The past, present and future of digital mapping

Maps are more widely used today than at any point in history and we all carry an incredibly detailed map of our planet in our pockets. But are we really using this amazing capability to improve our lives? Maps have seemingly become mainstream but, argues Google's Ed Parsons, their very nature is changing to reflect the more complex environments in which we live everyday life. The map of the future may not in fact be a map!

Ed Parsons is the Geospatial Technologist of Google, with responsibility for evangelising Google’s mission to organise the world’s information using geography. In this role he maintains links with Governments, Universities, Research and Standards Organisations which are involved in the development of Geospatial Technology. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Open Geospatial Consortium and was co-chair of the W3C/OGC Spatial Data on the Web Working Group. Ed was the first Chief Technology Officer in the 200-year-old history of Ordnance Survey, and was instrumental in moving the focus of the organisation from mapping to Geographical Information.

Details