Listed below are add-ons, extensions and standalone GIS products that can be used to access the Iowa Geographic Map Server imagery.

Connect to the Iowa Geographic Map Server using the WMS connection in ESRI ArcMap 9.x. Select the Add Data icon, then Add WMS Server, enter http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/cgi-bin/server.cgi?wmtver=1.0& in the URL box, and then OK.

The OGC Interoperability Add-on delivers support for WMS, WFS, and GML to the ArcGIS Desktop 8.3 and 9.x products (ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo). Provides a connection to the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server through ArcGIS. Free download from ESRI. Enter http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/cgi-bin/server.cgi in the WMS add-on in ArcMap to access the imagery available on this website.

Web Map Server Client for ArcView 3.x by Refractions Research, Inc. The ARC3WMS client is an ArcView 3 extension (.AVX) that provides access to data sets stored on a Web Map Server (WMS). WMS is an internet mapping protocol published by the OpenGIS Consortium. WMS servers publish map images to remote clients using standard internet technologies. There are WMS servers for LandSat data, USGS DOQ photos, bathymetry, and many other data types. The current beta release of ARC3WMS is free to download and use.

ArcExplorer 4.0.1 users can now access the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server using the Interoperability Extension for ArcExplorer - Java Edition. The Interoperability Extension for ArcExplorer-Java Edition 4.0.1 includes support for Web Map Service (WMS) 1.0.0, 1.1.0, and 1.1.1 and Web Feature Service (WFS) 1.0.0. Once installed, you can connect to the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server using these steps: open ArcExplorer 4.0.1 and select Interoperability > Connect to WMS > enter http://cairo.gis.iastate.edu/server.cgi? (leave the service name box empty). Use local data such as county boundaries (in UTM Zone 15 NAD83) for reference, and select one of the listed image themes.

Download MITOrtho Extension for ArcView GIS 3.x.(6Mb) The MITOrtho extension allows users to download digital imagery from any Web Map Service-compliant server (including the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server) directly into the mapping window of ArcView GIS 3.x. Once installed you can connect to the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server using these steps: Open ArcView 3.x, select File > Extensions, select WMT MITOrtho extension. Select the "S" icon and select "other"; enter http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/cgi-bin/server.cgi?, choose an available image layer, then file type and UTM NAD83 projection. Use locally-stored themes as a reference, and select the "globe" icon to download an image. As you pan or zoom, select the globe icon to refresh the map.