thinkWhere Launches theMapCloud Platform

GIS company thinkWhere has launched a new cloud-based platform for GIS and geographic data called theMapCloud. The platform allows maps, open data and business records to be accessed through any web-connected device. Users can view, retrieve and share maps, geographic data and other open datasets and, as well as providing a platform for GIS and other web applications, theMapCloud can be used for a host of data services and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.

theMapCloud is initially offered with fully managed datasets from publishers such as Ordnance Survey and OpenStreetMap. Designed using the latest technologies, the platform provides flexible, secure, scalable, resilient and high performance solution for serving geographic data and applications.

theMapCloud has been developed for organisations that require better access to, and easier sharing of, geographic datasets. At the moment, digital maps and geographic data are held in a wide range of formats and structures across different stakeholders making it difficult to share the information easily. thinkWhere also offers a range of software applications and services to help organisations successfully migrate to hosted solutions using theMapCloud.

The platform has been developed over the last two years in association with a number of key users in the UK and the USA. It has already been successfully implemented by the Scottish Government to provide access to mapping by around 100 members of the One Scotland Mapping Agreement (OSMA) and other adopters include the British Library, US-based Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and the humanitarian NGO, People In Need.

thinkWhere has also utilised theMapCloud for their own ecommerce data store called mapTrunk, a web service for purchasing OS MasterMap. The company now also provides the data services for their web GIS products, Location Centre and groundMapper, directly from theMapCloud.