Cyclomedia’s 360 degree street level imagery now available from Blom

Blom ASA and CycloMedia have signed a general reseller agreement for all territories in Europe, after completing a successful pilot project in the Nordic countries.

“We are proud to announce the extended and improved partnership with CycloMedia after a successful pilot project to introduce the product in the Nordic countries was conducted”, says Esben Fiane, Managing Director Blom Nordic. “CycloMedia is an important partner to Blom and we look forward to the cooperation and results that we can achieve together”, he continues.

“CycloMedia could not be more thrilled with the new signed partnership agreement with The Blom Group”, says Mark Taris, Marketing Manager CycloMedia Technology BV. “Blom is the largest provider of geospatial services in Europe for both government agencies and private commercial organizations and companies. With their local knowledge they can expand our global footprint beyond our home base in The Netherlands.”

CycloMedia, well-known for its streamlined large scale process of capturing and processing high accuracy panoramic images (approximately 40.000.000 images each year), will be distributed by Blom under the brand BlomSTREET™. Aimed at the professional user, CycloMedia’s technology gives reliable and geographically highly accurate street level spherical images with metric capabilities. This makes it useful for street asset inventory of, for example, lamp posts and road signs or for mapping of street damages. BlomSTREET™ is a value-added service to Blom’s existing product line and will be offered via Blom as both tailor- made contracting work and as off-the-shelf products. The street level imagery will be viewable in Blom’s GIS products BlomWEB Viewer™ and BlomDESKTOP Viewer™, in addition to industry standard GIS such as ESRI, Intergraph and Bentley - giving fast and easy access to the full functionality of the product.

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Blom announces one year extension to the agreement with Microsoft

Blom announces one year extension to the agreement with Microsoft for delivery of oblique (Birds Eye) imagery.

Blom and Microsoft have extended the agreement for delivery of BlomOBLIQUE™ by an additional year. The extension was an option available in the five-year framework agreement signed between the parties in March 2010. The contract extension officially starts on the 1st of July 2012. During the next twelve months Blom will deliver large quantities of newly captured oblique aerial imagery, Blom’s unique and extensive library currently covers more than 1,500 cities in Europe; this is the most comprehensive and detailed image database available worldwide.

The total value for Blom exceeds USD 6 mill.      

BlomOBLIQUE™ is aerial imagery photographed with an inclination of approx. 45°, providing a unique perspective view of any location. The imagery allows users to visualise facades of buildings; the oblique angle exposes blind spots, exits and entrances previously impossible to locate on vertical aerial imagery. In addition it improves identification of hard to see assets and facilities in any environment, such as lamp posts and bus stops. Users can also view GIS data in 3D by draping it on to the oblique imagery; the images are geographically referenced and provide the ability to measure height, length and areas of features directly from imagery.

For further information please contact the CEO, Dirk Blaauw, on tel. +47 22 13 19 20 / email: dirk.blaauw@blomasa.com or CFO Lars Bakklund on tel. +47 22 13 19 34 / lars.bakklund@blomasa.com.

About Blom
The Blom Group is the largest provider of geospatial services in Europe for both government agencies and private commercial organizations and companies. Blom owns exclusive spatial databases composed of maps, images and 3D models. Focused on online services, Blom provides data and solutions to its customers in many markets and allows its partners to create high added-value applications based on Blom data models and services. This strategy is backed by Blom’s major technical capacity in aircrafts, cameras, laser scanners and mapping systems. This makes it possible for all projects to be carried out within the company, assuring a high quality product is delivered both on-time and to budget. Blom has more than 900 employees and offices in 13 countries and its HQ is located in Oslo, Norway. Blom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker BLO). For more information, visit www.blomasa.com

Contacts:
Website:  www.blomasa.com
Tel +44 (0)1934 311 000
info.uk@blomasa.com

Editorial enquiries, contact Michael Cotchin on Michael.cotchin@blomasa.com

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An enhanced GIS package featuring improved LiDAR tools from Blom

Blom has released v3.5 of its desktop geospatial application, BlomDESKTOP, including significant improvements to LiDAR functionalities.

Aimed at professional and academic GIS users, BlomDESKTOP Viewer offers advanced measurement and interrogation capabilities, in a standalone package. The latest release largely focuses on the addition of new LiDAR viewing and measurement features.

Improved features include:

• New measurement tools for the LiDAR 2D profile view
• Customisable LiDAR colour modes based on classification, height, true colour and intensity
• Additional LiDAR viewer functionality, including point size and image export
• New GUI for 3D viewer and improved performance
• Increased proxy support – PAC (Proxy Auto Configuration) files now supported
• Range of improvements including improved language support

BlomDESKTOP Viewer is compatible with all Blom data models, including vertical and oblique aerial imagery, height data and the recently released Blom3D™ city models, all in one unique application.

For more information visit www.blomasa.com or contact us for a demonstration.

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The publication of AGI member press releases is a member service. The AGI neither approves or endorses the contents of member's press releases, nor makes any assurance of their factual accuracy.

Showcasing the very latest ‘bird’s eye’ oblique aerial photography across London

Whilst the UK gears itself up for hosting London 2012’s Olympic Games aerial photography specialist Blom has captured the final preparations as they get underway across Greater London. Making the most of  the few clear blue skies in late May Blom set about capturing all 32 boroughs, making it the most up-to-date photography of the capital available.

Showcasing the latest developments across the whole of London, including the final touches to the Olympic Park and The Shard, Blom’s photography offers a powerful insight for urban planners, asset managers and insurance underwriters requiring the most recent growth and building intelligence. Blom’s images also provide an important resource for the media, news and publishing outlets requiring the newest visuals and imagery on the market

Dave Fox, Managing Director of Blom UK said “With the difficulties involved in capturing over 2,500km² of Greater London, including 32 boroughs and Slough too, it is rare to collect such a truly cohesive and comprehensive dataset of the capital. Captured at 10cm resolution 1m² features are represented by 100 pixels, meaning that windows, roofs, road markings and even street furniture are clearly visible”

A hugely experienced provider of oblique ‘bird’s eye’ aerial photography,  over the last 6 years Blom has provided over 50% of London’s boroughs with BlomOBLIQUE imagery. Not only does this provide a rich visual record of the UK’s capital but also allows you to measure the height, length, area and bearing of any structures, features and buildings.

Kim Wall, Marketing & Commercial Support Manager of Blom UK added “BlomOBLIQUE has always proved itself popular with Local Government and Emergency Services and they are currently using Blom’s data to assist with the management of major events and for emergency response planning.

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Blom signs a strategically important contract

Blom signs a strategically important contract to supply high accuracy LiDAR data and flood models for the French National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN).

Blom CGR France, Blom’s subsidiary in France, has signed a contract with IGN, the French National Geographic and Forestry Information Institute, for an airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey and production of flood models in the south of France. This is a huge project for IGN and will cover all areas at risk from flooding. Blom’s data acquisition will start imminently and the project will be completed within one year.

Blom is proud to have been awarded this contract after a very demanding European tender process. “This contract is the third recent collaboration between Blom and IGN, proving IGN's belief in Blom's experience and commitment to deliver” commented Didier Mendel, Managing Director of Blom CGR France.

Flooding is a natural disaster that seems to be increasing in both occurrence and its impact on us. Each flood can put at risk homes, infrastructure and more importantly, lives. Last year areas in France saw devastating floods that were the worst since 1827. It is reassuring that flooding and its consequences now can be monitored, and the water flow can be predicted. Airborne LiDAR technology provides altitude data with an accuracy that can reach up to 10 cm on bare soil, providing an effective and low cost method to use when surveys of large geographical areas are required. These factors result in LiDAR being the best technology to use for flood risk mapping.

Producing flood models of areas at risk of flooding is part of an ambitious governmental project for improving the altimetric data base (RGE Alti) of the whole of France during the period 2010-2013.

“This strategic contract award has been achieved as a result of Blom’s unique skills base and a wealth of experience within LiDAR technology, which has given us a leading position in this market.”, comments Giovanni Banchini, CEO of Blom CGR.

Blom is able to provide a complete airborne solution, combining laser scanning with aerial imagery. The laser scanner gathers accurate data for terrain modelling while the digital camera provides imagery for quality control of the LiDAR point cloud. The imagery is also used to produce orthophotos over the area, providing IGN with a compelling solution to aide their flood mapping campaign.

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