United Kingdom Is Latest Nation to Contribute Data to Esri’s Community Maps Program
Redlands, California—October 27, 2011—The Ordnance Survey’s (OS) small- and midscale OS OpenData products have been included in Esri’s World Topographic Map, the crowdsourced map at the foundation of Esri’s Community Maps program. The map service can be accessed from the basemap gallery in ArcGIS Online.
The OS OpenData products incorporated into the World Topographic Map include information on roads, rivers, woodlands, administrative regions, built-up areas, and buildings representing a high level of detail. The added detail from OS OpenData significantly enhances the value and utility of geographic information for anyone working on mapping projects with British geography within the World Topographic Map.
Typically, when geospatial data holders release free data products, the information is only available in vector format that requires setup and processing before it can be used. By processing that raw information and integrating it into a map service in ArcGIS Online, Esri makes the data more accessible and convenient to include in applications and maps.
"I am very pleased Esri has incorporated OS OpenData into its World Topographic Map," commented Peter ter Haar, products director of Ordnance Survey. "OS OpenData allows users to download a wide range of mapping and geographic information for free reuse, and its inclusion will provide new opportunities for people to develop innovative applications and services."
The United Kingdom is the latest European country to contribute data to the World Topographic Map, joining the governments of the Czech Republic, Spain, and the Netherlands.
For more information on how to contribute data to the World Topographic Map, visit esri.com/communitymaps.
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