Related question: Free aerial map images for commercial use – Alternatives to Google maps
I'm looking for a service that will allow me to download images at up to 1 meter resolution. Currently our system is based around the Mercator projection (pardon me if my terminology is incorrect) documented here. On this scale, we need imagery up to zoom level 17, which works out to be 1.2 meters per pixel.
The only quote online that I could find was from Google Maps API for Business, which is $10,000 at the time of this writing. From what I can tell, the license doesn't allow images to be downloaded. Our system doesn't guarantee connection to the internet, so images will be pre-loaded.
Currently I'm using MapQuest Open Aerial Tiles, but I need a little more coverage that that service provides.
If it matters, we don't charge for the images, but we do charge for the software that uses the images. Images are only a small part of the overall software, so we consider it to be a free service provided with the product.
What services exist that meet these requirements? I am willing to pay a license fee, provided it isn't ridiculous (<20,000 or so per year).
Best Answer
What is your area of interest? You can download and use the NAIP imagery from 2011/2012 which is 1m as long as you can host your own service and cache/tile yourself.
If you need outside the US, then Digital-Globe/GeoEye is going to be your prime vendor.