Jaymes Pardue from Space Imaging highlighted the benefits of using high-quality, consistent, and inexpensive imagery to update and maintain base map information. The Space Imaging product is a result of advanced satellite and imagery processing technology. The company is able to turnaround an order in 2 weeks because of a highly automated system. The standard digital format is 11-bit although 8 bit is available. The 11 bit image provides a much better image, including the ability to distinguish shapes in shadows.
Images are available in panchromatic, natural color, and multi-spectral.
The multi-spectral data is very useful in environmental applications such as disaster management. The imagery is provided in the GeoTIFF format. A new government pricing scheme has been implemented. If a county buys the imagery, it can share the data with any municipality found in that county. The company does offer the ability to guarantee that a particular area or landmark will be cloud free through a premium price.