DigitalGlobe, Inc. (NYSE: DGI), the global leader in Earth imagery and information about our changing planet, and NTT DATA Corporation (TOKYO: 9613), a global IT services provider, today announced an agreement to extend their strategic partnership to produce large-scale 3D vector building model datasets, called AW3D Metro. This will combine NTT DATA’s elevation expertise with DigitalGlobe’s high-resolution imagery and platform capabilities to create one of the highest resolution 3D datasets that offers significant coverage and rapid delivery timelines.
NTT DATA, as one of the leading providers in global elevation data with its AW3D® series, will create off-the-shelf 3D vector building, vegetation and bridge models using DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data platform (GBDX) and imagery. GBDX, a powerful, cloud-based tool with access to DigitalGlobe’s 100 petabyte imagery archive, can harness machine learning algorithms to revolutionize traditional 3D production models. By using NTT DATA’s cutting-edge algorithm on GBDX, the two companies will be able to develop AW3D Metro in a more cost-effective and timely manner.
These vectorized datasets will appeal to a variety of industry players who are implementing the fabric of our increasingly connected world, such as automotive, insurance and government. It will enable them to make decisions with confidence on projects such as connected device management, navigation visualization, insurance risk mitigation and smart city planning. The partnership will initially produce 3D texturized vector building models with better than 1 meter accuracy within Japan and other areas of commercial interest.
NTT DATA has a rich background in building elevation products, which began with AW3D Standard in 2014. AW3D Metro joins the NTT DATA Elevation portfolio, which includes the high-resolution AW3D Enhanced products based on DigitalGlobe imagery. NTT DATA and DigitalGlobe’s relationship began with the Information Partner Program (IPP) partnership in 2014. The companies expanded their partnership in February 2017 when DigitalGlobe became an official distributor of AW3D Standard products.
“3D building models are vital to the design and implementation of the infrastructure that will fuel smart cities, IoT and autonomous vehicles. Therefore, we are excited that NTT DATA selected GBDX and our imagery to further extend our IPP partnership,” said Amy Minnick, DigitalGlobe Senior Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Imagery. “This new agreement demonstrates the power of bringing our industry-leading high-resolution satellite imagery together with the computational capabilities of GBDX to create innovative, cost-effective and scalable solutions for our partners. We look forward to NTT DATA using our products to enhance their expertise in creating vector datasets, especially in metro areas.”
“We are delighted this expansion of our strategic partnership allows us to add the game-changing AW3D Metro to our portfolio,” said Mr. Shinichi Usui, NTT DATA Senior Vice President. “By leveraging GBDX’s ecosystem, we will be able to deliver these high-resolution 3D datasets to our customers more quickly, which will help our customers transform their operations into more future-capable and sustainable businesses.”
About DigitalGlobe
DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of commercial high-resolution Earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions that help decision makers better understand our changing planet in order to save lives, resources and time. Sourced from the world’s leading constellation, our imagery solutions deliver unmatched coverage and capacity to meet our customers’ most demanding mission requirements. Each day customers in defense and intelligence, public safety, civil agencies, map making and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, telecommunications, navigation technology, and providers of location-based services depend on DigitalGlobe data, information, technology and expertise to gain actionable insight.
About NTT DATA Corporation
NTT DATA is a leading IT services provider and global innovation partner headquartered in Tokyo, with business operations in over 50 countries. Our emphasis is on long-term commitment, combining global reach with local intimacy to provide premier professional services varying from consulting and systems development to outsourcing. For more information, visit www.nttdata.com.
About AW3D
AW3D is the world’s most precise, pre-produced global digital elevation model covering all land spaces with 5-meter resolution, developed and sold jointly with the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (“RESTEC”). AW3D has been used in 300 projects, over 70 countries across the globe mainly in emerging countries in Asia and Africa, to contribute to infrastructure, disaster prevention and much more. In May 2015, NTT DATA launched enhanced and building-focused services utilizing satellite images from DigitalGlobe. This service offers a high-definition and high-resolution 3D map at 0.5 meter to 2 meter resolution. The building-focused service offers highly detailed pictures of structures and their heights in a vector-map format. For more information, visit http://www.aw3d.jp/en/.
“AW3D” is a registered trademark of NTT DATA and RESTEC in Japan, and a registered trademark of NTT DATA in Europe (EUTM) and the United States.
