GPS World

Tag: GeoEye

  • GeoEye at the ESRI International Users Conference

    GPS World magazine interviews at the ESRI show, talking with Deke Young, the GIS Sales Manager at GeoEye.

  • GeoEye Signs Two New Seven-Figure GeoEye-1 Imagery Contracts

    GeoEye, Inc. announced that it recently signed seven-figure agreements with two international partners in the Middle East and Asia for both the renewal and expanded use of GeoEye imagery products.

    According to the announcement, the Middle East affiliate has signed a new agreement for access to GeoEye-1 sub half-meter imagery, which is the highest resolution commercial imagery available globally. This affiliate has had an ongoing agreement with GeoEye for IKONOS satellite imagery collection and distribution since 2000. The agreement with the government customer in Asia renewed their access to GeoEye-1’s highly precise imagery products. This customer has had an agreement in place for GeoEye-1 satellite imagery collection since 2009. Both partners have indicated they will integrate GeoEye-1’s high-resolution imagery with their own systems to support regional security and peace missions.

    “Both the Mideast Regional Affiliate and the Asian government customer have been trusted and valued partners for many years,” said Paolo Colombi, GeoEye’s vice president of International Sales. “We appreciate the extension of our partnerships and the expansion of our global footprint that these agreements represent. We look forward to supporting our partners’ mission critical requirements by delivering superior-quality location intelligence regarding these highly sensitive and dynamic regions of the world.”

  • GeoEye Expands Tampa Office to Address the U.S. Military’s Growing Demand

    GeoEye, Inc. announced the expansion of its Tampa office to support the growing demand for its services across the U.S. military. This growing presence builds on the tremendous success GeoEye customers have had using its advanced analytic assessments to discover geospatial patterns that allow our warfighters and allies to find and thwart adversaries around the globe.

     

    According to the announcement, Tampa is the headquarters for the United States Special Operations and Central Commands and home to other U.S. military organizations. In addition to supporting its U.S. military customers there, GeoEye considers Tampa to be an attractive area to recruit data scientists, geospatial analysts and other technical talent motivated to safeguard our most pressing national security interests.

    GeoEye reports that the office in Tampa is one component of a virtual analytics center of excellence that will aggregate and analyze unclassified imagery and open source data to predict areas where threats are more likely to emerge across Africa, Asia and other parts of the world.  Using these resources GeoEye Analytics recently analyzed patterns of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa identifying its operating behavior and area preferences which predicted areas of concern that matched where key LRA leadership was recently apprehended.

    Matt O’Connell, GeoEye’s chief executive officer and president, commented, “GeoEye Analytics has become a critical part of our business. Last year, our analytics team brought GeoEye two of its top 10 customers. We’ve seen a steady increase in the demand for geospatial analytical support to intelligence agencies and Combatant commands who manage global threats. We think this demand is defined in the Defense Budget guidance that reflects a growing need for our solutions. Building and deepening analytic expertise has also been noted as a top priority by our intelligence customers.”

    Alex Dunmire, senior program manager of the Tampa office, added, “We combine earth imagery, geospatial expertise, and enabling technology to help intelligence analysts, military planners and law enforcement personnel who need a deep understanding of our changing world to protect lives and make confident resource allocation decisions. Our predictive analytics capability has clearly made a difference for our clients and we’re looking forward to new opportunities to contribute to our Nation’s public safety and national security requirements.”

  • GeoEye to Receive Payment of $111 Million from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

    GeoEye, Inc. announced that it has successfully passed a major milestone for the development of the GeoEye-2 satellite under the EnhancedView program. GeoEye’s completion of this milestone triggers the $111 million cost-share payment from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

    GeoEye reports that this critical milestone demonstrates the company’s capabilities to meet all of the U.S. government’s EnhancedView program requirements, on time and under this firm-fixed-price contract.

    Matt O’Connell, GeoEye’s CEO and president, said, “This is a terrific achievement by our team and a great confirmation of our strong partnership with the NGA, especially during these uncertain economic times. We look forward to providing the NGA with the highest resolution color imagery from GeoEye-2, which will be an important long-term security asset to the DoD and the intelligence agencies of the United States.”
    “GeoEye-2, designed and built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, includes market-leading technology features, such as robust tasking capabilities, faster imagery collection rates and a new state-of-the-art, ITT Exelis Geospatial Systems camera,” said Carl Alleyne, GeoEye’s vice president of Engineering.

  • DigitalGlobe, Inc. Rejects GeoEye’s Proposed Acquisition

    GeoEye announced that DigitalGlobe, Inc.’s Board of Directors has rejected GeoEye’s acquisition proposal. On May 4, 2012, GeoEye announced a proposal to acquire DigitalGlobe for $17.00 per share in total consideration, payable $8.50 per share in cash and $8.50 in GeoEye stock, or 0.3537 shares of GeoEye stock for each share of DigitalGlobe stock, representing a premium of 26% to DigitalGlobe’s closing price as of May 3, 2012.

    “We are disappointed that DigitalGlobe’s Board of Directors has rejected our highly attractive proposed acquisition,” said Matt O’Connell, CEO of GeoEye. O’Connell continued, “We believe, and DigitalGlobe appears to agree, that combining these two companies makes clear strategic sense. A combined company would generate substantial synergies while better satisfying the needs of all customers, domestic and international. The combined company would be able to deliver significantly greater certainty in the continuity and quality of its future satellite constellation. We view this proposal as being proactive to continue to deliver the high level of service to our government and commercial clients in the most cost effective manner.”

    GeoEye reported it will consider its options in light of DigitalGlobe’s rejection. We have engaged Goldman, Sachs & Company, Convergence Advisors LLC and Latham & Watkins LLP to advise us in this transaction.

  • GeoEye Proposes Acquisition Of DigitalGlobe

    GeoEye, Inc. announced that it is proposing to acquire DigitalGlobe, Inc. The combined company would create the world’s largest fleet of high resolution commercial imagery satellites.

     

    The new company would be well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of the U.S. government and other customers in this fiscally constrained environment. We will also continue to invest in new information, analytic services and the most technologically advanced commercial satellites for government and commercial customers around the world.

    Matt O’Connell, chief executive officer and president of GeoEye, said, “This proposal delivers exceptional value for the combatant commanders, national decision makers, civil users and disaster relief workers, who have a critical need for unclassified commercial imagery. It also provides benefits for the taxpayer. It offers our Government a way to get the information it needs while still reducing its funding obligations. The synergies in the combination will also benefit the shareholders of both companies.”

    O’Connell continued, “In the face of significant pressure on the U.S. defense budget and intensifying international competition, a combined company will be better positioned to provide the U.S. government with the time-sensitive geospatial intelligence that is needed to support its mission in a very cost-effective manner during these fiscally conservative times. The government is looking to its providers for innovative solutions, and we believe this is the best option to achieve that.”

    The proposed transaction would give DigitalGlobe shareholders $17.00 per share in total consideration, payable $8.50 per share in cash and $8.50 in GeoEye stock, or 0.3537 shares of GeoEye stock for each share of DigitalGlobe stock. This price represents a 26% premium to DigitalGlobe’s closing share price on May 3, 2012. The proposal is structured to provide DigitalGlobe shareholders with the opportunity to participate in the dynamic future growth of the combined company.

     

    The following is a copy of a letter that GeoEye sent to DigitalGlobe with respect to its proposal:

    May 4, 2012

    Jeffrey R. Tarr
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    DigitalGlobe, Inc.
    1601 Dry Creek Drive, Ste. 260
    Longmont, CO 80503

    Dear Jeff:

    During the past few months, we have discussed with you a combination of GeoEye and DigitalGlobe. We both appreciate that a combination of our two companies results in greater capability to meet national security needs, is more cost effective to the government during this fiscally constrained period, and provides improved value to decision-makers and warfighters.

    The considerable scale of the combined entity creates a strong domestic player in satellite imagery which could compete more effectively with foreign providers. The combination also allows for operating expense synergies and reduced capital requirements while better satisfying customer needs. Your letter from March 2, 2012 conveys this same sentiment:

    “…we do agree that a well-managed combined company would enjoy material scale and scope benefits in addition to significant cost savings and would be well positioned to meet the needs of the US Government and other customers.”

    We both acknowledge that there have been rumors and speculation regarding cuts. Given this uncertain political and fiscal climate, we believe it is in our mutual interest to provide our customers with creative solutions to problems rather than passively speculate on one or another outcome.

    To that end, we propose that GeoEye acquire DigitalGlobe in a friendly transaction whereby DigitalGlobe shareholders would receive $17.00 per share in total consideration. Such consideration will be payable as $8.50 per share in cash and $8.50 in GeoEye stock (DigitalGlobe shareholders would receive 0.3537 shares of GeoEye stock for each share of DigitalGlobe owned). This price represents a 26% premium to DigitalGlobe’s closing share price on May 3, 2012. In addition, our Board of Directors would consider restructuring our proposal to increase the cash consideration up to 100% of the purchase price or, in the alternative, reducing the cash consideration and increasing the stock portion of our offer.

    Given our financial strength and longstanding supportive banking relationships, we are highly confident that financing will not represent an impediment to the consummation of the proposed transaction. To provide further certainty to the DigitalGlobe Board of Directors, we have been advised that affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., our largest shareholder, are prepared to contribute substantial capital in support of our proposed transaction.

    We believe that your shareholders and your Board will agree that this is a compelling proposal.

    Our Board has authorized this proposal. We are prepared to move quickly to execute a mutually acceptable definitive agreement. Our offer is subject to satisfactory due diligence, the receipt of U.S. Government approvals, and final Board and shareholder approvals.

    We have already undertaken extensive due diligence on DigitalGlobe’s public filings and are now prepared to undertake a mutual detailed due diligence review at your earliest convenience. We believe that with your cooperation, we can complete this detailed due diligence and execute a definitive agreement promptly.

    Finally, it is our view that a combination of our companies would have no significant contingencies and that this transaction will be promptly consummated. Our counsel, with the assistance of a highly regarded economist, has undertaken a preliminary review of antitrust and international competition issues attendant to the proposed combination, and believe that, with U.S. Government customer support, the transaction will not involve undue delay. We understand from your communications to us that you and your advisors agree.

    We have engaged Goldman, Sachs & Company, Convergence Advisors LLC and Latham & Watkins LLP to advise us in this transaction.

    We look forward to a response to this letter and sincerely hope that we may move forward to a negotiated transaction.

    Sincerely,

    Matthew M. O’Connell
    CC: DigitalGlobe Board of Directors

  • GeoEye and Rolta Form Strategic Partnership to Develop Geospatial Solutions for Global Markets

    GeoEye, Inc. announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner with Rolta, a global, leading provider of innovative IT solutions. With this new partnership, Rolta gains access to GeoEye’s high-resolution satellite imagery, services and expertise to develop innovative geospatial products and services. Rolta plans to offer these GeoEye-enabled solutions to its customers across high-growth global markets, beginning with India.

     

    Preetha Pulusani, Rolta’s chief strategy officer, said, “Rolta has been engaged in providing geospatial solutions for over two decades. Imagery plays a critical role – especially for defense and homeland security – to enable users to rapidly analyze change, visualize impacts and make informed decisions in the field in a timely manner. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with GeoEye to provide our customers with tools and content to meet their most challenging needs.”

    According to the announcement, Rolta also plans to develop intelligent 3-D city solutions for commercial users in urban planning, construction and infrastructure development. Ninety percent of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies are located outside North America and Western Europe and in regions such as Southern Asia. Rolta intends to offer these high-growth global markets financially accessible 3-D model solutions developed from GeoEye satellite imagery.

    Tony Frazier, GeoEye’s senior vice president of Marketing, said, “Geospatial intelligence has become crucial to decision making. We are excited about this partnership and believe that our world-class imagery, information service capabilities and expertise, coupled with Rolta’s product development and IT services track record, will produce innovative geospatial solutions that deliver clear, deep and timely insights to global government and commercial users.”