Norcross (Georgia, USA) – ERDAS and Spot Image announce a new partnership, increasing both organizations’ involvement in the Heterogeneous Mission Accessibility - Interoperability (HMA-I) project.

The European Space Agency (ESA) issued the HMA contract in 2005, defining the architecture and interoperability standards for harmonized data access across the ground segments of the European and Canadian missions contributing to the ESA’s Global Monitoring for Environment & Security (GMES).

ERDAS developed the EO Proxy Framework to expose legacy catalogs through Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) HMA interfaces. Spot Image is already contributing to ESA’s Global Monitoring for Environment & Security (GMES), with plans to implement the HMA interfaces on top of its existing legacy ground segment architecture.

“As an ESA partner since the beginning of the HMA project, Spot Image has always put forth interoperable solutions that offer users universal access to Earth observation geospatial resources.  Implementation of catalogue access with ERDAS is the first step towards EO interoperability that Spot Image will continue to develop with ESA for GMES,” said Rob Postma, Spot Image Sales and Marketing Director.

The EO Proxy Framework can be interfaced on the legacy catalogue side with a web service.  Spot Image has been working with ERDAS since 2007 on HMA project to develop a prototype exposing DALI, the Spot Image legacy catalogue, through OGC HMA catalogue interface, and has selected ERDAS technologies for implementing its operational services. ERDAS is providing the software, the maintenance and the technical support. Spot Image is developing the connector between DALI and the EO Proxy Framework and deploying the different components on a dedicated server, which will act as a gateway between the business Spot catalogue (wsDali) and ESA generic HMA client (EODAIL).

“Committed to open standards-based interoperability, ERDAS believes that geospatial data’s value lies in its usability and accessibility,” said Thomas Bayer, Vice President Europe, Middle East, ERDAS. “Partnering with Spot Image, we aim to enable the end-users to exploit through HMA interfaces the best geospatial resources from several missions.”

For more information about SPOT Image, please visit www.spotimage.fr/. For more information about the ERDAS, please call + 1877 GO ERDAS or visit www.erdas.com.

About ERDAS
ERDAS creates geospatial business systems that transform our earth's data into business information, enabling individuals, businesses and public agencies to quickly access, manage, process, and share that information from anywhere. Using secure geospatial information, ERDAS solutions improve employee, customer and partner visibility to information, enabling them to respond faster and collaborate better. It also means better decision-making, increased productivity and new revenue streams. ERDAS is a part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden. For more information about ERDAS or its products and services, please call +1 770 776 3400, toll free +1 866 534 2286, or visit www.erdas.com .

About Spot Image
Spot Image is a world-leading provider of high-added-value satellite imagery and geospatial services. As the commercial operator of the SPOT satellites and a supplier of imagery from a range of other optical and radar Earth-imaging satellites, Spot Image has perfected the ability to harness space- and ground-based systems to meet users’ needs. It has developed a far-reaching global network of receiving stations, partners and distributors to bring geospatial information products and services to public -and private-sector decision-makers worldwide. Spot Image is 81% owned by Astrium Services, an EADS affiliate.