March 16, 2011 -- Professional surveyors can download the most detailed and up-to-date UK maps directly into their workflows thanks to a breakthrough partnership between emapsite and Leica Geosystems.  

Under the agreement - the first of its kind between a hosted map provider and a major survey manufacturer - OS MasterMap data is instantly available via a tailored download from emapsite to users of Leica surveying instruments.

emapsite provides free access to search and view mapping data, enabling a powerful online site investigation tool that is ideal for understanding project feasibility and assessing site size and access restrictions ahead of a field survey.

This data can then help capture and plan resource considerations more efficiently such as the extent of tree cover or other obstructions that will affect the work, and will allow for more accurate budget planning and responses to tenders.    

OS MasterMap can be downloaded directly on the Leica Viva TPS or GNSS instrument or through Bluetooth or wired connections, meaning survey work can begin in a matter of minutes.    

As well as providing a valuable mapping context for the survey, the web service is a valuable resource to share and advise colleagues of site information and allow staff to better plan for site visits. 

Daniel Slater, Head of Business Development at emapsite, said: “This partnership will help surveyors across the country find fast, accurate answers to all kinds of questions about the sites they are measuring. Not only does it offer the essential mapping context for collecting and storing survey information, our hosted web platform means results from project work can be published and shared online with absolutely no copyright worries. This helps to provide a more efficient working practice and reduce the unknown costs that always tend to eat into project budgets.”  

Lawrence Dixon, Sales Manager at Leica Geosystems, said: “There is a growing demand for hosted mapping solutions in the survey industry. Our new partnership with emapsite will aid the integration of field surveys with existing OS MasterMap data, improving all aspects of the data flow and as a consequence improving efficiencies all round.”

The agreement was announced at the Leica SmartNet annual conference in March 2011, held at Ordnance Survey’s Explorer House head office in Southampton.