TopoZone has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the USGS to create Open Source software tools for the USGS National Map project.

North Chelmsford, MA December 8, 2003 -- Maps a la carte, Inc., creators of TopoZone, today announced it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the USGS to support the USGS’ The National Map project. Under the agreement, Maps a la carte will develop, enhance, and document a suite of Open Source software for serving geospatial data over the Internet.

Working with partners, the USGS is building The National Map as a framework for geographic knowledge that will provide current, accurate, and nationally consistent digital data and topographic maps derived from those data to the Nation. The availability of software tools for hosting and serving geospatial data in a flexible, low cost way, without being tied to specific or proprietary formats or vendors, will encourage more state, local and private holders of geospatial data to serve it through The National Map.

"Partnership projects like the one with TopoZone provide excellent opportunities for the USGS to leverage technology to help us ensure that our scientific information can be used easily and reliably," said Barbara Ryan, Associate Director for Geography. "We see the development of Open Source software tools as a step in the right direction for partnering with public and private organizations to provide seamless access to USGS data."

TopoZone has developed a unique, complete library of USGS digital topographic maps (DRG), aerial photographs (DOQQ) and other geospatial data. All data is stored at full uncompressed resolution and served to the TopoZone web site and to partners through the Open GIS Consortium’s Web Mapping Service (OGC WMS) interface. TopoZone will make this 20-Terabyte library of data available to the USGS for testing with other technologies for The National Map.

“TopoZone has always provided the highest-quality digital cartographic data available to Web users. Our expertise in supporting heavy user traffic and large cartographic databases through the use of Open Source tools makes us an ideal partner for the USGS in this project,” commented Ed McNierney, President and Chief Mapmaker of Maps a la carte, Inc. “We’ve always had an excellent cooperative relationship with the USGS and we look forward to extending that relationship to partners in The National Map project.”

TopoZone’s Internet mapping system is built using Open Source tools, including the MapServer system, an Open Source Internet map server originally developed at the University of Minnesota. The MapServer system will be used to serve data to The National Map and will be provided to USGS partners along with complementary software tools and documentation.

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