Intermap Technologies
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA geospatial technology company that develops terrain data, mapping products, and analytics services for commercial and government users.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Intermap Technologies is a United States-based geospatial technology company headquartered in Douglas County, Colorado. It provides terrain data, digital mapping products, and analytical services used by geographic information systems professionals and organizations in commercial and government settings. Its applications span energy, engineering, government, defense-related mapping, insurance and risk management, telecommunications, water-resource management, transportation, automotive, environmental analysis, and three-dimensional visualization. The company was formed on January 31, 1996, and began active business operations on September 1 of that year. In November 1996, it acquired the assets of the image mapping services division of Intera Information Technologies Corporation. A number of senior members of Intermap's original management team had previously worked for that division, giving the new company an established base of technical and operational expertise in image mapping and elevation-data production. Intermap initially concentrated on contract-based production of three-dimensional digital elevation maps. These assignments were generally defined around a particular geographic area and were commonly commissioned by government mapping organizations or defense agencies. The work required the collection, processing, and delivery of detailed information about the Earth's surface for use in planning, analysis, and operational applications. A major shift in the company's business model began with the NEXTMap program, launched in 2002. Rather than producing terrain data only after a customer ordered a specific project, Intermap undertook the large-scale collection and processing of elevation information for entire countries and regions. The resulting datasets could then be licensed to multiple customers. This approach required substantial upfront investment but created reusable data assets with applications across several industries. NEXTMap coverage included Great Britain, Western Europe, the United States, and parts of Southeast Asia. Great Britain coverage was published in 2003; Western European work was completed in July 2008; and United States coverage was completed in June 2010. Intermap's technical offering is based substantially on airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or IFSAR. Its data products include digital surface models that represent terrain together with buildings, vegetation, roads, and other visible surface features; digital terrain models that digitally remove many above-ground features to represent the underlying landform; and orthorectified radar imagery, which is corrected for geometric distortion and emphasizes topographic characteristics. These source products are processed into broader national or regional datasets, including the NEXTMap family. The company has marketed its data and services to users in GIS, engineering, insurance, oil and gas, environmental management, communications, transportation, and visualization. Its licensing-oriented data model allows customers to incorporate terrain information into their own software, risk models, planning systems, and geographic applications. In 2007, Microsoft announced a partnership with Intermap to develop an enhanced version of Virtual Earth 3D for Great Britain. Microsoft later discontinued that particular 3D product in November 2010, illustrating both the potential value and the changing nature of commercial online mapping platforms. Intermap's core identity is therefore that of a specialized geospatial data company rather than a consumer mapping brand. Its value proposition rests on the collection of large-area elevation information, the conversion of radar observations into usable geospatial datasets, and the licensing or delivery of those datasets and related services to organizations that need reliable terrain intelligence.
History
Intermap Technologies was established on January 31, 1996, and commenced active business operations on September 1, 1996. The company's early development was closely connected to the image-mapping business of Intera Information Technologies Corporation. On November 11, 1996, Intermap acquired all assets associated with Intera's image mapping services division. Several senior members of Intermap's original management team had previously been employed by that division, helping transfer technical knowledge and personnel into the new organization. In its first phase, Intermap operated primarily as a contract mapping provider. Customers, often government mapping bodies or defense agencies, defined the geographic areas to be surveyed and the company produced three-dimensional digital elevation maps for those assignments. This project-based model was suited to specialized mapping requirements but tied revenue and production activity to individual contracts. Intermap broadened its commercial model in 2002 with the creation of the NEXTMap program. The program involved collecting and processing three-dimensional elevation data across entire countries or large regions without waiting for a single customer to commission each area. Intermap financed the data-collection effort itself and subsequently offered access to the resulting datasets through licensing arrangements. This created reusable geospatial assets that could support customers in multiple sectors, including engineering, insurance, energy, telecommunications, transportation, environmental management, government, and three-dimensional visualization. The NEXTMap program expanded geographically over the following years. Great Britain data was published in 2003. Work covering countries in Western Europe was completed in July 2008, and the United States dataset was completed in June 2010. The company also pursued coverage in Southeast Asia. These national and regional datasets were intended to provide a consistent elevation foundation for geographic information systems and other applications requiring terrain-aware analysis. Intermap's principal collection technology is airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar, commonly abbreviated as IFSAR. Aircraft equipped with IFSAR systems capture information that can be processed into several related products. Digital surface models describe the visible surface, including natural terrain, buildings, vegetation, and roads. Digital terrain models are processed to remove many such cultural and vegetative features and approximate the underlying landform. Orthorectified radar imagery is geometrically corrected so that terrain-related distortions are reduced and topographic features can be interpreted more effectively. These source products are incorporated into the company's NEXTMap datasets and geospatial services. Customers can use them as base layers, analytical inputs, or components in systems for risk assessment, infrastructure planning, resource management, communications network design, transportation analysis, and visualization. Intermap's customer base has included organizations in GIS, engineering, insurance, oil and gas, environmental services, communications, and transportation. The company also participated in the expansion of online three-dimensional mapping. In 2007, Microsoft announced a partnership with Intermap to develop an enhanced version of Virtual Earth 3D for Great Britain. The related 3D product was later discontinued by Microsoft in November 2010. Intermap's history consequently reflects the transition from government-commissioned mapping projects toward large-scale, licensable geospatial data products and specialized analytical services.
- 2010
United States NEXTMap work completed
[1]The United States dataset was completed in June 2010.
- 2010
Virtual Earth 3D product discontinued
[1]Microsoft later dropped the related Virtual Earth 3D product in November 2010.
- 2008
Western Europe NEXTMap work completed
[1]Intermap completed work covering countries in Western Europe in July 2008.
- 2007
Microsoft mapping partnership announced
[1]Microsoft announced a partnership with Intermap to create an enhanced Virtual Earth 3D experience for Great Britain.
- 2003
Great Britain NEXTMap data published
[1]The company published its Great Britain terrain dataset under the NEXTMap program.
- 2002
NEXTMap program launched
[1]Intermap began its NEXTMap initiative to collect and process three-dimensional elevation datasets for entire countries and regions.
- 1996
Company formed
[1]Intermap Technologies was formed on January 31, 1996.
- 1996
Active operations began
[1]The company commenced active business operations on September 1, 1996.
- 1996
Acquisition of Intera image-mapping assets
[1]On November 11, Intermap acquired the assets of the image mapping services division of Intera Information Technologies Corporation.
Products and positioning
A specialized provider of large-area three-dimensional terrain data and geospatial analytics for enterprise, infrastructure, government, and risk-oriented applications.
IFSAR elevation product
Digital Surface Models
Digital surface models represent the Earth's visible surface, including natural terrain as well as buildings, vegetation, roads, and other above-ground features. They provide a geometrically consistent base layer for geographic information systems, visualization, infrastructure planning, communications analysis, and other applications that need to account for surface objects rather than bare terrain alone.
IFSAR elevation product
Digital Terrain Models
Digital terrain models are processed elevation representations designed to approximate bare earth. Vegetation, buildings, and other cultural features are digitally removed so users can analyze underlying landforms, slopes, drainage, and terrain characteristics that may be obscured in a surface model. They support engineering, environmental work, resource management, and geospatial risk analysis.
IFSAR imagery product
Orthorectified Radar Images
Orthorectified radar images are grayscale radar-derived images corrected to reduce geometric distortions caused by terrain and sensor perspective. The processing makes the imagery more suitable for mapping and spatial analysis while emphasizing topographic features that may be difficult to distinguish in conventional aerial photography.
National and regional 3D terrain datasets · 2002
NEXTMap
NEXTMap is Intermap's program and dataset family for collecting, processing, and licensing three-dimensional digital elevation information across entire countries or broad regions. Coverage developed through the program included Great Britain, Western Europe, the United States, and parts of Southeast Asia. The datasets are intended for licensing and reuse across GIS, engineering, insurance, energy, communications, transportation, government, and visualization applications.
Professional geospatial services
Geospatial Services
Intermap provides geospatial services built around terrain-data collection, processing, mapping, and analysis. Historically, these services included customer-specific three-dimensional elevation mapping, while the company's broader offering also supports organizations that need to integrate elevation and imagery data into geographic information systems, risk models, planning tools, and other specialized applications.
Brand decisions
2007
Partnership for enhanced Virtual Earth 3D mappingStrategyBackground
Online mapping platforms were expanding their use of three-dimensional terrain visualization, creating a potential distribution channel for commercial elevation data.
Action taken
Microsoft announced a partnership with Intermap to create an enhanced version of Virtual Earth 3D for Great Britain.
Aftermath
The related 3D product was later discontinued by Microsoft in November 2010.
2002
Shift toward self-financed national terrain datasetsStrategyBackground
Intermap's earlier business focused largely on customer-specific mapping contracts, often for government or defense users. The company introduced NEXTMap as a way to create broad national and regional datasets that could serve multiple customers.
Action taken
Intermap began financing the collection and processing of large-area three-dimensional elevation data itself, then planned to monetize the resulting datasets through licensing agreements.
Aftermath
The program produced coverage for Great Britain, Western Europe, the United States, and parts of Southeast Asia, and broadened the potential customer base beyond individual commissioned projects.
Recent events
Reported
Intermap appoints Terry Ryan to its board[2]
Intermap Technologies announced the appointment of Terry Ryan to its Board of Directors.
Reported
Intermap Technologies Appoints J. Michael Rolland to Board of Directors[3]
Intermap Technologies announced the appointment of J. Michael Rolland, former CEO of OMERS, to its Board of Directors.
Reported
Intermap announces first-quarter 2021 results[4]
Intermap announced its first-quarter 2021 financial results, reporting revenue of $0.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.
Sources5 sources
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