Last week Norwegian aerial imagery provider Blom announced it had renewed and extended their existing agreement with Microsoft until 2014. The agreement allows Microsoft the right to use Blom’s database of oblique aerial images - RealImages. This database is based on Pictometry technology and covers more than 1,100 cities in Europe. The contract has a value between $10 and $14 million from January 2010 until end of the contract period.

“Blom is very satisfied being one of the main providers of services to Microsoft’s Bing Maps, especially with their increased focus on their online map solution”, says Nils Karbø, Chief Technical Officer at Blom.

Blom will continue to provide the oblique images both offline and online through the company’s own server BlomURBEX.