12 September 2007

Innovation takes centre stage at annual industry showcase

Some of the most innovative and creative uses of Ordnance Survey location information will be on display at the AGI 2007 conference and exhibition this September.

The Association for Geographic Information’s (AGI) conference and show case exhibition in Stratford-upon-Avon is being held on the 19 and 20 September under the theme of "Building a GeoCommunity".

Ordnance Survey, as the national mapping agency of Great Britain and a platinum sponsor of the event, will be there to highlight the very best uses of its geographic information (GI) over the past 12 months.

Speakers from Ordnance Survey will be running a number of workshops, discussing the latest developments in spatial addressing and debating the challenges of using local GI on a global stage.

Ordnance Survey’s Director General and Chief Executive, Vanessa Lawrence, will be addressing delegates on how GI is increasingly vital in today’s society in her keynote speech entitled, “GI is saving the world”.

More and more organisations and businesses are taking advantage of Ordnance Survey’s wide range of intelligent digital products for an increasingly wide array of applications.

At this year’s event Simon Hume of Daventry District Council will be presenting on how the council has used OS MasterMap to help it plan environmental services. Their innovative use of GI has helped speed up refuse collection, reduce road congestion and fuel emissions, and save thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money.

Richard Wilson of South Birmingham City Primary Care Trust will be demonstrating how Ordnance Survey data has helped it improve health services for local people and reduce inequalities.

Richard says, "Trying to ascertain who is living in an area and then working out their needs is a real practical difficulty. By using Ordnance Survey data we can strengthen the targeting of properties to encourage patient registration and improve the uptake of health services."

Craig Moulding from Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council will be presenting on the management of GI with OS MasterMap at the core while Andy Elliott from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council will be highlighting how GI helps the council improve transport services for local schoolchildren.

"There has been real growth in the use of mapping and geographical data across both the public and private sectors over the past year," says Vanessa Lawrence.

"The public sector take-up is delivering joined-up services, improving service efficiencies and helping modernise government at national, regional and local levels," she continues.

"Tremendous growth has been seen in the private sector too, particularly in the utilities, insurance, transport, wireless mobile and land and property sectors."

For more information on AGI 2007 visit www.agi2007.com

Note to editors

AGI is a registered trademark of the Association for Geographic Information.                                                                                                                                                                                               

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Head of Corporate Communications - Rob Andrews

Email: rob.andrews@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2265

Senior Communications & PR Officer - Paul Beauchamp

Email: paul.beauchamp@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2568

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