Save $400 on Google Earth Pro

I’ve always found that geographic information can be particularly helpful to communicate location information quickly and easily. I first started using mapping technology in the 90s to prepare carrier submissions, as well as client and prospect proposals.

The quality of geographic visualization tools has improved substantially over the years. One such tool that many insurance agencies utilize is Google Earth. Google Earth Pro is the professional version with several important additional features that make it very powerful.

 

When I first wrote about Google Earth Pro in a TechTips in May 2012, it cost $400 a year. I have discovered that Google recently made this premium version of Google Earth available for free. If you like to make 3D measurements or create HD videos of virtual trips around the world, I suggest you jump on this opportunity. You can download the software key directly from Google.

Here is a Google Earth Pro article describing how to sign up and obtain a free license key.

Following are some features of Earth Pro that just might help set your agency apart:

Advanced measuring tools

Quickly and easily measure and stylize complex polygons. You can quickly estimate the area and perimeter of a piece of property. Afterward, you can stylize the polygon so it is easily seen on a map. You can also add height to the polygon that you’ve drawn on the property to simulate the height of the building.

Save premium imagery

Save premium images of the maps you create in Earth Pro for inclusion in your submissions and proposals. For example, you can save the aerial image of the client’s specific locations and include it on the page describing the coverage for that property.

Bulk data import

Import and stylize CSV files (with address or lat/long data), GIS shape files, or GPS data to include in the maps you create. You can export property location information from your system and then import and plot it on a map for a particular client or all clients in the agency.

U.S. premium data layers

Take advantage of the robust U.S. Demographic, Parcel and Traffic Count data layers that are part of Earth Pro. Fly to the location of your client’s project, use the parcel data layer to find the parcel number, and then use the parcel number to find specific property information. You can also add the geographic file information (in KML format) of local fire department locations so you can tell how far the property is from the closest fire department.

Movie Maker

Quickly and easily create high-definition movies. You could create a visual tour of the client property locations countrywide to use as part of your proposal. Video can be very powerful.

Have you used Google Earth Pro successfully in your agency? Let me know the details of how you used it.