FME Paves Way for Innovative Uses of OpenStreetMap

26 March 2009, 5:02pm

Vancouver, BC, March 26, 2009 – Safe Software, the leaders in spatial ETL (extract, transform and load), announced today that they have introduced read support for the OpenStreetMap™ (OSM) format in their latest release, FME® 2009. This new support offers the abilities to manipulate, mash up and share OSM datasets, making it easier for users to work with OpenStreetMap data in creative and innovative ways.

OpenStreetMap is an XML-based format that has been developed as part of an open initiative to create free geographic data, such as street maps, and make them available to anyone. The collaborative effort of over 50,000 registered volunteers has used portable GPS devices and aerial photography to create this worldwide dataset.

With FME's new support for the OpenStreetMap format, users can now bring OSM datasets into their preferred applications and combine OSM data with datasets from other formats. All of this integrated data can even be streamed out in any FME-supported format or made available for users to download in their preferred format.

"Supporting OpenStreetMap is a continuation of our commitment to connecting users with the data they need," says Dale Lutz, Vice President of Development at Safe Software. "We look forward to seeing the innovative ways that OpenStreetMap data will be used."

Safe Software offers desktop and server based solutions for translating, transforming, integrating and distributing data to enable data access across organizations. FME's read support for OSM API 0.5 OpenStreetMap XML data uses OSM-defined conventions for converting data primitives into representations within a schema for any user-selected output format. Users can also define their own schema and conventions for interpreting OpenStreetMap data, making for flexible manipulation and translation of OSM datasets.

Safe Software

OpenStreetMap

Geo: International