Text of Norwegian mapping service announcement, in English
Here’s the best shot that Google Translate has come up with in translating the web page at the Norwegian mapping service announcing its forthcoming free map service. There are some important extra points which might be worth noting – such as that it’s going to be for an experimental period of six months in the first instance. (And you’ll have to allow for the fact that it’s not quite been translated into English.)
Free map services [Published: 12.11.09, Updated: 12.11.09]
Now everyone can access the latest maps around the clock. Together with our partners we are releasing through the Norwegian Mapping Authority a number of their map services – by Mapping Manager Anne Cathrine Frøstrup
From 1 December, you can click on the state map sites and get direct access to digital map services – absolutely free.
“We have the best and freshest maps foundation in Norway, and now we share this with everyone. This shows that cartography is visibly for the benefit of society, and is entirely in line with government policy of more openness,” said Hydrographic chief Anne Cathrine Frøstrup.
Map Services released, covering both sea and land, and regularly updated. They should meet the needs of the vast majority of us.
Hoping for creativity: It is free to develop their own functions related to the maps, and in the long run, this can provide a range of new opportunities.
“Be creative and use our maps to develop new exciting additional services,” said Frøstrup.
With the release of the maps she hopes that creativity will flourish. Inventive souls can tie together maps and other map information in new and clever ways.
Availability cookbook: with some computer knowledge, it is possible to use the new map services. On the website of the Norwegian Mapping Authority, you will find a basic cookbook that gives you the recipe for how to integrate the various solutions.
The links to the services will operate from 1 December.
In the first instance we are talking about a test period of six months. The scheme will be constantly evaluated and improved. Works and services so we have planned, will the offer be made permanent. [Not sure how this last sentence should be interpreted.]
- The following posts may be related...(the database guesses):
- Norwegian mapping authority frees up maps (14 November 2009; score: 57.13%)
- Sounds like fun: Society of Cartographers summer school (13 July 2009; score: 26.33%)
- In print: Canada's maps go free - but here's more background: it's not so simple (12 April 2007; score: 25.54%)
- Hospital health mapping project blocked.. yes, Ordnance Survey again, this time vs Department of Health (26 February 2007; score: 24.09%)
- NIMSA is dead: bad news for Ordnance Survey - and free data? (2 November 2006; score: 19.92%)
November 15th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
The last sentence should be something like this in English: “The service will be available for a test period of six months. It will be continually evaluated and enhanced. If the service works as planned, the offer/service will be made permanentely available”.
It is also important to notice that the map data is not available – only the viewing of pre rendered or on-the-fly rendered maps using normal tile caches (with pre-rendered map tiles) or WMS services (with a number of different map types/layers).
The data itself, polygons, wmf services etc are still not available, but hope is that it will be relased free to the public as well.
And for many of us working with commercial web sites: our maps will still use Google’s map service. We hope though that the mapping authority will allow commercial sites to use the maps as well when they realize that this “free” offer is quite limited in use..
A Google translate (pretty ok one) of the techincal docs related to the WMS service: http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=no&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.statkart.no%2F%3Fmodule%3DArticles%3Baction%3DArticle.publicShow%3BID%3D14089&sl=no&tl=en&history_state0=
November 15th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
My last comment was eaten by the spam filter, so if you are admin, please remove this comment and restore the last one. PS: Your contact page is giving a 404…
November 15th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Thanks, Anders. The 404 for the Contact page is for when you’re on a specific link. I need to adjust the code a bit. Thanks for the pointer.
December 6th, 2009 at 10:25 am
UKHO on the line?…
Government puts key UK assets on block
James Ashton
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A CATALOGUE of state assets, including the High Speed 1 rail link and the Dartford river crossing, will be put up for sale tomorrow as the government eyes a £10 billion windfall from its latest privatisation programme.
The Treasury will issue a prospectus of 18 assets it believes can be sold, along with a proposed timetable for disposal. Among the handful it will attempt to sell next year are the Tote bookmaker, some of its 51% stake in National Air Traffic Services, a tranche of the student loans book and the Emergency Planning College.
Strong buyer interest will also fast-track the sales processes of its holding in Urenco, the uranium processor, Ordnance Survey, the Met Office, Land Registry and the UK Hydrographic Office.
In October, Gordon Brown set a target of raising £16 billion from property and asset sales to boost Treasury coffers.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article6945904.ece