DigitalGlobe and GlobeXplorer LLC, a subsidiary of Stewart Information Services Corp., have joined forces to make QuickBird high-resolution satellite imagery available to customers through GlobeXplorer's Internet server technology. The addition of QuickBird imagery to GlobeXplorer's existing database of aerial and satellite products gives customers instant, online access to high resolution commercial satellite imagery, and takes advantage of standards-based web mapping services technology.

DigitalGlobe and GlobeXplorer are offering cloud-free QuickBird satellite imagery of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), and most international cities. To populate the database, DigitalGlobe is harvesting its extensive image library for the best imagery collected over the past two years.

Before delivering imagery products to GlobeXplorer for integration into the Web distribution infrastructure, DigitalGlobe georeferences and color balances the products, then compresses them into high quality JPEG2000 format. By creating and hosting a product library with user-ready products and applications, GlobeXplorer offers customers the ability to retrieve imagery on an "as-needed" basis, and to quickly integrate it into Internet applications, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS), or internal business processes.

Source: DigitalGlobe, April 12, 2004