In 1977 ITT Visual Information Solutions, formerly Research Systems Inc, introduced IDL to the space-sciences community as a programming language for visualising and analysing complex datasets. Platform capabilities include mathematically robust analysis tools, and progressive methods of creating graphical representations for the easy interpretation of data. Many contemporary scientific, educational and research communities have adopted the platform for extracting information from complex data and imagery. The IDL data analysis and visualisation environment continues to grow as a scientific tool and has been integral in space discoveries, medical and physics research, meteorological applications and innovations in optics.

ENVI and IAS

ENVI was introduced in 1994 as a platform for processing and analysing imagery and data gathered from airborne and satellite sensors. Developed using IDL, ENVI combines an image-visualisation engine with scientific algorithms and automated processes. With the growing use of satellite and aerial imagery over the last decade, ENVI has become a software platform for analysing remotely sensed images and is used in a variety of applications, including environmental analysis, target detection, change detection and disaster recovery. The tools and functionality continue to grow and automated and other processes to be added. A new intuitive user interface option has just been introduced, the latest scientific methods and algorithms, and the ability to access data from a wide range of sources, including geodatabases. This year a new ENVI add-on module will be released that will allow users to find features in imagery quickly and accurately. Our newest product, Image Access Solutions (IAS), uses ‘intelligent streaming technology' to deliver image information to the remote user much faster than traditional dissemination methods, even under significant bandwidth constraints. In addition to software products, we offer custom software development and consulting services and foster educational pursuits by offering a variety of academic programmes allowing universities and other educational institutions to use our data-analysis and image-processing solutions.

Clients and Staff

Our 150,000 customers in more than eighty countries are supported by six international offices, in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland and Japan. Our employees include software engineers, scientists, physicists and doctoral graduates qualified to understand each industry and provide superior solutions for problems faced each day by customers. Our business practises are focused on the long-term needs of our users and on building lasting relationships with customers. In a rapidly evolving world we believe first and foremost in understanding the challenges faced by our customers and in providing technologies to solve them.