opengeo_logo.gifOpenGeo, the geospatial division of The Open Planning Project, builds enterprise-quality web-based geospatial software that enables full information transparency and accessibility. 

The OpenGeo vision is a truly open geospatial web of location-based data that is not only available but truly accessible as a tool to solve problems via analysis and modeling and as a base for future technologies.

OpenGeo builds software and crafts custom solutions, providing flexible, reliable, and secure geospatial applications. 


Overview

Governments have spent huge amounts of money and time attempting to build a top-down infrastructure to share geospatial information, with few instances of success.  Meanwhile Google Earth, Google Maps, and Microsoft's Virtual Earth have brought about an explosion of real-world uses of geospatial data simply by providing powerful, easy-to-use services to consume that data.

OpenGeo seeks to be the lever that unites the top-down efforts of government and the grassroots sharing of geospatial data by providing freely available open source tools that implement all the relevant open standards while also offering compelling commercial geospatial platforms for government bodies.

Governments make use of the OpenGeo stack because the software provides concrete advantages over the competition, but it is all built to enable the infrastructure for transparency by default.  Less open government agencies can of course turn off the default sharing mechanisms, but our products make it effortless to provide accessible geospatial information to the public.

The software itself stands on its own as a compelling alternative to other web-based geospatial software, even those that cost tens of thousands of dollars.  This was completely accomplished by leveraging open source communities to build far more than TOPP ever could alone.

OpenGeo is approaching full financial sustainability by providing consulting services and support contracts for its core offerings.  As revenue comes in, it is reinvested in the software and back to TOPP in general, generating ever-increasing returns on investment as it competes in the market.


Expertise

With the right people, strategy, and technical talent, OpenGeo is leading the way toward a more open, interoperable geospatial web.

OpenGeo's leadership in the field is the result of our skilled 12-person technical team. OpenGeo includes:

  • Chris Holmes has led GeoServer development since 2002. He used a Fulbright in Zambia to assess the potential for Open Source Software to construct Spatial Data Infrastructures, then
    returned to lead TOPP's expanding OpenGeo initiatives. Chris is a board member of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation and a member of the Project Management Committee of GeoTools.
  • Tim Schaub - In his work on the OpenGeo stack, Tim draws on a decade of web development experience and a deep background in geospatial technology. He is a steering committee member and core contributor to the OpenLayers project. Before joining TOPP, Tim spent a number of years developing mapping solutions for conservation organizations in the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest.

Key Technology

GeoServer

GeoServer is used by governments around the world to make their geospatial information more accessible.  MassGIS, the statewide geospatial data agency of Massachusetts has successfully deployed GeoServer to expose all their geospatial data.

  • MassGIS had originally wanted to make their data available to state agencies. With GeoServer, the agency  it all completely available to the public found the software worked so well and they could spend their money on hardware instead of proprietary license fees they made it all completely available to the public. They have also become valuable community members, contributing numerous bug fixes and features to GeoServer.
  • Other prominent government users of GeoServer include Portland's TriMet, the national French Cadastral Map, Landgate and Rijkwaterstaat.

Having made great progress on making all kinds of geospatial data more available on a variety of platforms, GeoServer's next focus is on collaborative mapping – bringing the techniques of open source to the creation and maintenance of geospatial data.  OpenGeo both supports amateur projects to create maps with others and provides bettter GeoServer-based tools for government data-sharing.  In time these two will combine in to workflows all using the same tool set to incorporate citizen feedback directly in to government made spatial information, working together in partnership to make better maps for all, leveraging the expertise and local knowledge of citizens to make government more effective.

 

OpenLayers

OpenLayers is a fully open source web-based mapping client enabling display of information from open, standards-based geospatial information servers overlaid with proprietary APIs like Google Maps.

As GeoServer became popular many users wanted a full solution: a compelling platform for making custom maps. OpenGeo identified the OpenLayers community as a strong investment opportunity:

  • The growing community is producing high-quality software and improving existing features
  • OpenLayers offers a compelling alternatives to Google Maps or Virtual Earth, platforms whose spatial information is closed by default.
OpenGeo now employs two members of the OpenLayers project steering committe. We contribute extensively to its success, sponsoring sprints and giving team members opportunities to work directly on the core code.

OpenGeo's contributions have improved the way that users edit spatial data through the web. By making data editing easy, OpenLayers lowers the barriers to entry for anyone to help improve geospatial information. Combined with GeoWebCache and GeoServer OpenLayers gives governments complete control over how they open their information.

 

Documents and Presentations