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I commented on the announcement of the JISC/OS deal to Alicia Wise, who suggested I put my comments on the jisc-forum mail list. I have also mailed this to GEOGNET and gis-uk as well Steve Wise Sheffield > > > I'm glad to see the announcement of the JISC/OS deal, but I think it is unfortunate that > > > the emphasis is so much on the data. I think the thing which will > > > really sell this to institutions is the idea of online access to maps > > > - the only people interested in the data will be a few geographers > > > and the like, and if institutions think this is the main purpose of > > > this deal, they will look to individual departments to fund it. If it > > > is clear that any researcher, with only the most minimal IT skills > > > can draw a medium scale map of anywhere in GB from their computer, > > > then institutions are more likely to see it as a general resource to > > > sit alongside BIDS, census data etc etc. > > > > > > I know from discussions at the GISRUK meeting in Southampton that a lot of people feel the > > > same way (including staff from from EDINA) > > > > > > This is not meant as a criticism - I hope this deal succeeds so that > > > we can negotiate a better one with OS, but I am convinced it will > > > only do so if the mapping side of it is emphasised in all publicity. > > > > > > Cheers > > > > > > Steve > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 14:47:48 +0100 () > > > > Priority: NORMAL > > > > Subject: Ordnance Survey Data for Higher Education > > > > From: Alicia Wise <[log in to unmask]> > > > > To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], > > > > JIBS All <[log in to unmask]>, > > > > JISC-Announce <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask], > > > > [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], > > > > [log in to unmask] > > > > Reply-to: Alicia Wise <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > *apologies for cross-posting* > > > > > > > > ALL MAPPED OUT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION > > > > > > > > A major agreement has been reached for the provision of digital map > > > > data products of Britain for use in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) > > > > in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. > > > > > > > > The agreement is between Ordnance Survey, Britain's national mapping > > > > agency, and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), acting > > > > for the Higher Education Funding Bodies for each country. > > > > > > > > The data will be supplied for teaching, educational research and academic > > > > research purposes by students and lecturers in up to 172 subscribing HEIs. > > > > > > > > "This agreement is excellent for both Ordnance Survey and Higher > > > > Education," says Jim Page, Data Products Portfolio Manager of Ordnance > > > > Survey. "It will enable staff and students to use actual Ordnance Survey > > > > map data in their teaching, studies and research projects, thereby building > > > > awareness and confidence in its application. We are investing in Britain's > > > > future for our future." > > > > > > > > JISC negotiator Dave Cook is equally pleased. "Through this agreement > > > > we are securing access to definitive map data of Britain for the benefit of > > > > the higher education community as a whole. This data will join a range of > > > > other core databases which form an essential resource for university > > > > students and lecturers." > > > > > > > > He adds: "JISC are investing significantly in ensuring that the data will be > > > > supplied on-line efficiently, securely and in a user-friendly way, drawing > > > > on the experience and technical capabilities of the Edinburgh University > > > > Data Library. It is important that we can cater for the full range of map > > > > data manipulation capabilities within universities and the Data Library > > > > has a proven track record in this field". > > > > > > > > The Ordnance Survey data covered by the agreement have been selected > > > > following extensive consultation within the higher education community. > > > > They are: > > > > > > > > . Land-Line - large scale comprehensive data depicting man-made and > > > > natural features ranging from houses and factories, roads and rivers, to > > > > marshland and administrative boundaries. The agreement provides for > > > > 30% of national coverage - the equivalent of around 70,000 > > > > highly-detailed maps. > > > > > > > > . Meridian - a medium scale dataset containing a comprehensive road > > > > network, main passenger railways and open stations, county district and > > > > unitary authority boundaries, developed land use areas and place names. > > > > The agreement provides for full national coverage. > > > > > > > > . Strategi - a small scale dataset containing road and rail networks, water > > > > features, cities, towns and other settlements, woods and land use and > > > > geographic names. The agreement provides for full national coverage. > > > > > > > > . Land-Form PANORAMA - contours and terrain model data at 1: 50,000 > > > > scale. The agreement provides for full national coverage. > > > > > > > > . 1:50 000 Place Names Gazetteer - all 258,000 names and their national > > > > grid references that appear on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale Landranger > > > > mapping. > > > > > > > > JISC subscription fees for the service will range from stlg1,750 per annum > > > > for small institutions to stlg4,750 per annum for large institutions. > > > > > > > > Access to these data, and to facilities for online mapping, will be provided > > > > by EDINA, the JISC National Data Centre based at Edinburgh University > > > > Data Library, under contract to the JISC. EDINA will be responsible for > > > > the management, support, security and distribution of the Ordnance > > > > Survey data to Higher Education Institutions that subscribe to the scheme. > > > > Additional support will be provided by MIDAS, another JISC National > > > > Data Centre based at Manchester Computing. > > > > > > > > Peter Burnhill, Director of EDINA, comments: "This is a wonderful > > > > opportunity and challenge for EDINA. We will bring to bear experience > > > > already gained on the Digimap project, a JISC funded eLib trial working > > > > in collaboration with Ordnance Survey, which has been looking at the > > > > provision of mapping services to six university library test sites." > > > > > > > > The service will be introduced in two stages: an initial service from January > > > > 2000, and the full range of facilities from September 2000, in time for the > > > > start of the academic year. HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS > > > > WANTING TO REGISTER INTEREST IN THE SERVICE SHOULD EMAIL > > > > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > END > > > > > > > > Notes for Editors: > > > > > > > > 1. Ordnance Survey is Britain's national mapping agency, producing, > > > > maintaining and marketing a wide range of maps and digital map data for > > > > business, leisure, educational and administrative use. Visit our web site > > > > at www.ordsvy.gov.uk for more information about our products and services. > > > > > > > > 2. The Joint Information System Committee (JISC) acts on behalf of the > > > > Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland and Wales and > > > > the Department of Education Northern Ireland. It enables access to > > > > digital information and datasets for the higher education community as a > > > > whole, as well as providing and managing the network infrastructure linking > > > > all higher education institutions. More information about the work of the > > > > JISC is available at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/. > > > > > > > > 3. Ordnance Survey, the OS symbol, Land-Line, Strategi and Landranger > > > > are registered trade marks, and Meridian and Land-Form PANORAMA > > > > are trade marks of Ordnance Survey. > > > > > > > > 4. EDINA provides staff and students in UK higher education with online > > > > access to specialist datasets. Visit the web site at edina.ed.ac.uk for further > > > > information on these services; look at digimap.ed.ac.uk for further information > > > > about the development of the Digimap project. > > > > > > > > 5. For more information please contact: > > > > > > > > Digimap Team / EDINA Phone: 0131 650 3302; Fax: 0131 650 3308, E Mail - [log in to unmask] > > > > Alicia Wise, JISC Collections Manager Phone: 0171 848 2556 > > > > Philip Round, Ordnance Survey Senior Press Officer Phone: 01703 792635 > > > > Paula Good, Ordnance Survey Press Officer > > > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > Alicia L. Wise [log in to unmask] > > > > Collections Manager > > > > Joint Information Systems Committee > > > > Information Services & Systems > > > > King's College London Tel: (0171) 848 2556 > > > > Strand Fax: (0171) 848 1777 > > > > London WC2R 2LS Mobile: (0411) 376 256 > > > > UK > > > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------- > > > Steve Wise > > > Department of Geography and > > > Sheffield Centre for Geographic > > > Information and Analysis > > > University of Sheffield email: [log in to unmask] > > > Sheffield S10 2TN Tel: 0114 222 7940 (direct) > > > UK Fax: 0114 279 7912 > > > Personal home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~g/staff/smw/smw.html > > > SCGISA home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scgisa > > > --------------------------------------------------------- > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > > > Alicia L. Wise [log in to unmask] > > Collections Manager > > Joint Information Systems Committee > > Information Services & Systems > > King's College London Tel: (0171) 848 2556 > > Strand Fax: (0171) 848 1777 > > London WC2R 2LS Mobile: (0411) 376 256 > > UK > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------- > Steve Wise > Department of Geography and > Sheffield Centre for Geographic > Information and Analysis > University of Sheffield email: [log in to unmask] > Sheffield S10 2TN Tel: 0114 222 7940 (direct) > UK Fax: 0114 279 7912 > Personal home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~g/staff/smw/smw.html > SCGISA home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scgisa > --------------------------------------------------------- > --------------------------------------------------------- Steve Wise Department of Geography and Sheffield Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis University of Sheffield email: [log in to unmask] Sheffield S10 2TN Tel: 0114 222 7940 (direct) UK Fax: 0114 279 7912 Personal home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~g/staff/smw/smw.html SCGISA home page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scgisa --------------------------------------------------------- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%