Geospatial Data Planetary Computer Pro Azure AI Introduction

Table of Contents

Using AI to understand the current state of the Earth! Introduction to "geospatial data," "Planetary Computer Pro," and "Azure"

Hello! I'm John, a veteran blog writer. Have you ever heard of AI technology recently and thought it sounded difficult? Don't worry, if you read this article, you'll understand that this futuristic technology that seems like something out of a science fiction movie is actually already at work right next to us. This time, I'd like to introduce a trio of noteworthy AI technologies that are opening up new possibilities for business and solving global issues,Geospatial Data""Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro""Azure" We will explain it in a way that even beginners can understand!

Introduction: What are these technologies and what problems do they solve?

Our Earth is changing day by day. Climate change, urbanization, natural disasters... In order to accurately grasp these changes, predict the future, and build a better society, we need a huge amount of information about the Earth. This is where the main characters of this article come in.

Geospatial Data: Simply put, it is information about "locations." It refers to any data associated with a specific location or area on Earth, such as satellite or aerial imagery, meteorological data from a weather forecast, or terrain data from a map app.
Microsoft Azure: A powerful cloud computing service provided by Microsoft. The "cloud" is like a huge computer center that can be accessed via the Internet. Azure is the platform for safely storing and quickly processing huge amounts of information, such as geospatial data.
Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro: A "computer for the Earth" that runs on Azure. It is a specialized toolkit for collecting, organizing, and analyzing geospatial data from around the world using AI. The "Pro" version in particular is designed to enable companies to combine it with their own data for more advanced analysis and decision-making.

These technologies aim to solve a wide range of issues, from global issues to more familiar business problems. For example,

Monitor the progress of deforestation in real time and take action.
It will help to address food issues by grasping the wide-ranging growth conditions of agricultural crops and predicting yields.
We analyze urban population growth and traffic congestion to help plan more livable cities.
Find the best locations for renewable energy plants.
Improve the efficiency of a company's supply chain (the process from product to consumer) and reduce costs.

The unique feature of Planetary Computer Pro is that it has AzureScalability(ability to flexibly change scale as needed), AIAdvanced analytical abilityAndSTAC (Spatio Temporal Asset Catalog) This makes it possible to handle diverse geospatial data from around the world in a unified way and combine it with AI to obtain unprecedented insights.

What are "geospatial data", "Planetary Computer Pro" and "Azure"? Learn more!

Let's take a closer look at each of these elements. Understanding how they relate to one another is the first step in unlocking the potential of this technology.

Geospatial Data Basics

Geospatial data is key to creating a digital understanding of the world around us. The main types include:

Satellite images and aerial photographs: Images of the earth's surface taken from earth observation satellites and aircraft. They are used to understand changes in land use, vegetation distribution, and disaster situations.
Weather Data: Temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind direction and speed, etc. It is important not only for weather forecasting, but also for agricultural planning and forecasting renewable energy power generation.
Topographical data: Geometric data of the earth's surface, including elevation, slope, and aspect. Essential for flood simulations and infrastructure construction planning.
LiDAR data: 3D data obtained by precisely measuring the distance and shape of an object using the reflected light from a laser beam. This is used to measure the height of trees in forests and for 3D modeling of cities.
Demographic and economic data: Population, age distribution, income level, etc. of a particular area. Combined with location information, these can be useful for urban planning and marketing strategies.

Although each of these data is valuable, combining multiple data makes it possible to understand and predict more complex phenomena. For example, satellite images can capture changes in forest area, and meteorological and topographical data can be combined to identify areas at high risk of landslides.

What is Microsoft Azure and why does it matter for geospatial data?

Microsoft Azure is a huge cloud platform with data centers all over the world. It is nearly impossible for an individual to own such large-scale computer resources, but with Azure you can rent and use only what you need. This is a major benefit of "cloud computing."

Geospatial data, by its very nature,The amount of data is very large(It is not uncommon to have data on the petabyte level, or even 1000 times 1000 terabytes!) In addition, to analyze this data,Advanced computing powerAzure excels at storing large amounts of data and performing advanced computational processing.

Azure offers a wide range of services, but the following are particularly important for geospatial data analysis:

Storage services (e.g. Azure Blob Storage): Store vast amounts of geospatial data securely and at low cost.
Computing services (Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Functions, etc.): We provide virtual servers that perform calculations for data analysis and a mechanism for automatically executing specific processes.
Database services (e.g. Azure Cosmos DB): Efficiently manage and search large amounts of structured and unstructured data.
AI/machine learning services (Azure AI, Azure Machine Learning, etc.): Develop and run AI models for image recognition, time series forecasting, anomaly detection, and more to extract new insights from geospatial data.
Data analysis platform (Microsoft Fabric, etc.): An integrated platform for data collection, preparation, analysis, and visualization.

In other words, Azure is the "engine room," the "workbench," and the "huge warehouse" for leveraging geospatial data.

What is Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro?

Planetary Computer Pro is built on the powerful foundation of Azure.A platform specialized for geospatial dataOriginally, Microsoft provided a public data catalog and analysis tool called the Planetary Computer to help researchers and scientists tackle global environmental problems as part of its AI for Earth initiative, which includes tens of petabytes of over 120 public geospatial datasets (including satellite imagery, climate data, and forest biomass data).

Planetary Computer Pro takes this concept a step further.Companies can combine their own data with these public data sets, or even completely proprietary geospatial data, to help inform business decisions and develop new solutions.The main features are as follows:

GeoCatalog: Utilizing various geospatial data held by companiesSTAC (Spatio Temporal Asset Catalog) STAC is a function that organizes and catalogs data in a global standard format. STAC is a set of rules for uniformly describing meta-information (data about data) such as "when, where, and what type of data," making data of different types easier to find and use.
Data import and management tools: You can easily register and manage your own geospatial data stored in Azure Blob Storage, etc. in GeoCatalog. A bulk import API is also available.
Explorer: A tool that allows you to visually explore and map cataloged data in a web browser, overlaying multiple data layers to help you discover hidden patterns and connections.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and SDKs (Software Development Kits): Program components that allow developers to incorporate the functions of Planetary Computer Pro into their own applications and analysis workflows. Can be used with programming languages such as Python.
Integration with Azure services: It seamlessly integrates with other Azure services, such as Azure AI, Azure Machine Learning, and Microsoft Fabric, to build advanced AI analytics and large-scale data processing pipelines using geospatial data.
Security and Access Management: Use Azure Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) and role-based access control (RBAC) to fine-tune access permissions and keep corporate data safe.

Simply put, Planetary Computer Pro is like a specialized workshop that uses the power of Azure to organize, polish, and find valuable gems from a company's "treasure trove" of geospatial data.

Planetary Computer Pro technical details: how does it work?

So how exactly does the Planetary Computer Pro achieve all this magic? Let's take a look behind the scenes.

Data collection and management: building a treasure map

First, companies can store various geospatial data (e.g., images taken by drones, environmental data collected from sensor networks, map data created in past projects, etc.) in Azure's secure storage service,Azure Blob StorageUpload it to.

Next, the core function of Planetary Computer Pro isGeoCatalogThis data is then "cataloged" using the software. This is similar to the process of creating catalog cards to make it easier to find books in a library. This cataloging involves the steps mentioned above.STAC (Spatio Temporal Asset Catalog) STAC uses a standard format called "JSON" (a text format that is easy for computers to read) to describe each piece of data, including when it was taken (time information), where it is located (spatial information), and what type of data it is (asset information).

By creating metadata in this STAC format and registering it in GeoCatalog, you can efficiently search for what you need from a huge amount of data and automatically access it from programs. GeoCatalogs can be created and managed through the Azure portal (Azure management screen) or REST API (a mechanism for operating programs via the web).

Data processing and analysis: digging for treasure and polishing it

Once the data is cataloged, it's time to analyze it. Planetary Computer ProPythonWe provide a programming language library (a set of components that collects useful functions) and APIs that can be used to access the data in the catalog and perform various processing and analysis.

For example, you can do the following:

Search for satellite images from a specific period and location and analyze changes over time.
Combining data from multiple different sensors to calculate specific environmental indicators (e.g., vegetation vigor).
Use AI/machine learning models (such as those created with Azure Machine Learning) to automatically identify and classify specific objects (e.g. buildings, roads, farmland) from satellite imagery.
Flood risk simulations are performed based on topographical and meteorological data.

Here too, Azure's powerful computing resources come in handy, allowing you to process large amounts of data in parallel and train complex machine learning models with the backend powered by Azure.

Data visualization and sharing: Showing everyone what you've found

The insights and results gained from analysis are meaningless unless they can be communicated to people. Planetary Computer Pro hasBuilt-in Explorer toolIt allows you to display the data and results of your analysis on an interactive map, making it easier to intuitively understand the meaning of the data.

In addition, you can incorporate the analysis results into your own business applications through APIs, or create dashboards (screens that display information in a list) and share them within your organization. Access permissions can be strictly managed using Azure's security features, so you can handle confidential information with peace of mind.

Instead of "supply" think: data volume, accessibility, and cost

Since Planetary Computer Pro is not a cryptocurrency, there is no concept of a "maximum supply" or "circulating supply." However, when considering the value of this technology, it is important to note that"How much data is available?" "How accessible is that data?" "How much does it cost to use it?"That's the point.

Amount of available data:
- The original "Planetary Computer" included satellite data from NASA (Landsat, MODIS), the European Space Agency (Sentinel series), etc.Petabyte-scale public datasetsThese are extremely useful for research and environmental analysis.
- In addition to these publicly available data, "Planetary Computer Pro" also providesOur own proprietary geospatial dataThe amount of data varies depending on the company, but Azure storage is highly scalable, so theoretically it is possible to handle almost infinite data.
Ease of access to data:
- STAC is a standard cataloging format that allows a uniform way of searching and accessing different types of datasets.
- Since APIs and SDKs are provided, programmers can develop applications that utilize the data with relative ease.
- The Explorer tool allows you to visually explore your data without any programming knowledge.
cost:
- The cost of using Planetary Computer Pro is mainly based on the cost of each Azure service (data storage, data transfer, computation, API calls, etc.).Pay-as-you-goThis means you only pay for what you use.
- Storing large amounts of data and frequently performing advanced analytical processing will increase costs accordingly, so it is important to devise efficient data management and processing methods to optimize costs.
- During the preview period, there may be special pricing and usage limits, so it's important to check for updates.

In other words, rather than "supply amount,""The ability to handle huge amounts of data," "the means to utilize that data," and "Azure's flexible pricing structure to support both."However, this is a factor that determines the value of this technology.

Team and community: Who is building it and who is using it?

Developer: Microsoft, a trusted and proven company

Planetary Computer Pro is developed and provided by the well-known IT giant,MicrosoftThe company provides cutting-edge IT infrastructure and services to businesses and organizations around the world through its Windows OS and Office products, as well as its cloud platform, Azure.

Microsoft has been focusing on research and development of AI technology for many years, and has also promoted initiatives such as "AI for Earth" that utilize AI to solve global environmental problems. Planetary Computer is a project born from this trend, and its knowledge and technology are also utilized in the Pro version. The "Fifth Paradigm of Science" (the idea of using large amounts of data and machine learning to make new scientific discoveries) proposed by Jim Gray, a renowned computer scientist who was once employed at Microsoft, can be said to be the ideological background of Planetary Computer.

Expected users: People who create the future with global data

Microsoft envisions three main types of users for Planetary Computer Pro:

Solution Developer: Engineers and development teams who build and operate applications and services that utilize geospatial data (e.g. smart agriculture support systems, urban infrastructure management tools, environmental monitoring dashboards, etc.) They use APIs and SDKs to automate data processing pipelines and develop user-friendly interfaces.
data controller: People who are responsible for centrally cataloging the wide variety of geospatial data held by companies and sharing it with the necessary departments and developers within the company while ensuring security. Data quality management, access control, and compliance (compliance with laws and regulations) are also important tasks.
Data Scientist/Analyst: An expert who combines geospatial data with other business data (e.g. sales data, customer data) and analyzes it to discover new business opportunities, improve operational efficiency, predict risks, etc. They explore data with the Explorer tool and build advanced predictive models using Azure Machine Learning.

Community and Documentation: A place to learn and collaborate

When learning a new technology, having good documentation and an active community is extremely important.

Microsoft Learn: A free online learning platform provided by Microsoft, with detailed documentation, tutorials, sample code, and more for Planetary Computer Pro. Even beginners can learn how to use it step by step.
GitHub: This is where the Planetary Computer-related code and data catalog information is made public, so developers can reference and contribute.
STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog) Community: STAC is an open standard specification that is maintained and developed by a community of developers and organizations around the world. Collaboration with this community is also one of the strengths of Planetary Computer Pro.

These resources not only help users learn new skills, but also allow them to share knowledge with others and get help solving problems.

Use cases and future potential: What can it be used for and what does it hold?

The potential of Planetary Computer Pro is truly global. It has already begun to be used in a variety of fields, and its scope is sure to expand in the future.

Current Use Case: Solving Earth and Business Issues

Environmental Monitoring and Sustainability:
- Forest Management: Satellite images can be used to monitor deforestation and illegal logging, allowing for early response and to measure the effectiveness of reforestation efforts.
- water resources management: Observing changes in water levels in lakes and rivers, snowfall, etc. will help assess the risk of water shortages and plan efficient water usage.
- Biodiversity Conservation: Track changes in wildlife habitats to help establish protected areas and plan management.
- Calculating carbon emissions: Analyze land use changes and forest biomass volumes to contribute to companies' carbon footprint calculations and offset strategies.
Agriculture (precision agriculture):
- Crop growth monitoringSatellite data is used to grasp the health and growth stage of crops over a wide area, and to determine the optimal timing for watering and fertilization.
- Yield forecast: AI is used to analyze past weather data, growth data, soil data, etc. to predict yields and harvest times with high accuracy.
- Pest control: Identifying environmental conditions that are conducive to the occurrence of certain pests and diseases and assisting in the implementation of early warning and preventative measures.
Urban Planning and Infrastructure Management:
- Urban Growth Analysis: Analyzing urban expansion using time-series satellite images and predicting future infrastructure demand (roads, water, electricity, etc.).
- Transportation network optimizationCombining traffic volume data with geographic information to identify areas prone to congestion and help optimize traffic light control and plan new roads.
- Disaster Risk Assessment: Using topographical data, past disaster history, meteorological data, etc., we map areas at high risk of disasters such as floods, landslides, and earthquakes, and help develop evacuation plans and disaster prevention measures.
Energy industry:
- Selection of suitable locations for renewable energy: Analyze geospatial data such as solar radiation, wind conditions, and land use to find the best locations to build solar and wind farms.
- Power grid monitoring: Using satellite images and LiDAR data, we monitor the density of trees around power lines to reduce the risk of power outages caused by fallen trees.
Business intelligence:
- Store location analysis: Analyze the best locations for new stores based on geospatial data such as demographics, traffic volumes, and competitor locations.
- Supply Chain Optimization: We will geographically visualize and analyze information such as logistics bases, transportation routes, and weather to improve delivery efficiency and reduce costs.
- Insurance Industry: We set appropriate insurance premium rates based on disaster risk assessments and conduct rapid damage assessments when disasters occur.

Future Outlook: Even Smarter with AI

The future of Planetary Computer Pro will be even more exciting as it further integrates with AI technology.

Advanced AI model integration: Through platforms like Azure AI Foundry, we may be able to combine state-of-the-art foundational models (such as large-scale language models or image generation models) with geospatial data to enable previously impossible levels of analysis and prediction. For example, we may be able to perform complex geospatial analysis or simulate future cityscapes with high accuracy simply by using natural language commands.
Collaboration with Digital Twin: By working with the digital twin function of Microsoft Fabric, it is expected that real-world cities, factories, natural environments, etc. will be faithfully reproduced in virtual space, and simulations and optimization will be performed by combining real-time data and geospatial information.
Enhanced real-time analytics: There will be an improved ability to process and analyze geospatial data streaming from IoT sensors and drones in real time and immediately apply it to decision-making.
More data and tools: This could mean easier access to Planetary Computer's public datasets, or the provision of analytical tools and AI models tailored to specific industries or challenges.

We are learning that our systems and activities are inseparable from the larger system that is the Earth. Tools like Planetary Computer Pro bring intelligence and analytics to the interface between our activities and the global environment, making them powerful allies in building a more sustainable and intelligent future.

Comparison with the competition: What makes Planetary Computer Pro different?

Planetary Computer Pro is not the only platform for handling geospatial data. Let's take a look at its features and strengths in comparison with some competing services and tools.

Planetary Computer Pro's distinctive strengths

Deep integration with the Azure ecosystem:
- This is perhaps its greatest strength. It allows you to take full advantage of Azure's vast computing resources, diverse AI and machine learning services, robust security features, and integrated data analysis platforms such as Microsoft Fabric.
- If a company is already using Azure, it can easily integrate with existing systems and data, lowering the barrier to adoption.
Enterprise-ready design:
- It is designed to enable companies to securely manage and operate their own highly sensitive geospatial data. Authentication with Azure Entra ID and detailed access control with RBAC enable data governance.
- It has the reliability and scalability to withstand the construction of large-scale data processing pipelines and integration into mission-critical business systems.
Active adoption of open standards (STAC):
- The use of an open metadata standard called STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog) increases data interoperability.
- This will make it easier to exchange data between various tools and platforms without being locked in to a specific vendor. As the STAC community develops, the entire ecosystem will also grow.
Strong support and ongoing investment from Microsoft:
- With the backing of a huge IT company, Microsoft, you can expect long-term development and support. There is also ample documentation and learning resources.

Comparison with other similar platforms

Google Earth Engine (GEE):
- Features: Extremely popular in research and education, it offers a vast open geospatial data catalog and a powerful online analysis environment (JavaScript and Python APIs).
- Differences from Planetary Computer Pro: GEE is strong in geoscience research and environmental analysis using public data, while Planetary Computer Pro focuses on companies managing and analyzing their own private data on Azure for business applications. The Pro version has a full range of security and management features for enterprises.
Amazon SageMaker (geospatial ML functionality):
- Features: AWS is providing features within SageMaker, its machine learning platform, that make it easier to build, train, and deploy machine learning models using geospatial data.
- Differences from Planetary Computer Pro: Its unique feature is that it specializes in geospatial ML within the AWS ecosystem. Planetary Computer Pro is integrated with Azure's broader range of services (storage, databases, data analysis platform Fabric, etc.), and has a strong platform aspect that covers everything from data management to ML and application development.
Esri ArcGIS Platform:
- Features: The de facto standard in the GIS (Geographic Information System) industry, offering a comprehensive range of products from desktop GIS software to servers and online services, with a wealth of advanced spatial analysis and map creation capabilities.
- Differences from Planetary Computer Pro: ArcGIS has strengths in traditional GIS workflows and specialized spatial analysis. Planetary Computer Pro handles large amounts of geospatial data in a scalable manner with a cloud-native approach, and places particular emphasis on collaboration with AI/ML and system integration through APIs for developers. Planetary Computer Pro can also be integrated with Esri products.

The best platform for you will depend on your needs, your existing IT environment, the features you need, and your budget. Planetary Computer Pro is particularlyCompanies that want to proactively utilize Azure, companies that want to safely and scalably manage and analyze their own large amounts of geospatial data in the cloud, and companies that want to create new value by combining AI/ML with geospatial data.This will be a very attractive option for

Risks and Cautions: How to Prepare for Use

Planetary Computer Pro is a very powerful tool, but there are a few things to keep in mind when using it.

Technical complexity and learning curve

Geospatial data, cloud computing (Azure), STAC standard, API integration, AI and machine learning, and other technical elements each require specialized knowledge. For beginners, it may take some time and effort to understand these concepts and be able to use them effectively. Although Microsoft provides extensive documentation and tutorials, you may still be confused at first.

The Importance of Cost Management

The cost of using Planetary Computer Pro is based on Azure's pay-as-you-go system. This means that you only pay for what you use. In particular, if you store large amounts of data or frequently perform large-scale analytical processing, costs may increase unexpectedly. It is essential to always be aware of the type and amount of resources you use, the frequency of processing, etc., and to use Azure's cost management tools to monitor and optimize your budget.

Data Quality and Privacy

The quality of the data that companies bring to Planetary Computer Pro is their responsibility. Analyses based on inaccurate or outdated data will not produce reliable results. It is important to have a solid data collection method, pre-processing and quality control process.

In addition, geospatial data may contain information related to personal privacy or confidential corporate information. When handling such data, it is necessary to properly configure Azure security features and comply with relevant laws and regulations (such as GDPR and the Personal Information Protection Act).

Preview version notes (subject to availability)

Planetary Computer Pro was announced as a public preview at the Microsoft Build event in 2025. Preview services may have limited functionality compared to the official version, and specifications may change in the future. Also, the available Azure regions may be limited. When considering full-scale deployment, it is important to check the latest availability status and service level agreement (SLA).

By understanding these points and using it in a planned manner, you will be able to maximize the potential of Planetary Computer Pro.

Expert opinion and analysis: What do the experts think?

Reviews of Planetary Computer Pro from experts and industry media have been generally encouraging.

IT specialist mediaInfoWorldstates that "Planetary Computer Pro provides the storage, management, and visualization tools that enterprises need to support their own 2D and 3D geospatial data," suggesting that this will be the foundation for enterprises to leverage their data to create tangible business value.

Microsoft itself also emphasizes the importance of this technology. The company's TechCommunity blog introduces it as "Planetary Computer Pro is a new Azure-native service designed specifically to help organizations manage, transform and operationalize geospatial data at enterprise scale," which shows that the company aims to make this not just a data catalog, but a practical platform that is embedded in business processes.

The origin of the Planetary Computer concept was the late Microsoft Technical FellowThe "Fifth Paradigm of Science" proposed by Jim Gray(Scientific discovery through big data and machine learning). This idea is strongly reflected in the efforts of Planetary Computer Pro, which aims to use AI to analyze large amounts of Earth observation data to solve global issues and gain new insights. References to this vision can also be seen in posts by Microsoft officials on LinkedIn.

The fusion of geospatial data and AI has the potential to bring innovation to a wide range of industries, including agriculture, urban planning, environmental protection, energy, and finance. Experts believe that platforms like Planetary Computer Pro will play a key role in accelerating this trend.

In particular, with Azure's powerful infrastructure and AI services as a backbone,"Geospatial insights at enterprise scale"This means going beyond analysis at the individual project level to embed geospatial information into decision-making and business processes across the organization to create ongoing value.

Latest News and Roadmap Highlights: What's Next?

Planetary Computer Pro is a platform that is constantly evolving - keep an eye on the latest developments and what the future holds.

Public Preview Announcement at Build 2025

The biggest news was announced at Microsoft's 2025 developer conference, Build.Planetary Computer Pro public preview announcedThis allows more companies and developers to try out the platform and provide feedback. Throughout the preview period, we will continue to improve and stabilize the platform as we prepare for the official release.

Enhanced data cube support

As a recent update,Support for Data Cubeshas been enhanced. Data cubes are a format for efficiently storing and analyzing geospatial data with multiple dimensions, such as time, latitude, longitude, and even sensor bands (wavelength bands) (NetCDF and HDF5 are representative examples). This makes it easier to handle complex multidimensional data such as climate change analysis and ocean observation data, and to analyze spatiotemporal changes.

Future roadmap (including predictions)

Microsoft will announce the official roadmap from time to time, but based on past trends and technological developments, the following directions are predicted:

Strengthening collaboration with Planetary Computer (public data): Data migration is currently possible, but the Pro version will have enhanced functionality that allows more seamless and direct access to Planetary Computer's vast public data catalog and makes it easier to mash up (combine) your own data.
Further integration of AI/ML capabilities: It is expected that the integration with the latest models and tools of Azure AI will become deeper, making it easier and more advanced to perform pattern recognition, change detection, predictive modeling, and other tasks specific to geospatial data. Natural language queries and analysis instructions may also become possible.
Expanded region support: The public preview may only be available in a limited number of Azure regions, but we expect it to become available in more regions around the world as we approach the official release.
The emergence of industry-specific solutions: Providing templates, analytical tools, and sample datasets tailored to specific industry needs, such as agriculture, energy, urban planning, and finance, can lower the barrier to adoption and enable faster time to value.
Follow and contribute to the evolution of STAC standardsThe STAC specification itself will evolve through the community. Microsoft will continue to follow this trend and contribute actively to keep the platform cutting edge.
Deepening collaboration with Microsoft Fabric: It is expected that integration with integrated data platforms provided by Microsoft Fabric (OneLake, Power BI, etc.) will be further developed, making it easier to combine geospatial data with other business data and build end-to-end data analysis solutions.

Planetary Computer Pro is a platform that tackles the grand theme of the Earth, and its evolution has the potential to have a major impact on our future. Let's keep an eye on the latest information.

FAQ section: Frequently asked questions

Q1: Do I need specialized knowledge to use Planetary Computer Pro?: A1: Having some basic knowledge of cloud computing (especially Azure) and geospatial data will help you use it more smoothly. Programming skills (especially Python) are also useful for performing advanced analysis and system integration using APIs. However, Microsoft provides extensive documentation (Microsoft Learn) and GUI tools such as Explorer, so even beginners can learn step-by-step. It's a good idea to start with a simple tutorial.
Q2: Is Planetary Computer Pro free?: A2: Planetary Computer Pro itself is provided as one of the Azure services, and its use incurs fees according to the Azure resources involved (storage, computing power, data transfer, API calls, etc.). This is a pay-as-you-go system, where you pay only for what you use. On the other hand, the data catalog and some tools of "Planetary Computer", which are made public for research and educational purposes, are available for free to a certain extent. For the specific pricing structure of the Pro version, please check the latest information on the official Azure website.
Q3: What types of geospatial data can be handled?: A3: It can handle a wide variety of geospatial data formats. Typical formats include satellite images (GeoTIFF, Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG), etc.), aerial photographs, images taken by drones, terrain data, meteorological data, LiDAR data, SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data, etc. It also supports data cube formats such as NetCDF and HDF5, allowing it to handle multidimensional scientific data. More importantly, it can handle not only these publicly available standard data, but also any type of geospatial data that companies have collected and possessed, and can be brought in, cataloged, and analyzed.
Q4: What is the difference between Planetary Computer Pro and traditional GIS software?: A4: Traditional GIS (geographic information system) software (e.g. ArcGIS Desktop, QGIS) has developed as a tool for experts to perform detailed spatial analysis and map creation mainly on personal PCs or on-premise (company server) environments. On the other hand, Planetary Computer Pro is a service that specializes in managing, processing and analyzing huge amounts of geospatial data in a scalable manner (flexibly expandable to handle large scale) on the cloud platform Azure, and linking it with AI/ML technology. It can be linked to other systems and applications, and of course traditional GIS software, through APIs. Because it is cloud-native, it can be accessed from anywhere and is suitable for large-scale collaboration.
Q5: What is the biggest advantage of using Planetary Computer Pro?: A5: Geospatial data is essential for solving global issues and innovating businesses.By taking full advantage of Azure's powerful infrastructure, scalability, and cutting-edge AI capabilities, we can provide efficient and advanced services.The key point is that an end-to-end workflow can be built on the cloud, from data discovery to collection, cataloging, management, processing, analysis, visualization, and integration into applications. For companies in particular, it is an extremely powerful platform for safely managing their own confidential data while combining it with open data to gain new insights and develop new services that utilize geospatial information.

Understanding the Earth with AI! Introduction to geospatial data, Planetary Computer Pro, and Azure