Ordnance Survey is pleased to announce that it has signed up to corporate supporter membership of the Open Data Institute. It will join organisations such as the Met Office, Arup, Telefonica, Thomson Reuters and the University of Southampton, all leading the way for best practice for open data usage and delivery in their particular industry or field.
Ordnance Survey already publishes a significant amount of open data through its OS OpenData portal and popular OS OpenSpace API. The services provide free, unrestricted access to a range of geographic datasets, including overview mapping of Great Britain, street level mapping, boundary data and 3D terrain data. Through the free API, OS OpenSpace, developers and businesses can quickly and easily add interactive maps onto their websites and mobile applications.
Membership will enable Ordnance Survey to work more closely with others in the growing open data community, enhancing the organisations OS OpenData outreach activity and to work collaboratively with Ordnance Survey’s open innovation challenge initiative, GeoVation, which supports innovative ventures creating social, economic and environmental value in response to real world challenges.
Peter ter Haar, Director of Products and Innovation at Ordnance Survey said: “Ordnance Survey is committed to the open data agenda and we are always looking for ways to improve our OS OpenData portfolio. Since the launch of OS OpenData we have focussed on three main areas; accessibility, ease of use and engagement. This activity has seen the introduction of new SDKs for developers, new datasets being added to the portfolio and continuous funding and support to over 30 ventures through our open innovation programme, GeoVation.
“We understand that geographic data plays an important part in the open data programme and is often the platform to allow other datasets, open or paid, to be visualised. We are pleased to be working with the ODI to make Ordnance Survey open data even more accessible, hopefully opening the door to new users and a new wave of exciting products, services and applications underpinned by geographic data.”
Gavin Starks, ODI Chief Executive Officer said: “In joining the ODI, Ordnance Survey is showing leadership in its sector, recognising the social, economic and environmental potential of open data. More than 70 pioneering member companies have now joined the ODI to deliver new products and services and create value for business, and society”.
Notes to editors
About the ODI: The Open Data Institute catalyses the evolution of open data culture to create economic, environmental, and social value. It unlocks supply, generates demand, creates and disseminates knowledge to address local and global issues. Founded by Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt and Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the ODI is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, Limited by Guarantee company. It has secured £10 million over five years via the UK innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, $750,000 from global philanthropic investor Omidyar Network, and is working towards long-term sustainability through match funding and direct revenue.
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