Toulouse, France 09 December 2021 – Airbus is proud to announce the general availability of their premium satellite imagery and elevation data in Microsoft Azure Maps. Customers of Azure Maps can now access a new global reference layer made from high quality Airbus imagery as well as a homogenous elevation dataset covering the entire globe.

Azure Maps is a collection of geospatial services and Software Development Kits (SDKs) that use fresh mapping data to provide geographic context to web and mobile applications. Under the agreement between Airbus and Microsoft, Airbus will feed Azure Maps with its SPOT, Pléiades and Pléiades Neo satellite imagery and WorldDEM4Ortho elevation data. These premium data services will empower the Azure Maps users to build location intelligence solutions for Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence and create data visualizations for web and mobile apps.

Included in the Azure Maps Imagery service is a new version of Airbus’ OneAtlas Basemap product, which today includes a worldwide 1.5m imagery layer, plus seamless, 50cm orthomosaics over top cities in the world, and will soon include 30cm data from Airbus’ recently launched Pléiades Neo satellites. The Elevation service is powered by WorldDEM4Ortho, a product derived from Airbus’ WorldDEM dataset, which provides a consistent, homogeneous, and accurate elevation model for high-quality image orthorectification on a global scale.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Microsoft Azure community” said François Lombard, Director of the Intelligence business at Airbus Defence and Space. “The extensive Azure Maps user base, who is eager for accurate and top-quality imagery, will be able to rely on Airbus’ premium data services to develop new applications and turn their innovative ideas into reality.” 

”Azure Maps is one of the default location services for Microsoft’s ecosystem of services, platforms and applications in the Azure cloud”, said Donna Liu, Corporate Vice President, Maps at Microsoft. “With Airbus imagery data our customers, partners, and developers can expect a world class offering, with highly accurate, fresher information than what is currently offered in the market today.”