For the first time, residents and members of the general public can interact with maps of the area, clicking specific areas of each map to zoom in on areas of interest. In this way, site visitors can find addresses, intersections, and key facilities and learn more about local businesses and tourist attractions. The mapping capabilities are powered by Orion Technology's OnPoint product.

Two years ago, County of Wellington and Township of Centre Wellington began to craft their vision for providing their spatial data to the public in an accessible, easy-to-use manner. In 2002, a new strategic direction for information technology was developed, which included enhancing the County and Township's GIS capabilities. However, as with many small Ontario municipalities, the County and Township lacked the funding to implement a proper, robust web-GIS solution.

Fortunately, the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources came to the rescue with its GeoSmart program, a funding program focused on helping Ontario municipalities improve their level of GIS-based services. The County of Wellington and the Township of Centre Wellington applied for GeoSmart funding, and, on the strength of the clearly defined long-term IT strategy, qualified for a grant of over $300,000. Combined with other private and public contributions, the County and Township had just over $600,000 for new GIS initiatives.

Once properly funded, the County and Township turned to Orion for help in architecting the web-GIS solution. Using OnPoint, County and Township GIS staff built their web portals and defined specific features and search capabilities. They used OnPoint's administrative and design features to integrate the look and feel of the mapping component with that of the rest of their respective web sites. They also implemented an internal version of the Web GIS service for staff use, helping the staff to access data more quickly, which in turn is resulting in improved service levels for the public.

Shafik Jiwani, Chief Operating Officer at Orion, says, "County of Wellington and Township of Centre Wellington's circumstances reflected those of many municipalities in Ontario—they had a wealth of valuable spatial information available, and they knew how they wanted to make it accessible, but they just lacked the means. Orion's tools have been the perfect fit for helping them realize their goals."

In coming months, Township of Centre Wellington will draw on its GeoSmart grant to continue to implement its GIS vision, plugging Orion's OnSite and InstaMAP products into its OnPoint architecture. The OnSite extension to the web portal will allow prospective investors and members of the business community to evaluate demographics, zoning and other geographical considerations for economic development opportunities. InstaMAP will allow the GIS staff to create cartographic-quality maps that can be viewed, printed, and saved from within a web browser.
 
Thanks to the GeoSmart program, the County of Wellington and the Township of Centre Wellington are now moving forward with their long-term GIS technological goals. And Orion's web-based GIS products are integrally tied to realizing that vision.

About Orion Technology Inc.

Orion Technology Inc. is a technology consulting and technology services integration company, focused on helping organizations integrate spatial technology into all facets of their business. Since its inception in 1998, Orion has been dedicated to creating leading edge IT and GIS solutions. A relative newcomer to the market, Orion have achieved phenomenal success in securing and delivering projects for reputable clients worldwide—from small organizations to entire countries. To find out more about Orion and its products, visit www.orion-gis.com.