ArcGIS for Microsoft Planetary Computer is a new offering from Esri that brings hundreds of ready-to-use analysis tools from ArcGIS to the Microsoft Planetary Computer so users can observe and monitor the planet.

Explore commonly asked questions about this new offering. Be sure to bookmark this page as we will continue to update with additional recurring questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Esri licenses do I need in order to use ArcGIS for Microsoft Planetary Computer?

This product follows a Bring-Your-Own-License model. You will need ArcGIS Pro and the ArcGIS Image Analyst extension to access the full extent of this offering (advanced image analysis, deep learning, feature extraction, time series analysis, radar analysis, and more). Other optional extensions such as ArcGIS Spatial Analyst and ArcGIS 3D Analyst may be helpful depending on your desired workflow.

What do you get with ArcGIS for Microsoft Planetary Computer?

ArcGIS for Microsoft Planetary Computer provides direct access to the  Microsoft Planetary Computer data catalog within the ArcGIS Pro interface so you can immediately start analyzing petabytes worth of data. You will also receive proprietary tools for querying by space, time, and cloud cover. Note: these tools are currently available for Landsat, Sentinel, and NAIP with more available shortly.

How do you get started?

The data and the offering reside on Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure, so you need an Azure subscription. Based on your organization’s IT and legal policies, it is possible you may need to consult your IT department to set up an Azure account. However, if your organization does not have any policies related to this, you can follow the instructions on the Azure Get Started page. Once you have an Azure account, please reference our Getting Started guide.

Do you offer any bundles for ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Image Analyst?

As of now, we are operating on a Bring-Your-Own-License model where you would need to purchase ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Image Analyst.

How do users get more workflows and updates?

Workflows and tools specific to Microsoft Planetary Computer will be made available from within the instance.