What are the biggest assets that Vexcel has provided for Virtual Earth?
The main thing that Microsoft is looking to do is to build out a global framework of the world, and the core technology for doing that is photogrammetry. They’re also using radar sensors, and we’re working with a lot of partner companies to help us collect aerial and satellite data. Microsoft doesn’t own the sensors — we build them and sell them to companies that work as our partners. We don’t control the whole collection. We want to work with companies that excel at those kinds of things. I think that we’re really promoting the geospatial industry and driving it forward by being a customer for those guys. Is Microsoft considering acquiring any more companies to expand Virtual Earth ? We don’t have anything on the horizon today. We’re definitely looking at more partnerships, however, and hope to have an announcement about one at the Geoint 2006 conference in Orlando. What is your relationship with the providers of commercial satellite imagery today and how might that evolve ? We do ha
