This year's South by Southwest Interactive Festival is as much about interactive media and technology as it is about music. Software firm Esri commandeered a unique venue in Austin, Texas, to connect developers, hackers, entrepreneurs and executives with its geographic information systems mapping solutions. "GIS has been used for a long time in natural resources and government ... But commercial companies are starting to use it more and more, for things like: Where's the best place to locate a store? What are the trends in demographics so that we can project where we need to be building and buying land? Even things like, 'Where should we open flu-shot clinics?'" explains Esri Chief Marketing Officer Linda Hecht.