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EarthData Delivers Geospatial Products And Services To Windows Live Local Powered By Virtual Earth

The Two Industry Leaders Also Agree to Invest in Research and Development

Frederick, MD -- CEO Anne Hale Miglarese announced plans to work with Microsoft Corp. to bolster Windows Live Local powered by Virtual Earth, Microsoft's online mapping tool. Under the 5-year agreement, EarthData will supply Microsoft with new imagery, lidar, and radar data acquisition and map production support to keep Windows Live Local populated with current, accurate, high-resolution geospatial information. Microsoft will also have access to EarthData's own data archives. The agreement also includes research, development, and investment to improve production efficiency and develop new product offerings.

"EarthData's vision is to provide the public with access to high-accuracy, high-resolution, up-to-date geospatial information, served across the web, in a user-friendly format," explained Miglarese. She added that both EarthData and Microsoft share a commitment to technology innovation, a depth of experience in their respective disciplines, and a willingness to redefine traditional markets for geospatial products and services.

"EarthData provides broad experience and a successful track record of commercializing new geospatial technologies," said Tom Bailey, director of marketing, sales, and business development, Windows Live Local and MapPoint at Microsoft Corp. "The combination of EarthData's geospatial expertise and Microsoft's commitment in the search and mapping industries, delivers new business opportunities and access to data that will benefit our industry partners and customers alike."

Windows Live Local is a component of Microsoft's search vision that gives users a deeply immersive local search experience where they can more easily find, discover, plan, and share what is important to them on the web. High-resolution, high-accuracy aerial data such as imagery, lidar, and radar will take the user experience to a new level in terms of precision and reliability.

About EarthData

EarthData is an airborne data collection, mapping, and GIS services organization that provides clients with customized products, services, and GIS applications to support a wide range of land-use, resource management, and engineering activities. With its fleet of aircraft, the organization collects aerial photography, uses an airborne laser system (lidar) and imaging radar (GeoSAR) to produce 3D terrain models, and develops or deploys other remote sensing technologies to detect thermal and multispectral information about the earth"sss surface. EarthData offices in Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, and Washington, DC, use this data to create and supply photogrammetric, lidar, radar, and digital orthophoto mapping and GIS applications and services. EarthData also owns a mid-west mapping and GIS company, Horizons, Inc., with offices in South Dakota and Minnesota. (http://www.earthdata.com)

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