SpatialNews Press Release

ISTAR and VARGIS Deliver Countywide TrueOrtho™ to Howard County, Md.

www.vargis.com

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TrueOrtho‘ Imagery Helps Eliminate Expensive Stereo Compilation for Planimetric Mapping

Herndon, Va., 23 September 2002 – ISTAR Americas and VARGIS LLC have teamed to deliver a one-foot, natural color TrueOrtho‘ mosaic for the entire area of Howard County, Maryland. The fast-growing county is relying on the ISTAR TrueOrtho‘ image mosaic to "heads-up digitize" new planimetric updates into their GIS as a cost-effective alternative to expensive stereo compilation. Howard County is a mixture of expanding suburbs and rural farmland along the Interstate 95 corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Working as a VARGIS contractor, ISTAR Americas acquired the 1-foot resolution digital aerial data in late February 2002 and delivered a countywide TrueOrtho ‘ image to VARGIS within 90 days. This geometrically accurate mosaic was then color-enhanced in subsequent weeks to match past imagery, and integrated to the county’s GIS operation. Typically, the county obtains new stereo photography every four years to update its map base through traditional stereo compilation, but this year it chose ISTAR as a faster and more cost-effective way to update their planimetric landbase.

"We’re using the ISTAR TrueOrtho‘ data to heads-up digitize new features into our GIS – this is a big cost savings to us, and we like that a lot," said Virginia Peterman, GIS Coordinator in the Howard County Technology and Communication Services Department. "We load the data directly into our GIS software, and our technicians just trace the features we’re looking for. Since there’s no building lean in the ISTAR data and the accuracy is so good, we know our new vector features will match the standards in our existing planimetric landbase."

"Accuracy sure has its advantages. Howard County has found a solid, cost-effective way to leverage their resources, and that makes a lot of sense when public sector IT budgets are tightening. Heads-up digitizing is a great way to use TrueOrtho‘ data," said Mark Eustis, ISTAR Americas’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "I’ve got to thank VARGIS for connecting us with the County. With their performance in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as in other areas across the US, they’ve become one of ISTAR’s top worldwide resellers."

Howard County is one of several large-area mapping projects in which ISTAR Americas has used the HRSC-AX airborne camera developed by DLR, the German Space Agency. This digital camera acquires imagery at 25cm (~10in) pixel resolution from an altitude of 20,000 feet, allowing it to cover huge tracts of land in a single swath. In addition to 24-bit natural color and infrared imagery, the ISTAR cameras also produce 16-bit panchromatic imagery and perfectly correlated, high-resolution 3D surface models.

"ISTAR is the only imaging firm in the world that can produce seamless area-wide TrueOrtho‘ images in less than 90 days…and deliver consistent 1.64-foot (or better) accuracy on one-foot pixels," said Eustis. "Although TrueOrtho‘ data were designed for cities, the rapid delivery schedule and better accuracy are perfect for fast-growing exurban counties, regional planning areas, and utility operations. Heads-up is the way to go."

TrueOrtho‘ image mosaics are ISTAR Americas’ signature data set, although the company also produces one-meter resolution 3D surface models. TrueOrtho‘ data are derived from multiple swaths of digital HRSC-AX image data, and orthorectified using an automated pixel-by-pixel stereo production system. The result is a TrueOrtho‘ image in which all surface features are visible – even alleys, streets and the sidewalks between tall buildings – and a realistic 3D model that’s an exact match to the image data.

Headquartered in Herndon, Va., ISTAR Americas Inc. maintains an archive of high-resolution TrueOrtho‘ images and 3D surface models for over 80 of the largest US cities. ISTAR operates High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) airborne imaging systems across North America. Pre-processed TrueOrtho images and 3D surfaces for cities in archive are available within 36 hours of order.

About ISTAR

ISTAR is a premier cartographic products and services company, specializing in the production of digital geographic databases—imagery, 3D surfaces, and land cover information. ISTAR has geospatial data for over 6.5 million square miles of the Earth’s surface. ISTAR’s online HotSpots catalog contains 2,000 cities and regions in more than 100 countries, and is updated daily. ISTAR Americas, Inc. is part of EADS, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, which is the second largest aerospace company in the world with over $30 Billion in revenue in 2001. EADS business units include Airbus, Astrium (the manufacturer of Ariane launch rockets and operator of SPOT satellites), EADS Dornier, Eurocopter, and more. More information on ISTAR is available at www.istar.com.

About VARGIS LLC

VARGIS is an industry leader in managing the acquisition, quality assurance and delivery of digital orthophotography to government and commercial clients. In seven years of operation, VARGIS has contracted for the acquisition of digital orthoimages covering more than 800,000 square miles nationwide, as well as providing its clients with off-the-shelf imagery from all leading imagery vendors. VARGIS is currently the prime contractor on statewide orthoimagery projects in Texas, Michigan, and New York and subcontractor on a statewide project in Tennessee. VARGIS also subcontracts and manages production of its own Eyemap‰ brand of high-resolution digital color orthophotography in five metropolitan regions throughout the US.

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