Digitalglobe names Russia’s Sovzond the exclusive distributor for its Quickbird satellite imagery in the countries that comprise the Commonwealth of Independent States, Digitalglobe announced June 27.

“The market share for satellite imagery is increasing quite rapidly in these territories,” Vladimir Mikhaylow, Sovzond’s CEO and director said in a statement. “This is largely a result of the economy showing strong signs of growth and many federal programs with good budgeting getting underway. It is an ideal time to tighten our alliance with companies of Digitalglobe’s caliber to deliver high-quality imagery to this market.”