How to Reduce GIS Storage Costs by 70% Without Deleting Data
- Anvita Shrivastava
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The GIS departments are faced with mounting pressure all the time due to the exponential increase in the amount of geospatial data. There is a lot of analytic value associated with the availability of high-resolution imagery, LiDAR point clouds, and raster datasets; however, these files generate large amounts of backlog and fees for backups and transfers due to their huge size.
Fortunately, it is possible to decrease GIS storage costs dramatically without having to delete, downgrade quality, or harm the integrity of the data. When the right strategy is used, many organizations have been able to reduce their storage by 70% while maintaining the original integrity, accuracy, and usability of the data.
In this article, we will explain proven methods to decrease GIS storage costs, as well as highlight the role of LizardTech's MrSID technology in achieving reduced GIS storage costs.
Why GIS Storage Costs Keep Rising
Modern GIS workflows produce huge data files, such as...
High-resolution drone, aerial and satellite images,
Orthophotos and mosaics,
LiDAR-derived raster products,
Multispectral and temporal datasets.
These datasets are often:
stored in uncompressed or minimally compressed file formats,
replicated across different environments (production, backup, cloud, archive),
frequently transferred from different teams and between systems.
This leads to skyrocketing infrastructure costs and decreased performance.
The Key to Cutting Storage Without Deleting Data: Smarter Compression
The fastest and safest way to reduce GIS storage costs is advanced geospatial compression—specifically compression designed for large raster datasets.
Generic file compression tools were not built for GIS. They often deliver limited savings and require full file decompression before use.
Geospatially optimized compression, on the other hand, is designed to:
Preserve spatial accuracy
Support direct access and streaming
Integrate with existing GIS tools
Scale to terabytes or petabytes of data
This is where MrSIDÂ stands out.
What Is MrSID?
LizardTech designed MrSID (Multiresolution Seamless Image Database), a geospatial image format, to handle vast amounts of raster data.
MrSID has the following features:
High compression ratios (usually 10:1 to 20:1 or greater).
Visually or mathematically lossless storage options.
Quick, targeted access to just the pixels needed.
Multi-resolution pyramids within one file.
Instead of having multiple images at different resolutions, MrSID keeps one optimized image and stores everything efficiently.
How MrSID Reduces GIS Storage Costs by Up to 70%
Reduction of File Sizes by 60-90%
Depending on the compression settings and the type of data, raster images can be reduced from 60% to almost 90% when they are converted to MrSID format. Organizations that convert their data will see an average of 70% decrease in file size.
When file sizes are smaller, it means that you will have lower:
Storage costs for on-premises.
Fees for cloud storage.
Backup and disaster-recovery time.
Elimination of Duplicate Datasets
With MrSID's support for multiple resolutions within a single file, there is no longer a need for organizations to maintain:
Full-resolution aerial images.
A set of downsampled images for their web maps.
Separate pyramid or cache files.
A single MrSID file will take the place of several redundant files.
Faster Data Access and Streaming
Through MrSID, GIS applications are able to stream only the portion of an image that is needed at the resolution requested by the user.
Therefore, organisations will have:
Reduced amount of data that needs to be sent across networks.
Improved speed of map rendering.
Reduced bandwidth usage in cloud and web environments.
When less data is transferred, operating costs will decline accordingly.
Efficiency of Long-Term Archiving
In most cases, organisations will have to keep imagery forever; therefore, the cost associated with storing this data will add up over time.
The MrSID format is an ideal solution for organisations that need;
Long-term archives of imagery.
A means to remain compliant with regulations regarding electronic storage of data.
Historical datasets that need to remain accessible.
All pixels are stored, however, they can be stored much more efficiently.
Integrating MrSID Into Existing GIS Workflows
The geospatial ecosystem has a lot of support for MrSID:
Desktop GIS Solutions
Web Mapping Platforms
Image Servers/Cloud Workflows
Using LizardTech Tools, You Can:
Batch Convert Large Image Libraries
Automate Compression Workflows
Maintain Metadata and Spatial Reference Systems
You Don't Need to Completely Overhaul Your Workflow.
Real‑World Results
Companies using MrSID have consistently experienced:
Reduction in the amount of raster storage used of 60% - 70%
Improved speed of map services and images delivery
Reduced cloud egress rates and backup costs
Reduced complexity of data management
All without removing data or losing image quality.
Deleting data won’t help you if GIS storage expenses are rising much quicker than you have allocated. The smarter solution here is better storage solutions.
This means you can use MrSID compression to reduce your overall storage requirements and increase your ability to store vast amounts of data at the same time, therefore ensuring your GIS infrastructure lasts into the future—without destroying your investment in any of these important datasets.
For more information or any questions regarding the LizardTech suite of products, please don't hesitate to contact us at:
Email: info@geowgs84.com
USA (HQ): (720) 702–4849
(A GeoWGS84 Corp Company)