Point of Beginning
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersTroy Mills, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Point of Beginning does
Point of Beginning (POB) is a B2B trade media brand serving the surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology industry. Founded in 1975 and currently operated as a brand of BNP Media, a privately held business-to-business media company headquartered in Troy, Michigan, POB delivers industry news, technology coverage, product information, and educational content to land surveyors, GIS and geospatial professionals, surveying equipment manufacturers, and government agencies involved in land management. Editorial coverage spans established technologies (total stations, GPS/GNSS) and emerging categories (UAS/UAV, LiDAR, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, BIM, remote sensing), distributed across industry verticals including aerial mapping, boundary surveying, construction, energy/utilities, environmental, forensics, government, marine/hydrography, mining, and transportation.
The publication operates a multi-format content platform consisting of a flagship print magazine, an eMagazine for tablet and desktop, a free eNewsletter, a content-rich website (pobonline.com), video and photo galleries, webinars (including a branded FARO series), interactive polls, and dedicated special reports. Adjacent products include the POB Store selling surveying reference books and commemorative merchandise, classifieds for employment and equipment, the GeoLocator directory, and KnowledgePoint continuing-education programming. Core technology is a web-based digital media platform delivering editorial content via website, eMagazine, and newsletter formats; no proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
POB generates revenue through four streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (print and digital), display and sponsored advertising targeting surveying and geospatial technology buyers, classified listings (employment and product), and one-time product sales through the POB Store. GTM motion is direct-to-consumer through the publication's own channels, with content marketing, email, webinars, and events serving as the primary audience-development and advertiser-engagement mechanisms. The parent company, BNP Media, runs multiple B2B trade publications, and POB sits within a diversified media portfolio rather than as a standalone operating entity.
Point of Beginning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Point of Beginning
- Legal name
- Point of Beginning (Brand of BNP Media)
- Website
- https://pobonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Point of Beginning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Troy Mills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Point of Beginning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions providing industry news, technology coverage, and educational content for surveying and geospatial professionals
- Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content opportunities for companies targeting the surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology market
- Product Sales: Sale of specialized products including surveying reference materials, books, and commemorative items such as surveyor statues
- Classifieds: Employment and product classifieds serving the surveying industry community
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Surveyor Statues - commemorative bronze-colored statues |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Pincushion Effect book - Multiple Monument Dilemma in American Land Surveying |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Point of Beginning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Point of Beginning is a B2B trade publication and digital media brand serving the surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology industry. It produces and distributes editorial content, industry news, technology coverage, and educational resources through a print magazine, digital eMagazine, eNewsletter, webinars, and special reports. The company also operates the POB Store, selling specialized books and commemorative surveying merchandise to the same professional audience.
Product overview
Point of Beginning is a professional publication and digital media company serving the surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology industry. The company operates a multi-platform content business comprising its flagship print and digital magazine, the POB eMagazine and eNewsletter digital delivery channels, webinars for continuing education, and a store selling specialized publications and merchandise. The publication covers technology categories including LiDAR/laser scanning, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, GIS/GPS-GNSS, UAS/UAV, data collection, remote sensing, surveying software, and total stations. Editorial content spans industry verticals such as aerial mapping, BIM, boundary and topo surveying, construction, energy/utilities, environmental, forensics, government, marine/hydrography, mining, and transportation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GeoDataPoint: A feature section and branded content area covering geospatial technology topics within Point of Beginning publication.
Products and services
- Point of Beginning Magazine Flagship professional publication covering surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology news, trends, and industry developments, distributed in print and digital formats to paid subscribers.
- POB eNewsletter Free email newsletter delivering the latest surveying and geospatial industry news and updates to subscribers.
- POB eMagazine Digital edition of Point of Beginning magazine accessible online, offering interactive content and searchability.
- POB Webinars Online educational webinars covering surveying technology, techniques, and industry best practices, including the FARO Webinars series.
- POB Special Reports Industry research reports covering topics such as laser scanning trends, salary and benefits studies, surveying software spending, equipment reports, and aerial/UAV adoption.
- POB Store Online store selling surveying-related publications, books, and educational materials, including titles such as 'The Pincushion Effect' and commemorative surveyor statues.
- POB Point and Shoot Online multimedia feature offering video and photographic content related to surveying and geospatial topics.
Companies that use Point of Beginning
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Point of Beginning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Point of Beginning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Point of Beginning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GPS World: B2B media brand covering GNSS, GPS, and positioning technology; directly overlaps with POB's GPS/GNSS coverage area and targets a substantially similar professional audience.
- GIM International: Global magazine and digital platform covering geomatics, surveying, and geospatial information; directly comparable B2B trade media for the same surveying and mapping professionals POB serves.
- LiDAR Magazine: Trade publication dedicated to LiDAR and 3D scanning technology; directly comparable as a B2B media title covering a core technology vertical within POB's editorial scope.
- Earth Imaging Journal: B2B trade publication covering satellite, aerial, and remote-sensing imaging; comparable editorial positioning to POB's photogrammetry and remote sensing coverage areas.
- Geospatial World: Global geospatial industry media outlet covering surveying, mapping, and spatial technology; serves overlapping professional and vendor audiences with a comparable B2B trade media model.
- Directions Magazine: Long-running geospatial industry publication covering GIS, location intelligence, and mapping technology; comparable B2B trade media serving overlapping GIS and geospatial professional audiences.
- xyHt: Digital-first trade publication covering surveying, geospatial, and positioning technologies; serves the same land surveyor and GIS professional audience as Point of Beginning and competes directly for advertising and reader attention.
Broad incumbents
- Engineering News-Record (ENR): Established B2B construction and engineering trade publication that overlaps with POB's construction, transportation, and infrastructure surveying verticals; serves an adjacent but broader professional audience.
Regional players
- Geomatics World: UK-based B2B trade publication covering surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology; comparable editorial product to Point of Beginning but with primary geographic focus on the UK and Europe.
Emerging players
- Commercial UAV News: B2B media focused on commercial drone and UAS technology; meaningful overlap with POB's UAS/UAV editorial coverage but specialized in the drone segment rather than full surveying practice.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Point of Beginning social profiles
Digital presencePoint of Beginning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Point of Beginning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Point of Beginning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Point of Beginning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Point of Beginning
What does Point of Beginning do?
Point of Beginning is a B2B trade publication and digital media brand serving the surveying, mapping, and geospatial technology industry. It produces and distributes editorial content, industry news, technology coverage, and educational resources through a print magazine, digital eMagazine, eNewsletter, webinars, and special reports. The company also operates the POB Store, selling specialized books and commemorative surveying merchandise to the same professional audience.
Is Point of Beginning a public or private company?
Point of Beginning is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Point of Beginning founded?
Point of Beginning was founded in 1975. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Point of Beginning based?
Point of Beginning is headquartered in Troy Mills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Point of Beginning make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising, product Sales and classifieds.
Who are Point of Beginning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GPS World, GIM International, LiDAR Magazine, Earth Imaging Journal, Geospatial World, Directions Magazine and xyHt. Engineering News-Record (ENR) is listed as a broad incumbent. Geomatics World is listed as a regional player. Commercial UAV News is listed as an emerging player.
Does Point of Beginning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Point of Beginning.