Frederick, MD (November 28, 2006) – EarthData International, Inc., and Triangle Aerial Surveys, Inc. (TAS), are pleased to announce their participation in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Mentor-Protégé Program, a federal initiative to promote technology transfer. Under a September 2006 agreement with NGA, EarthData and TAS will work to expand TAS’s mapping and GIS capabilities, double its production capacity, extend its customer base throughout the United States, and, as a certified minority-owned business enterprise, serve Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal-agency programs.

Founded more than 20 years ago and based in Raleigh, North Carolina, TAS is an aerial photogrammetric mapping firm that has a highly qualified and experienced workforce with specialized expertise in transportation mapping. “TAS considers the Mentor-Protégé Program a tremendous opportunity,” said TAS President Al Bolivar. “It provides us with a structure, funding, and scheduled objectives that not only will facilitate but also will speed TAS’s continued development toward achieving our goals.” As a mentor to TAS, EarthData will contribute technology transfer, including production capabilities in lidar, GIS, and radar mapping services; proven management systems for production and quality assurance/quality control; support for business development; as well as broader access to the DoD and other federal markets.

EarthData and TAS previously have teamed to complete projects for public-sector customers who include the state of North Carolina and the US Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to corporate histories that include strong foundations in photogrammetry, the two organizations share core values concerning customer service, quality, and professional responsibilities. “Fostering the development of small and minority-owned businesses is imperative to continually enriching the mapping and GIS community,” said EarthData CEO Anne Hale-Miglarese. “With that in mind, our team is committed to achieving success for TAS, for EarthData, and, as important, for NGA’s Mentor-Protégé Program.” EarthData will support TAS in augmenting its tangible and intangible resources as it moves toward its goal of becoming a recognized provider-of-choice for mapping and GIS services.

About EarthData
EarthData is an airborne data collection, mapping, and GIS services organization that provides a full range of customized products, services, and GIS applications to support diverse land-use, resource management, and engineering activities. With owned assets, EarthData collects aerial imagery, lidar, IFSAR, and other remote sensing data to detect thermal and multispectral information about the earth’s surface.  EarthData has offices in Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Washington DC, and, through Horizons, Inc., an EarthData company, in South Dakota and Minnesota. (www.earthdata.com)

About TAS
Triangle Aerial Surveys, is a mapping and GIS firm that provides high-resolution aerial data, topographic and planimetric mapping, and digital orthophotography. Certified as a Minority-Owned Business Enterprise in seven states, TAS also is registered under the Small Business Administration 8(a) Program.