Esri Signs Strategic Contract with GeoEye

GeoEye announced today that Esri has signed a strategic contract to license a large amount of GeoEye's high-resolution IKONOS archive imagery. Esri, based in Redlands, California, will blend this highly accurate imagery with its current imagery data from multiple sensors to produce a global, static cache map layer. This imagery base layer will be displayed and served to Esri users via ArcGIS.com, an online system for working with geographic information through a range of GIS desktops, web browsers and mobile devices. Esri will begin building this imagery base layer within the next few weeks and expects to complete it in early 2012. Esri and GeoEye are working together to make GeoEye's imagery archive more accessible to Esri ArcGIS users. In addition, improved search and discovery of GeoEye's content will provide Esri users with a fuller, richer user experience. This foundation marks the beginning of a new direction in the partnership, as it will bring new solutions to both ArcGIS and GeoEye imagery users. The two companies plan to announce joint offerings and other initiatives later in the year.

"Esri has been GeoEye's trusted partner for more than a decade, so we are very excited to embark on this new project with them," said Chris Tully, GeoEye's senior vice president of Sales. "This innovative GIS solution will deliver a better user experience to Esri customers by providing easy access to GeoEye's satellite imagery in their everyday tools."

Jack Dangermond (photograph), Esri's president and founder, commented, "Our partners are instrumental in the continued evolution and adoption of GIS. Through our collaboration with GeoEye, we're pleased to add this unique offering to our collection of high quality base maps of the world."