
03 September 2007, 4:50pm
BlueSky launches ‘Shop for Home: Buy for Business’ online aerial map shop
Aerial survey company BlueSky has launched a brand new buy online service; www.bluesky-world.com/mapshop, providing instant access to the most accurate, up-to-date and detailed aerial photomaps covering the whole of England and Wales.
BlueSky’s ‘Shop for Home: Buy for Business’ service enables visitors to select an area of interest, view the aerial image and then purchase either a digital image or hardcopy print. The BlueSky map shop uses advanced data hosting technology coupled with sophisticated web service software to ensure an easy to use, fast and secure web experience.
“By combining the best aerial photography with state of the art hardware, software and webware our site is set to facilitate a host of professional applications and domestic requirements,” said Rachel Eddy, Managing Director of BlueSky.
Visitors to BlueSky’s map shop can select their area of interest by simply entering a postcode, place name or geographic co-ordinate. An overview image of the chosen area is displayed and the user can zoom in or out and pan around the image to refine the search.
The site currently offers visitors access to aerial photography of every inch of England and Wales supplemented by additional data layers, including Digital Surface and Terrain Models (DSM and DTM) all available for instant download.
The BlueSky map shop uses proprietary technology to ensure rapid access to the large volumes of data associated with aerial photography and Storage Area Network for improved access and security. The facility provides 37 terabytes of online storage - equivalent to nearly 55,000 CD-ROMs. Once a visitor to the BlueSky site has selected an aerial photograph the digital image is extracted using a totally automated process so the file is ready for download or despatch on CD/DVD in a matter of seconds.
More advanced ordering options, such as polygon selection and shape file import, are offered to registered users. Purchasing options include instant payment using a secure credit card service or an account service with monthly billing.

Each month we select a hot topic and a leading figure in the industry to write about it.HAVE WE REALLY LEARNT THE LESSONS FROM LAST YEAR’S FLOODS?
Flooding costs associated with extreme weather, both financial and emotional, have increased considerably over the last decade, and experts have predicted this trend is set to continue.
Paul Livett, Chairman of GroundSure looks into how increasing the use of flood risk information in property transactions can help to ensure both residential and commercial transactions are conducted on a truly informed basis, with buyers being made aware of environmental risks prior to purchase.
Over 2.2 million homes and small businesses in the UK are located in areas considered at risk of flooding, and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said that 570,000 of these face a high risk of flooding. The floods in June and July last year left approximately 48,000 households… More…
Paul Livett
Chairman of GroundSure