Microsoft is in the middle of an ambitious mapping project, covering the entire continential United States and Western Europe, at a spatial resolution of 30 centimeters. The project is scheduled for completion by June 2012.

CompassData’s Control Freaks are collecting Ground Control for the Global Ortho (GO) project.

To improve its Virtual Earth product, Microsoft has established a photogrammetry business unit in 2006, making and selling the UltraCam line of cameras while using them to collect map data. This has also led to Bing Maps and other businesses providing map data to companies in retail and other industries.

When Microsoft launched the GO project in 2010, it was the single largest imagery project ever undertaken. In less than two years, it aims to collect about 10.5 million km worth of data, at a spatial resolution of 30 centimeters, significantly better than that of commercial imaging satellites. The next biggest project in the world is NAIP (National Agriculture Imagery Program).

According to GIM International Magazine, Microsoft has announced that it will eventually acquire imagery for the entire planet for the GO project.

• Consumers will get access through continual improvements to the Bing Maps website
• Government and business users of enterprise mapping applications will use the Bing platform
• Government and business users can purchase imagery from DigitalGlobe for off-line usage

“From a business perspective, the GO programme enables corporate clients such as insurance and real-estate companies to build a consistent experience for their end users. The user community is going to come up with new uses and new use-cases inconceivable before this sort of seamless imagery was available.” – GIM International Magazine, July 2011