KISTERS Water Solutions combined with high-precision satellite-based soil moisture data from VanderSat

February 25, 2019

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omprehensive information service for soil moisture and drought available to the global water sector through unique cooperation.

The first global cloud service for soil moisture and drought data is established as KISTERS, the German provider of IT solutions for water management and hydrology, and VanderSat, the Dutch specialist for earth observation especially water via satellites, have combined their expertise since December 2018. The new service facilitates better protection and optimization of harvests as well as the channeling of water for more efficient irrigation practices or groundwater recharge. Users not only receive general satellite-based soil moisture data, but also practical calculations about their own catchment area including drought indices, plant-available water at root level, and predictions of soil moisture. This information serves as a reliable basis for early, effective decisions and measures against extreme situations such as drought, of which frequency and spread is expected to continue to increase as a result of climate change.

VanderSat’s new satellite-based microwave sensing method is the only area-wide technology for measuring soil moisture affordably and with high precision comparable to air- or ground-based sensors. KISTERS integrates VanderSat’s global soil moisture data into its proven software for analysis, visualization and prediction of water data as well as customizable alarms and transformation into actionable information using sophisticated analytical functions.

 

With VanderSat, we have found a highly specialized partner who complements our water solutions with a valuable element,"

Michael Natschke , Head of Business Development Water KISTERS AG

The new flexible cloud service runs in the security-certified KISTERS data center in Aachen. Software as a service (SaaS) subscriptions cover a specific geographic area for a certain period of time at low costs, and data are delivered via modern web browser interfaces or directly in KISTERS Water Software. KISTERS IT experts take care of software maintenance and updates, especially critical cybersecurity.

Practical, useful soil moisture information for your own catchment area

“With VanderSat, we have found a highly specialized partner who complements our water solutions with a valuable element,” says Michael Natschke, Head of Business Development Water at KISTERS AG. “Our new service reliably presents meaningful information about soil moisture in easy-to-understand graphics and maps, in great detail for small catchment areas. In terms of technology we can rely on our cloud experiences, e.g. with our precipitation service HydroMaster.” Richard de Jeu, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of VanderSat, adds, “With our patented microwave measurement method, we can see through clouds and vegetation to capture very accurate measurement data. We achieve a unique resolution, both spatially with a detail of 100 x 100 meters and temporally. We are happy to make our solutions available to the global water sector together with KISTERS. This partnership brings us one step closer to delivering daily data on 1 billion hectares worldwide by 2020.”

About Kisters

KISTERS is a group of IT companies with 500+ employees, headquarters in Aachen, Germany, and numerous national and international subsidiaries. KISTERS offers leading software solutions for the sustainable management of water, energy and air. Expertise, application and industry experience make KISTERS a much sought-after partner. KISTERS’ Water Solution is a framework for building efficient customer solutions based on modern technology and in-depth understanding of application areas and markets. The tailor-made solutions include, among others, surface and ground water monitoring, meteorology, water quality and urban drainage They are used worldwide by local, regional, national and supra-national authorities, associations, engineering offices and research institutions.

About VanderSat

Satellite observed water data. Globally. Daily. Without cloud obstruction. VanderSat is a fast growing global provider of commercial satellite-derived data products and services. VanderSat develops water, vegetation and temperature related products for different sectors, with a special emphasis on the agri-food industry, insurance, water management and social environmental impact. We empower the world’s leading agricultural, financial and water organizations to build core applications to improve crop yield prediction, insure crops, reduce the use of pesticide, optimize irrigation practices, and to enhance climate resilience of hazard prone societies. VanderSat has been chosen by the European Commission as one of the most innovative companies in the space domain in Europe.

 

Further information:

KISTERS AG

Astrid Beckers

Wetterkreuz 13a

91058 Erlangen

Phone: +49 (0) 9131 480096 39

Fax: +49 (0) 9131 480096 55

Email: astrid.beckers@kisters.de

Web: http://water.kisters.eu/
Further information:

VanderSat

Robbert Mica

Wilhelminastraat 43a

2011 VK Haarlem, The Netherlands

Phone: +31 23 3690093

Email: rmica@vandersat.com

Web: www.vandersat.com

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