Cambridge, UK, 21 December 2004. Laser-Scan announced today that starting in 2005 they will extend their support for all Ordnance Survey Great Britain (OS) customers migrating to OS MasterMap.
In November 2001 Ordnance Survey launched the definitive digital map of Great Britain called OS MasterMap. It is an intelligent digital map designed for use with geographical information systems and databases. It depicts the real–world digitally and presents this comprehensive, advanced information as themes in a series of layers, each layer carrying millions of features. Each feature has its own unique identifier or TOID® – a 16–digit reference number that can be shared with other users across different applications and systems. This allows easy data association and greater accuracy, focusing on real–world objects on the map.
Laser-Scan software tools and solutions were originally used to manage the data quality assurance aspects of the OS LandLine® to OS MasterMap re-engineering exercise. The same topology engine that was used to process the original 440million features is now available in an Oracle spatial environment through Laser-Scan’s Radius Topology product. Additionally, the original topology engine is being used to help build the Integrated Transport Network (ITN) layer for OS MasterMap.
There are over 1000 Ordnance Survey customers who utilize OS LandLine. The business requirements vary greatly from sector to sector. To address these different requirements, Laser-Scan technology has been made available to a variety of GIS vendors and System Integrators, e.g., Autodesk, BT, Exor, Intergraph, MapInfo, PA Consulting and SciSys.
Andy Bray, Customer Migration Programme Manager at Ordnance Survey Great Britain comments,
“Our OS MasterMap migration programme is based on working both with customers and the system supplier partners who provide the tools and applications to them, to productively use our most advanced intelligent digital data. Laser-Scan has entered fully into the spirit of this programme and they themselves are working extensively with their partners to help organisations who have started the migration process as well as helping others to get started. Implementing OS MasterMap requires an element of planning, as well as a good understanding of the product; Laser-Scan is well-positioned to help with both areas."
OS MasterMap is a valuable tool to manage information, aid analysis and speed up decision making. Since more intelligence is in the database, thin web based client tools can be deployed and deployed faster.
Mike Sanderson, Laser-Scan’s Chief Executive Officer says,
“In 2004 we set up an OS MasterMap serving capability facilitating an open OGC WFS & WMS approach on top of an Oracle database. We believe this is the way to use the intelligence in OS MasterMap. In 2005 we intend to move this on through our partnering model to extend the capability to set up and manage rules for the creation and maintenance of unique feature identifiers. We believe this approach will create a Digital National Framework capable of supporting joined-up information. Indeed, a key component in the DNF is lifecycle properties in order to maintain the cross-referential integrity.”
To learn more about Laser-Scan’s capabilities and solutions for OS MasterMap please visit:
For more information please contact Abbie Beckford.
Tel: +44 (0)1223 420414 Fax : +44 (0)1223 420044 Email :
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
About Laser-Scan
Laser-Scan's solutions allow you to increase value through the power of spatial data. Through ensuring spatial data quality they facilitate sustainable interoperability™. The software solutions perform several tasks to achieve data quality: cleaning, structuring, conflating, maintaining and generalising data and they are fully interoperable with solutions from leading GIS vendors.
With over 35 years in the geospatial industry, Laser-Scan has handled billions of features for National Mapping Agencies and other organisations - this has led to the development of market leading database products for geographic information. These database technologies are now available in open standard software environments, such as Oracle.
About Radius Topology TM
Laser-Scan’s Radius Topology is a dynamic topology management layer that was initially delivered on the Oracle9i platform. It acts as a 'gatekeeper', only allowing clean, accurate data into the database. Inconsistent data is automatically corrected, within the bounds of user-defined rules and without any significant disruption to the existing IT workflows. Radius Topology is now also available on Oracle Database 10g as a unique solution for Oracle Locator. It can also be utilized as an application to maintain topology in conjunction with the topology storage mechanism offered through Oracle 10g Spatial.
