MapSherpa: Project Objectives

The primary objective of this project was for the development and launch of a new web mapping hosting service focusing on CGDI based datasets. This would be run as an ASP (Application Service Provider) service allowing clients to easily integrate interactive mapping capability into their web infrastructure. In creating this service, several spin-off technologies and services were anticipated and have been successfully created. These have included:

• Canadian base data cleaned and prepared for use with MapServer (some of this includes styled WMS data sources)
• Web Feature Server support, extending the current OGC compliance in MapServer to WMS and WFS support.
• Flash Mapping Capability
• MapLab, a web tool for managing MapSherpa and MapServer applications

In addition to these technical objectives, another critical goal of this project was to demonstrate the capacity for production-level applications to integrate CGDI data sources through standards-based technologies. Three applications developed through this project - the National Coal Inventory, Trailpaq, and Make-a-Map have showcased this capacity. These demonstrations have given a lot of credibility to the CGDI focus on standards-based development and exposure for DM Solutions Group to many CGDI and other stakeholders.

From a business perspective, another critical goal of this project was to see new business opportunities arise as a result of the technologies and services developed through the course of the project. This in large part has already occurred and is expected to continue in the future. These activities and results are highlighted in the discussions below.