Graz, Austria — January 17, 2012 — Turkey’s General Directorate of National Property has contracted with Microsoft’s UltraCam business unit and subsidiary, Vexcel Imaging GmbH, to purchase an UltraCam Eagle, the most recent offering in the line of award-winning UltraCam digital aerial camera systems. The deal was brokered by Atay Engineering Co., Vexcel Imaging GmbH’s partner in Turkey.
The UltraCam Eagle builds on the UltraCam legacy of reliable and economical solutions for producing image data of exceptional quality, while setting a new industry standard for across-track PAN image footprint capacity.
The General Directorate of National Property, an agency within the Turkish Ministry of Finance, manages government-owned real estate throughout the country. The UltraCam Eagle will be used to support national mapping and development of new GIS applications. The new camera system will be operated by General Command of Mapping (GCOM), along with the UltraCamX purchased in 2008.
“The General Directorate of National Property selected the UltraCam Eagle due to its compact structure, large imaging footprint, high resolution and collection efficiency,” stated Mr. Murat Aktas, Head of the Directorate. “Our confidence in the experienced Turkish technical support team and its solution-based approach also heavily influenced our decision.”
“Microsoft is very pleased to provide a second UltraCam camera system to the Turkish Government. It is the first UltraCam Eagle to be sold into this region,” said Alexander Wiechert, Microsoft Business Director. “The UltraCam Eagle delivers a high cost-benefit ratio for our customers due to the enhanced electronics, new exchangeable lens system, high system integration and smaller form factor and weight compared to its predecessors.”
About the UltraCam Eagle
The UltraCam Eagle features a PAN image footprint of 20,010 pixels across the flight strip. In addition to the ultra-large image footprint, the UltraCam Eagle includes enhanced electronics for improved frame rate and less noise (72 dB signal-to-noise ratio for high image dynamic) when compared to previous UltraCam systems, and completely new high-resolution, high-performance lenses and state-of-the art CCD technology (@ 5.2 µm pixel size) for sharp images with a high dynamic range. The UltraCam Eagle is the first multi-cone digital photogrammetric camera to offer an exchangeable lens system with 80mm (standard) and 210mm (tele for high altitude flights) and includes new filters with curved characteristics to flatten out vignetting, enabling the lens system to operate at its best Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) performance for maximum image sharpness and contrast. This newest generation of UltraCam boasts a new housing concept with everything integrated into a modular sensor head, including the new UltraNav embedded flight management and direct georeferencing system from Applanix, and in-flight exchangeable, solid state storage for high reliability and minimal ground time. Compared to previous UltraCam systems, the smaller physical footprint of the UltraCam system makes it quicker and easier to install, requires less aircraft space, and weighs less for more efficient aircraft fuel consumption.
About Microsoft’s UltraCam Business Unit
With its operations based in Graz, Austria, and sales and support teams in North America, Microsoft’s UltraCam business unit brings more than two decades of photogrammetry expertise to Microsoft’s Bing Maps business unit. The division is responsible for the highly successful line of UltraCam digital aerial mapping systems that include the UltraCamLp, UltraCamXp and UltraCamXp Wide Angle and the new UltraCam Eagle digital photogrammetric sensors. Rounding out the UltraCam mapping systems offering is the UltraMap workflow software system that provides an automated project-based color balancing module and additional quality control tools.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About General Directorate of National Property
The General Directorate of National Property is an agency within Turkey’s Ministry of Finance that manages government-owned real estate throughout the country. The Turkish government is in the process of improving its geographic information systems (GIS) to support activities such as transfers of land ownership.
About Atay Engineering Co.
Atay Engineering Co., based in Ankara, Turkey, was established in 1994. The company represents Microsoft’s UltraCam business unit and subsidiary, Vexcel Imaging GmbH, in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Atay Engineering Co. provides turn-key sales support and technical service for photogrammetric equipment and aerial cameras. For more information contact Hurcan Atay, General Manager, by telephone 0090312 212 2211 or email atay@ataymuhendislik.com.