Terraserver.com

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For other uses, see TerraServer.
TerraServer.com, Inc.
Type Private
Founded 1997
Headquarters Flag of the United States
5995 Chapel Hill Rd. Ste 109
Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Website www.TerraServer.com
Screenshot

TerraServer is a commercial website[1] specializing in aerial and satellite imagery which was originally launched in 1997. It is owned and operated by TerraServer.com, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was previously named Aerial Images until May 2002 when the assets of Aerial Images were sold and the company renamed itself TerraServer.com, Inc.

[edit] History

Aerial Images was part of the original project that involved Microsoft and Compaq as a demonstration of the real-world scalability of SQL Server and Microsoft's Windows NT Server. Aerial Images brought in satellite imagery from Sovinformsputnik (the Russian Federal Space Agency) and GeoEye. TerraServer has now expanded its partnerships and has become an image provider for LandVoyage and the DigitalGlobe family of companies: GlobeXplorer and AirPhotoUSA, as well as imagery from the USGS and USDA.

After the agreement ended in January 2000, the operations split into two pieces. Aerial Images kept the TerraServer.com domain name to create a commercial site selling custom selected imagery. Microsoft went forward with their own imagery project, that provides access to United States Geological Survey imagery. The Microsoft project has used the TerraServer brand name in a variety of ways including terraserver.homeadvisor.com, terraserver.microsoft.com, and terraserver.msn.com. In 2003, Microsoft rebranded itself as TerraServer-USA. Because of the name similarity, there exists a lot of user confusion between the two sites. However, TerraServer.com, Inc. is the sole owner of the registered trademark TerraServer. The "TerraServer" name is a reference to 'Terra', which is Latin for 'earth' or 'land'. The name also references a unit of computer storage, the 'terabyte'.

[edit] Website

The TerraServer viewer allows for users to select imagery from different dates and of different resolutions. While most of the TerraServer imagery is focused on high resolution, color, satellite and aerial imagery, TerraServer.com also offers Color Infrared Imagery, Panchromatic Imagery, Low Resolution Satellite Imagery, and Topographic Maps. Subscribers to TerraServer.com gain access to a drawing and measuring tool that can measure surface distance and area on the images. TerraServer also makes a number of image overlays available, including road names, FEMA flood data, earthquake data, landslide data, real estate parcels, parks, schools, hospitals, airports, and zip codes.

TerraServer.com offers other products in addition to a subscription to the website. All users are able to purchase digital downloads that include a geo-referenced world file, which allows the image to be imported into GIS and CAD software. Downloads are available in the following formats: JPEG, TIF, GIF, BMP, PDF, PSD, and PNG. TerraServer also allows users to select digital images and have them printed through MyTopo, who has an exclusive print partnership with TerraServer.com. Prints are available in the following paper types and finishes through the TerraServer.com website: Glossy, Matte, Laminated, Waterproof, and Canvas.

[edit] External links