July 25, 2011 -- Bath & North East Somerset Council has adopted the Getmapping Integrated Solution (GMIS). The solution helps Authorities to save money, extend and improve the use of GIS and mapping across the organisation whilst enhancing data sharing and collaboration. The package also includes an aerial photography update programme on a three year cycle.

The Getmapping Integrated Solution solves many of the problems faced by Local Authorities today by providing a set of complimentary services and facilities under a flexible and affordable revenue model.

GMIS consists of five modules. Firstly a Spatial Data Warehouse, which provides a single, secure repository for the Council’s spatial and non-spatial data that facilitates greater sharing. Secondly, a secure easy-to-use web-based GIS and mapping application, called District Online. This provides access to the complete range of council maps, data layers, NAG addresses and aerial photography to anyone working anywhere for the Council.

Thirdly there’s hosting of heavy-use data including Ordnance Survey maps and aerial photography for the whole of the country. Getmapping manages the servers and takes care of the update process. Locally created data is automatically synced on a daily basis. Next there is Parish Online – a web GIS interface that allows Local Authorities and Parish Councils to share information online. Finally there’s data maintenance, which is included in the subscription price. Getmapping will undertake to re-fly aerial photography for the region on a three year cycle. No more commissioning or procurement, just new imagery on a regular basis. This can be extended to include other datasets such as height data, CIRs and obliques.

“The Getmapping Integrated Solution provides us with a fast, accessible, mapping solution which we have rolled out to over 250 users,” said Martin Laker, GIS Manager for Bath & North East Somerset Council. “Now we have multiple layers of aerial photography, Ordnance Survey mapping, historic mapping, plus all our own layers, available to everyone who needs them, complete with a built in address search. Web data hosting means it’s fast, resilient and available anywhere, even at home, which is a real boon. Together with a spatial data warehouse that keeps us synchronised with the remote host, and a means of keeping our aerial photography up to date, this solution provides us with considerably more for substantially less.”

“Local Authorities undertake complex tasks and deliver a wide range of different services which require accurate and detailed interactions within the organisation and with partners,” said Tristram Cary, Chairman of Getmapping. “Management of information is key to efficient operation and Geographic Information Systems play an important role in this. The Getmapping Integrated Solution has been built with these considerations in mind. It provides a secure locally-managed data store, automated syncing of key data with Getmapping servers and wider access to data and mapping through the District Online web GIS. Together with the built in re-fly programme it provides astonishing value for money and much more,” continued Cary.