DigitalGlobe, Saab AB partner to form 3-D imagery company Vricon

LONGMONT — DigitalGlobe Inc. and Saab AB have partnered to form a company that will produce detailed 3-D images of the earth showing buildings, infrastructure and terrain.

Each company will own 50 percent of Vricon Inc., which will be based in Reston, Va.

Longmont-based DigitalGlobe will provide its archives of earth images taken by high-resolution cameras from its constellation of satellites. Saab, a defense and security company based in Sweden, will provide the 3-D technology.

“By combining DigitalGlobe’s unrivaled imagery archive with Saab’s leading edge technology, we will deliver the globe in 3-D at a scale never before possible,” Jeffrey R. Tarr, DigitalGlobe’s president and chief executive, said in a prepared statement. “By delivering this breakthrough product to our customers, this collaboration will drive growth and shareowner value creation.”

The new company is targeting commercial and government customers in the professional geospatial market with an initial focus on defense, security and infrastructure. Cost of the image service was not disclosed.

“Our customers will benefit from global access to geospatial data of unprecedented quality,” Magnus Brege, CEO at Vricon, said in the statement. He said the joint venture will give Saab and DigitalGlobe a market position ahead of the competition.

on Facebook on LinkedIn