Bring all your workloads to the edge with AKS Edge Essentials. Now Generally Available!
Announcing the General Availability (GA) of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Edge Essentials! AKS Edge Essentials has been developed as a managed Kubernetes for the operational edge on small-footprint devices to orchestrated workloads and drive business optimization.Introducing Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro — Now in Public Preview
Today, we’re excited to announce the public preview of Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro — a turnkey platform that makes it dramatically easier for organizations to harness geospatial data for real-world impact. Planetary Computer Pro is built on the trusted foundation of Microsoft Planetary Computer, which offers access to over 120 distinct geospatial datasets totaling over 50PB in volume. Planetary Computer Pro is a new Azure-native service purpose-built to help organizations manage, transform, and operationalize geospatial data at enterprise scale. Geospatial data and insights are critical for solving high-impact problems across industries, from climate risk assessment and regulatory compliance to supply chain optimization and precision agriculture. Yet, traditional geospatial tooling is complex and fragmented, limiting access to a small group of geospatial specialists. Planetary Computer Pro bridges that gap — making geospatial data cloud-native, AI-ready, and accessible to data scientists, developers, and business analysts alike. We built Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro to make geospatial data a first-class citizen in modern data stacks — standardized, scalable, and seamlessly integrated with the tools enterprises already use. Geospatial Data Management, Reimagined Planetary Computer Pro is a fully managed geospatial data platform designed to ingest, catalog, store, process, and disseminate large volumes of private geospatial data in Azure. Planetary Computer Pro makes it possible to: Empower your entire organization with secure, governed access to geospatial data Accelerate time-to-insights with built-in ingestion, transformation, and visualization pipelines Standardize and optimize your datasets for cloud-native analytics, machine learning and AI modeling Unify geospatial and enterprise systems under shared security, identity, and governance Key Capabilities in Public Preview You can deploy, manage, and monitor Planetary Computer Pro resources through Azure Portal, CLI, or SDKs, just like any other Azure-native resource provider. Capability Description Cloud Optimization Auto-convert raw geospatial assets into cloud-optimized formats with built-in ingestion pipeline for AI/ML and big data analytics Data Interoperability Organize multiple datasets into SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) open specification, allowing for robust spatial/temporal queryability and interoperability Managed Storage & APIs Fully managed storage and interact with data using intuitive REST APIs (API Reference Guide) Rich Visualization Explore and analyze large datasets in a web-based Data Explorer, including tiling and mosaic rendering for raster data and data cube formats (Supported Data Types) Scalability & Security Built on zone-redundant storage, governed by Microsoft Entra ID and Azure RBAC Use Cases Across Industries Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro supports a broad spectrum of scenarios across sectors such as: Energy & Utilities: Power grid optimization, site monitoring, methane detection Agriculture: Precision farming, pest & disease prediction Supply Chain: Risk-aware routing, climate-resilient sourcing Finance & Insurance: Underwriting, claims validation, exposure modeling Government: Emergency response, environmental monitoring, land use compliance Defense & Intelligence: ISR, threat detection, terrain analysis Sustainability Teams: Deforestation mapping, EUDR compliance, biodiversity tracking Get Started with Public Preview The public preview of Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro is available now in select Azure regions including East US, North Central US, and West Europe. To get started: Visit Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro Review our documentation Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro | Microsoft Learn Contact us at MPCPro@microsoft.com What’s Next? We’re actively working on: Platform Integration: Expanded integration with Microsoft Fabric Direct access to Microsoft Planetary Computer Commercial satellite imagery access via Azure Marketplace AI and Automation: Automated raster data workflow environment Copilot and agent-assisted insights generation Platform Enhancement: Additional geospatial data type support New region availability and government cloud support
