24-Hour Satellite Image Access Now Available Through the World’s Leading Provider of Imagery
Longmont, Colo., May 24, 2006 – DigitalGlobe® today announced that its collection of high resolution satellite imagery depicting newsworthy events and locations from around the world is now available to editorial customers via Getty Images, the world’s leading creator and distributor of visual content. By providing access to its imagery through gettyimages.com, DigitalGlobe improves its services to the media with timely and affordably priced imagery, easy and immediate access, and a centralized online location.
“Our decision to become an image partner with Getty Images, providing timely geospatial content to the media, was a natural one,” said Jill Smith, president and CEO of DigitalGlobe. “Getty Images is the first place the media go for breaking news imagery. Editorial customers who traditionally come to DigitalGlobe directly will now benefit by accessing our content from Getty Images’ streamlined distribution platform.”
Over the years, members of the media have increasingly used DigitalGlobe imagery to illustrate news- breaking events such as natural and man-made disasters, sporting venues and cultural events, as well as areas of global interest. DigitalGlobe imagery has, in some cases, been the first source of visual information about an event. For instance, imagery collected just moments after the Southeast Asian tsunami struck land in Dec. 2004 offered the first glimpses of the devastation for many news consumers.
DigitalGlobe’s archive of satellite imagery will be distributed via gettyimages.com, with new content added on a daily basis for all editorial customers. Additional distribution of this content is also offered via a DigitalGlobe-branded Web site, built and maintained by Getty Images.
“We are pleased to present DigitalGlobe as our imagery partner because it is the world’s premier provider of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, exhibiting the most visually stunning, detailed quality of any other satellite data source,” said Megan Murphy, director of image partner development for Getty Images. “The global media routinely turn to DigitalGlobe over other providers for compelling imagery of newsworthy events around the world. The inclusion of this powerful information source underscores the quality and variety that our clients have come to depend upon from Getty Images.”
According to DigitalGlobe’s Smith, “With gettyimages.com serving an average of 3.5 million unique visitors each month, more and more media around the world will be aware of the availability of DigitalGlobe imagery, and that can only be a positive force as we educate audiences about the value of satellite imagery for illustrating, mapping and preparing for important events.”
About DigitalGlobe
Longmont, Colo.-based DigitalGlobe (www.digitalglobe.com) is the clear leader in the global commercial Earth imagery and geospatial information market. The company’s technical superiority and innovation, unparalleled commitment to customer service, extensive business partner network and open systems philosophy make DigitalGlobe the preferred supplier of imagery products to government and commercial markets. DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite is the world’s highest resolution commercial imaging system. The company’s next-generation WorldView I is scheduled to launch in mid-2007, and WorldView II is anticipated to launch in 2008, pending finalization of customer contracts. The company’s updated and growing ImageLibrary contains over one hundred million square kilometers of global imagery for countless mapping and planning needs.