Denver, Colorado, USA, 21 August 2008 – MapMart, a division of IntraSearch, Inc., announced today that aerial UltraCam orthoimages from Microsoft Virtual Earth are available via download from the MapMart.com website. For the first time ever, Microsoft’s archive of high resolution, ortho-mosaicked aerial photography is available for offline usage – ideal for GIS, engineering, environmental and other applications.

“Aerial imagery with this level of detail, recency, and all-nadir viewpoints will dramatically change the market for airborne remote sensing data” said MapMart President Mike Platt. “Our customers will have nearly instant, affordable access to some of the highest quality urban orthos commercially available. We expect municipalities, engineering firms, utilities and emergency response agencies to be among our major purchasers of UltraCam imagery.”

“We are pleased to support MapMart in offering Microsoft’s UltraCam imagery for offline use. While many customers experience this imagery through our online Virtual Earth platform, this relationship opens new opportunities for customers who want to use the data in non-Internet-based applications, from simple presentations to complex analytical applications,” said Steve Stanzel, General Manager of Virtual Earth at Microsoft Corp.

Acquired with Microsoft’s UltraCam high-resolution digital cameras, the archive includes over 260 cities of color airborne imagery collected at high overlap and 6” nominal resolution, then processed to create citywide orthomosaics that have almost no building lean in the image. This imagery will be invaluable for urban planners, GIS analysts, and others who  seek unobstructed views into areas with tall buildings, etc.  The imagery averages less than two years old, and the 6” spatial resolution rivals any large-scale commercial source today.  As Microsoft acquires and processes imagery for more cities around the world, the archive is expected to grow substantially.

Purchasing Virtual Earth imagery through MapMart is fast and easy. Customers utilize a single map-based interface to order any data on the website. The interface allows users to search, preview and define precise areas of interest, so they purchase only the imagery needed. Pricing is calculated on the area selected, the customer selects the preferred map projection, datum, and file format, and the data can be downloaded directly onto the customer’s computer. For more information, see www.mapmart.com

About MapMart
Headquartered in Greenwood Village (Denver), Colo., MapMart is a division of IntraSearch, Inc., a full-service mapping and imagery solutions provider since 1951. The MapMart mapping store provides customers with access to terabytes of data including satellite and aerial photography, topographic and street maps, digital elevation models, and census plus demographic databases. These comprehensive spatial databases are updated continuously to ensure our clients the latest available information. In areas where data is non-existent, out-of-date, or not to client specifications, MapMart’s experienced in-house professional services division can create photogrammetric quality ortho-imagery and mapping products. Visit www.mapmart.com.