• Increased Scale and Customer Diversification Positions Company for Future Growth
• Delivers More than $1.5 Billion in Primarily Capital-Related Synergy Savings
• Provides U.S. Government with Compelling Solution in Budget-Constrained Environment
• Complementary Capabilities Deliver Increased Value and More Complete Geospatial Solutions to All Customers
• Enhanced Financial Strength Delivers Benefits to All Stakeholders

LONGMONT, CO and HERNDON, VA, July 23, 2012 – DigitalGlobe, Inc. (NYSE: DGI) and GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY), today announced that the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement under which the companies will combine in a stock and cash transaction valued at approximately $900 million. The combination of DigitalGlobe and GeoEye will create a global leader in earth imagery and geospatial analysis with a more diversified revenue base, a superior financial foundation and significant growth potential.

“The combination of DigitalGlobe and GeoEye creates a global leader in earth imagery and geospatial analysis,” said Mr. Tarr. “Together we will create a more efficient, more diversified and more capable company, better positioned to thrive in a time of unprecedented pressure on our nation’s defense budget. Once the merger is complete, we will emerge as an industry-leading, geospatial information business that does even more to help our customers better understand our changing planet. In so doing, we will further enable our customers to save time, save money and save lives.”

Mr. Tarr continued, “Bringing together the world-class talent and experience of team members from both companies, we will inspire a new wave of innovation and create value for shareowners who have invested their capital in the promise of our industry.”

“We are excited to be joining forces with DigitalGlobe as we believe this transaction represents the best path forward for our shareowners, our customers, and ultimately, the taxpayer,” said Matt O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer and President of GeoEye. “With an impressive constellation of commercial earth imaging satellites and complementary services, the combined company will be well positioned to achieve efficient growth, expand our international reach and create value for all stakeholders. Given the stock component, our shareowners will have the opportunity to participate in the significant growth and value creation potential. I look forward to working closely with the management teams of both companies to support this transaction and establish the foundation for what will be a dynamic and enduring company.”

Benefits of the Transaction

Increased Scale and Customer Diversification

The combined company will conservatively have a pro forma 2012 revenue base of more than $600 million, after adjusting for the currently proposed lower U.S. government fiscal year 2013 EnhancedView funding plan. As a result, the combined company would therefore have better revenue certainty, lower dependence on the U.S. government as a source of revenue, a higher percentage of commercial and international revenue, and be well positioned for future growth.

Substantial Synergy

At close, the combined company is expected to have a constellation of five earth observation satellites and a broad suite of high-value geospatial production and analytic services. The combined company will also have two state-of-the-art satellites under construction, WorldView-3 and GeoEye-2. Over time, the combined company plans to maintain an optimized three-satellite constellation that will meet the needs of the U.S. government, international governments and commercial customers, while delivering better returns to shareowners. Taken together with other operating efficiencies, the net present value of future savings is estimated to be more than $1.5 billion.

Value for All Customers

The combination will deliver extraordinary value to customers around the globe. By bringing together the imagery collection, processing and analytic capabilities of both companies, it will be better able to serve a wide range of customer needs and compete in a high-growth and dynamic global market.

• Larger constellation with optimized orbits and coordinated scheduling will collect imagery faster, increase persistence and enhance resilience.
• Integrated delivery will simplify access to the industry’s largest imagery archive.
• Diverse sensors, including panchromatic, multi-spectral, 8-band and short wave infrared, with high resolution capability will enable customers to solve a wide range of problems.
• Extensive archive and collection capacity combined with value added production and advanced analytics will enable new solutions and insights into our changing planet.

You can read the entire, unedited press release here.