New interactive Singapore map to be available soon

Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times 19 Aug 09;

FANS of the outdoors will be able to find campsites, walking trails and barbecue pits on a new interactive map being developed here - and immediately book them if they are available too.

The Singapore Land Authority's (SLA) new intelligent map service, expected to be up in the next few months, as well as a $27 million investment to improve the accuracy and distribution of the geospatial data being collected by the Government, were both announced yesterday.

The SG-Space (Singapore Geospatial Collaborative Environment), project will be developed over the next five years and eventually offer authorised users all kinds of geographical information, from real-time traffic conditions and the location of underground utility pipes to places of interest.

Geospatial information has become a part of our daily lives, said Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee at the Map Asia conference yesterday.

'In the morning before leaving for work, some of us check our mobile phones for the day's weather forecast. We listen to the radio for traffic updates to ensure a smooth journey to the office. At noon, some use Google Earth to locate a restaurant that they want to patronise. And in the evening, we navigate to a popular nightspot using our on-board car navigation system,' said Associate Professor Ho, the guest of honour at the event.

While more than two dozen government agencies, from the Singapore Land Authority to the Housing and Development Board, collect and use geospatial data, not all of this data is in the same format, scale or digital quality.

Thus the need for 'a coordinated effort to better govern the collection, storage, dissemination and use of geospatial information across all government agencies', added Prof Ho.

This will give users accurate and inter-operable data, all easily accessible using a Web browser and with all kinds of sorting and analytical tools for the user to find exactly what he wants, said SLA chief executive Vincent Hoong.

Currently, such information is not integrated and users may have to go to different agencies to call up multiple blueprints, maps or services.

Because of the sensitivity of some of the data collected, access will be limited to government agencies to start with, with the less sensitive areas being made available to businesses and consumers over time.

This will allow commercial entities to develop more applications and grow the geospatial industry here, providing more jobs for those with skills in this area, said Mr Hoong.

The three-day event at the Suntec Convention Centre, the first time the eight-year-old event has been held in Singapore, attracted about 800 participants and exhibitors from about 30 countries.

SG-Space to be a one-stop data exchange platform
Today Online 19 Aug 09;

A SUPER-ACCURATE interactive map of Singapore is in the making, thanks to the Government earmarking $27 million - to be spent over five years - to build the infrastructure and develop the collaborative environment for the sharing of national spatial or geographic data.

A crucial component of SG-Space - the national spatial data infrastructure - is the setting up of a one-stop data exchange platform for geospatial information for government agencies. It has been spearheaded by Singapore Land Authority and the Infocomm Development Authority since last April.

SG-Space (Singapore Geospatial Collaborative Environment) will give users access to all kinds of geographical information, from weather forecasts to the movement of soil to illegal dumping.

In a survey of 65 government agencies - which will be the first authorised users - 83 per cent said they rely on spatial data within the Government to support or enhance their operations.

Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Ho Peng Kee, who announced the initiative at the first Map Asia conference yesterday, said it will not only benefit inter-government activities but ultimately extend to the private sector, and to the individual.

It will be a launch pad for all public agencies to build their own geospatial services using a common and consistent map, as well as the gateway for the private sector to mesh content from various sources with their own collection of geospatial information. For individuals, the map could be used for day-to-day social activities, such as guiding friends to a dinner location.

The three-day Map Asia Conference saw about 800 local and international delegates from 28 countries meet over location-based solutions for land planning, climate change, disaster management, transportation, e-city and utilities. 938LIVE