Map sales go online

Land and Property Services has launched an online shop (mapshop.nidirect.gov.uk) through which customers can purchase most of its mapping products.

BT helped to develop the site and LPS continues to use the well-known Ordnance Survey brand. The agency hopes that the shop will particularly useful for solicitors, architects, engineers and surveyors as well as outdoor activity groups and tourists. The map team is tweeting updates @osni_maps

The first Ordnance Survey maps dating from the 1830s have recently been added to the site and other maps will be uploaded over the coming months. Anyone in the world with local ancestry will be available to easily view and purchase maps of their ancestors’ home as it existed almost 200 years ago.

Finance and Personnel Minister Simon Hamilton remarked that the online map shop “is another step towards reforming our public sector and providing innovative, high quality services which utilise modern technology.”

Separately, Hamilton has signed a five-year agreement with Estonia on sharing digital best practice during a visit to the Baltic state in March.

He commented that Estonia is “one of the most advanced digital societies in the world and we have much to learn from their experiences.” Hamilton added that Estonia’s example as a small state with a similar population to Northern Ireland “is a clear illustration that developing excellent e-government can be done and done to a very high standard.”