Maps4Finland prize winner uses National Land Survey map data

This year, the open data competition Apps4Finland awarded a special prize for spatial data, Maps4Finland, to AccelBit Oy for its map browser application Karttaselain. The winners were announced at the Apps4Finland Gala on 22 November 2011.

The National Land Survey's map data and aerial photographs were used by the winner of the Maps4Finland prize, Karttaselain, and the winner of the visualisation category, the animated Helsinki Public Transport Visualized.

Thanks to the competition, new application developers have discovered NLS data sets. New faces were also seen at GISexpo, arranged by the NLS on 1 and 2 November 2011, and where new participants in the Maps4Finland competition using spatial data were presented," explains Antti Kosonen, Director of the NLS Information Services Centre.

Open the Terrain Database?

During the competition, application developers had access to the interface services of the NLS topographic data, although the data sets cannot yet be used freely and free of charge.

"We used the competition to gather experiences for a possible opening of our data sets. The NLS has suggested to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry that right of use fees for topographic data should no longer be charged from May 2012," Antti Kosonen explains why competitors were given access to the data.

Application developers may already sign a trial agreement with the NLS, allowing them to test our interface services and granting access to basic, topographic and general maps, as well as orthophotos.

More information

Director Antti Kosonen, 040 522 5812, antti.kosonen[at]nls.fi