There are so many ways businesses and organizations can use aerial maps that it's fast becoming a necessity to be able to access them for business, government, and research purposes. Since there's a dizzying array of options for obtaining aerial maps, it helps to know how to wade through the buying lingo to purchase the aerial maps imagery service that best fits your needs.

The 4 Attributes of Buying Aerial Maps Services & the Questions to Ask

There are four key attributes to weigh that will help ensure you buy the right aerial maps imagery service for your needs. We call these the four "C's": Coverage, Clarity, Concurrency, and Cost.

Buying Tip 1 — Coverage

Coverage refers to the areas an aerial imagery provider offers, and how they divide and charge for them. Many providers offer web map images all over the world, but when it comes to charging, some sell aerial images based on a region, a county, or a specific segment of their worldwide mapping. If you need images for a single specific area, that traditional pricing model might work. But if you're a construction company or a research team working all over the world and needing images from many places, that segmentation model won't.

The questions to ask: What's the breadth of aerial images provided (worldwide, regional, local)? Are the costs all-inclusive (pay one price and get images from anywhere)? Or are costs segmented by region or specific area — which is, by far, the most expensive?

Buying Tip 2 — Clarity

Clarity refers to the resolution of the aerial images. Original aerial imagery from Bing Maps, for example, is 30 centimeters per pixel and offers higher resolution; some newer updated imagery is lower resolution. If your application requires higher resolution, original imagery is what you need. If your application requires the ability to compare and contrast changes in landscapes or urban areas over time, you'll need access to different "vintages" of imagery from different periods — particularly important for researchers.

The questions to ask: Does my application need high-resolution imagery, or the latest updates? Does it require images from many different periods of time? Does the service offer both older high-resolution images and newer updated images — and are there extra charges to access each type?

Buying Tip 3 — Concurrency

Concurrency refers to how frequently the aerial mapping data is updated. Let the buyer beware: some services are very inexpensive but offer much older data and maps that are no longer accurate. For example, you can access free aerial maps from government sources — but you have to balance that against the fact that free imagery is often 10 years old or more.

The questions to ask: Does my application require up-to-date imagery? What's the vintage of the data offered? Will that vintage be appropriate for my application?

Buying Tip 4 — Cost

There are a variety of pricing models for buying aerial maps imagery, so it pays to be an informed consumer before signing up. Make sure you know how you'll be billed, and that it's affordable and meets your needs. Many services have a steep minimum entry price; others may be free but offer vastly outdated maps.

The questions to ask: What's the minimum cost of entry? Is the pricing all-inclusive (pay a fee and get all the images you need)? Or is it à la carte (pay for every image, by region)? Will I have to pay extra for different layers of aerial maps?

MapSavvy: The Antidote to High-Priced Aerial Maps Services

OnTerra Systems' mission is to make expensive technology available to small and mid-sized businesses, organizations, and non-profits that otherwise couldn't afford it. MapSavvy was developed with this in mind and offers:

  • A low, all-inclusive price — $999 per year for up to 40,000 WMS requests — versus providers with much higher minimum purchase requirements.
  • All-inclusive access to imagery in multiple formats: original high-resolution imagery, updated imagery, and multiple layers (basic, layered with roads, layered with labels).
  • Flexibility: use the types of images you need without extra charges.
  • Worldwide coverage: MapSavvy does not charge or limit users by region or geographic area.

The bottom line: there are many aerial maps imagery services on the market, with a confusing array of options that make a wise purchasing decision difficult. Answer the questions above to make an informed choice.

Need an affordable aerial maps imagery service that offers multiple types of images with low minimum purchase requirements? Try MapSavvy free for 14 days.