisberg which my wife saw discussed and recommended by Fareed Zakaria and bought for me.
Q {Glenn}: On the job front, is your company hiring or have you recently made a hire? Also, are there any challenges you face in hiring Geotech/Dev talent or consultants that you’d like to share?
A {Ted}: Avenza is always looking for good strong and qualified people, especially in QA, Support and Development. So in short, yes, we are hiring and yes, we have made several recent new hires. The biggest challenge we face is actually finding good smart people. Quite honestly we are often finding that candidates who look great on paper cannot pass our simple stage-one vetting and interview process. Either people are inflating their resumes or skill-sets or are just not prepared for what it takes to turn an education into a job. It also seems like some candidates have a bigger idea of who they are and what they are capable of than what is truly the case.
A {Ted}: Avenza is always looking for good strong and qualified people, especially in QA, Support and Development. So in short, yes, we are hiring and yes, we have made several recent new hires. The biggest challenge we face is actually finding good smart people. Quite honestly we are often finding that candidates who look great on paper cannot pass our simple stage-one vetting and interview process. Either people are inflating their resumes or skill-sets or are just not prepared for what it takes to turn an education into a job. It also seems like some candidates have a bigger idea of who they are and what they are capable of than what is truly the case.
Q {Glenn}: any advice for GeoGeeks that are thinking of launching a startup venture?
A {Ted}: In a word….INNOVATE. There are lots of solutions out there and many overlap and have been around and established for a while. So what we need are new and innovative ideas, not me-too products. A perfect example IMHO is our PDF Maps mobile solution. We innovated and invented the idea of taking geospatial PDFs and geotiffs straight to mobile devices and embellished it with an iTunes-like map store that does for map publishers what iTunes and Kindle have done for music and books. Now we have almost 400,000 maps and users in every country and continent except North Korea but including Antarctica.
A {Ted}: In a word….INNOVATE. There are lots of solutions out there and many overlap and have been around and established for a while. So what we need are new and innovative ideas, not me-too products. A perfect example IMHO is our PDF Maps mobile solution. We innovated and invented the idea of taking geospatial PDFs and geotiffs straight to mobile devices and embellished it with an iTunes-like map store that does for map publishers what iTunes and Kindle have done for music and books. Now we have almost 400,000 maps and users in every country and continent except North Korea but including Antarctica.
Q {Glenn}: Scenario, I’m a College student wanting a career in “GIS” what words of wisdom can you give me? Also, I often get people asking what courses or prof. development can I suggest. Is there a short course through Coursera or code academy etc… that you would suggest for a geogeek?
A {Ted}: Do your homework. Prepare for your interviews and know something about the company before you step in to the interview room. Offer ideas and suggestions and show the interviewer that you can contribute if they give you the chance. I cannot tell you how many candidates we receive who are not prepared and know absolutely nothing about Avenza or what it does. Know the industry and not just the 2 or 3 software packages you learned at school and know about geography and GIS in general, again not just what they taught you in school. Believe it or not, we have had people come in for interviews with GIS degrees who cannot find 0,0 on amap.
A {Ted}: Do your homework. Prepare for your interviews and know something about the company before you step in to the interview room. Offer ideas and suggestions and show the interviewer that you can contribute if they give you the chance. I cannot tell you how many candidates we receive who are not prepared and know absolutely nothing about Avenza or what it does. Know the industry and not just the 2 or 3 software packages you learned at school and know about geography and GIS in general, again not just what they taught you in school. Believe it or not, we have had people come in for interviews with GIS degrees who cannot find 0,0 on amap.
Q {Glenn}: I’m a bit of a skeptic regarding the economy at the moment and don’t view things as being completely rosy (particularly here in Canada). How do you see the current business climate unfolding?
A {Ted}: I do not see the same gloom and doom as many other do. For me and Avenza things are great. Sure, the low oil prices are dragging down the Canadian dollar, but that means investment and jobs may be coming back here. Remember a few years ago when oil was high and the CA$ was high and factories all over Canada were closing and the jobs going back to the US and Mexico? Additionally, for companies like Avenza who are huge exporters, ie we sell mostly outside Canada and in US$, the current situation is quite good.
A {Ted}: I do not see the same gloom and doom as many other do. For me and Avenza things are great. Sure, the low oil prices are dragging down the Canadian dollar, but that means investment and jobs may be coming back here. Remember a few years ago when oil was high and the CA$ was high and factories all over Canada were closing and the jobs going back to the US and Mexico? Additionally, for companies like Avenza who are huge exporters, ie we sell mostly outside Canada and in US$, the current situation is quite good.
Q {Glenn}: Can you share a snippet of what’s exciting and/or on the horizon for you & or your company? This is a great spot to discuss the affiliate program launch/PR and perhaps a mention of the ESRI situation
A {Ted}: Perhaps the most exciting thing that is happening right now is that Avenza is moving into a brand new building at the end of February. We purchased a building in mid-town Toronto for ourselves and have just about finished all the renovations. On the product side, our mobile platform, Avenza PDF Maps, continues to grow. We have 400,000 maps in inventory, tens of thousands of commercial licensees and users, over 2.5 million maps downloaded and demonstrable usage everywhere on the planet (except North Korea). We recently received an order from Antarctica! So we are continuing to invest in and grow the Avenza PDF Maps technology by adding new features, functions and platforms. To that end, our Windows version will be officially released soon after some intense and serious beta-testing around the world. Equally exciting is the new and recently announced Avenza PDF Maps Affiliate Program. Under the affiliate program, any retailer or business, including both online and physical stores, blogs, portals and information sites, can now earn revenue by promoting and selling maps directly to its customers using affiliate links on websites or by using signage with QR codes. Each map sale conducted in this manner will earn the affiliate a share of the revenue. So for example, someone who writes a blog about hiking on Vancouver Island can link to a map or collection on our map store and receive a share of the revenue generated by that link when people by the map. The PDF Maps Affiliate program is free to join with no application or setup fees or ongoing costs. Existing PDF Maps Store vendors can opt-in to the affiliate program and earn commission in addition to their normal revenue share. Examples of affiliate businesses include but are not limited to, outdoor recreation stores, hotels, car rental companies, book stores, and even bloggers. Moreover, the PDF Maps Affiliate program seeks to embrace and connect brick and mortar retailers –that cater to outdoor recreation and whose customers may be interested in maps—to the digital economy, instead of excluding them as has been done in the past with music, books and videos. So unlike the cases with Borders or Tower Records or Blockbuster, all of whom were essentially put out of business by technology, retailers like Bass Pro, MEC and REI can become affiliates and via signage and QR codes in their stores can sell maps to their patrons and earn revenue without having to carry and stock map inventory and give up valuable shelf space. They can actually participate in the digital evolution of retail map sales, not be excluded from it.
A {Ted}: Perhaps the most exciting thing that is happening right now is that Avenza is moving into a brand new building at the end of February. We purchased a building in mid-town Toronto for ourselves and have just about finished all the renovations. On the product side, our mobile platform, Avenza PDF Maps, continues to grow. We have 400,000 maps in inventory, tens of thousands of commercial licensees and users, over 2.5 million maps downloaded and demonstrable usage everywhere on the planet (except North Korea). We recently received an order from Antarctica! So we are continuing to invest in and grow the Avenza PDF Maps technology by adding new features, functions and platforms. To that end, our Windows version will be officially released soon after some intense and serious beta-testing around the world. Equally exciting is the new and recently announced Avenza PDF Maps Affiliate Program. Under the affiliate program, any retailer or business, including both online and physical stores, blogs, portals and information sites, can now earn revenue by promoting and selling maps directly to its customers using affiliate links on websites or by using signage with QR codes. Each map sale conducted in this manner will earn the affiliate a share of the revenue. So for example, someone who writes a blog about hiking on Vancouver Island can link to a map or collection on our map store and receive a share of the revenue generated by that link when people by the map. The PDF Maps Affiliate program is free to join with no application or setup fees or ongoing costs. Existing PDF Maps Store vendors can opt-in to the affiliate program and earn commission in addition to their normal revenue share. Examples of affiliate businesses include but are not limited to, outdoor recreation stores, hotels, car rental companies, book stores, and even bloggers. Moreover, the PDF Maps Affiliate program seeks to embrace and connect brick and mortar retailers –that cater to outdoor recreation and whose customers may be interested in maps—to the digital economy, instead of excluding them as has been done in the past with music, books and videos. So unlike the cases with Borders or Tower Records or Blockbuster, all of whom were essentially put out of business by technology, retailers like Bass Pro, MEC and REI can become affiliates and via signage and QR codes in their stores can sell maps to their patrons and earn revenue without having to carry and stock map inventory and give up valuable shelf space. They can actually participate in the digital evolution of retail map sales, not be excluded from it.
Thanks Ted for playing along!
Contact info
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