World News: DigitalGlobe expands commercial business unit
DigitalGlobe® has announced several strategic initiatives for its commercial business unit.
The upgraded roadmap includes a new Boston, Massachusetts commercial office, along with plans to integrate assets from the recent acquisition of GlobeXplorer and provide non-government technology sectors, such as real estate, internet portals, and location-based services quicker, easier access to the company’s digital imagery products.
“The satellite imaging industry is at an inflexion point, and the role of geospatial content is expanding beyond traditional GIS and remote sensing users,” said CEO Jill Smith. “We eventually see our commercial business comprising about 50% of our total business.”
Smith added that the Boston office puts the company closer to a growing commercial customer base on the east coast and internationally, and is also part of the DigitalGlobe’s transition from a satellite-centric imagery company to a leading provider of geospatial content.
DigitalGlobe currently delivers the majority of digital earth imagery available on the Internet through several high-level marketing partnerships.
With the expansion of its commercial business and the introduction of its new web-based delivery system, DigitalGlobe is making digital imagery easily accessible to meet the needs of a growing set of consumer and business-focused market demands that include everything from mash-ups that map out jogging routes to real estate applications for evaluating new neighbourhoods.
