specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: SkyWatch
providerId: skywatch
created: '2026-07-04'
modified: '2026-07-04'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Satellite Imagery
- Earth Observation
- EarthCache
- Geospatial
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of EarthCache spend. EarthCache cost is driven almost entirely by
  imagery ordered, metered per square kilometre and priced by resolution tier and
  by ordering mode (archive vs. tasking), subject to per-tier purchase minimums.
  Pipelines let teams pre-set spend controls (budget_per_km2 and max_cost) so
  recurring monitoring stays within budget. EarthCache Enterprise converts this
  into an annual license with prepaid data credits and organization-wide usage
  analytics. There is no per-request API fee; the unit of cost is area of imagery
  delivered.
notes: >-
  Per-km2 rates and minimums are drawn from SkyWatch's public pricing pages and
  are not reconciled here. The primary optimization levers are AOI size (mind the
  per-tier minimums), resolution tier, archive vs. tasking, cloud-cover and
  coverage filters, and per-pipeline budget/max_cost caps.
sources:
- https://skywatch.com/earthcache/pricing/
- https://skywatch.com/data-pricing/
- https://api-docs.earthcache.com/
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: SkyWatch
serviceCategory: Geospatial and Earth Observation Data
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: EarthCache
  ServiceCategory: Geospatial and Earth Observation Data
  ProviderName: SkyWatch
  PublisherName: SkyWatch
  InvoiceIssuerName: SkyWatch
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: archive_area
  description: Square kilometres of archive imagery ordered, priced per km2 by resolution tier.
  unit: km2
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - pipeline
  - resolution
- name: tasking_area
  description: Square kilometres of new (tasked) imagery captured, priced per km2 by resolution tier.
  unit: km2
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - pipeline
  - resolution
- name: interval_deliveries
  description: Imagery deliveries produced by pipeline intervals, each carrying an interval cost.
  unit: deliveries
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - pipeline
- name: prepaid_credits
  description: Data credits consumed under an EarthCache Enterprise annual license.
  unit: credits
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track km2 ordered by pipeline, resolution, and archive-vs-tasking mode; review interval costs and probability of collection before committing tasking orders.
- name: Allocation
  description: Name and tag pipelines per project/team so imagery spend maps to internal cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size the AOI to the per-tier purchase minimum, choose the lowest sufficient resolution, prefer archive over tasking when timeliness allows, apply cloud-cover and coverage filters, and cap spend with budget_per_km2 and max_cost.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner per pipeline and review monthly km2 spend against Enterprise credits or pay-as-you-go budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com