"Wouldn't it be nice if we could get G5 and G14s sorted? (The ODPM priority outcomes to you and me) There must be an easy way to get our maps and services online quickly and cost effectively, so our citizens can gain access. Lots of other councils seem to have done it. We have all the data, the maps in fact everything . it can't be rocket science."

Yes, you are probably right but the missing ingredient is a software solution that combines the power of GIS with a council's data to provide citizen centric web mapping and direct access to your services online. That solution is iShareMaps developed by Astun Technology. Working in partnership we already have double figure implementations that could be right up your street.

South Tyneside Council

Ranked as the top 20 SOCITM website, South Tyneside Council had specific requirements to ensure that their important ranking would not be affected by any means. South Tyneside needed to provide access to their Unitary Development Plans (UDP) in order to keep the citizens informed and up to date with everything that might have an impact on their lives.

South Tyneside Council looked to Aligned Assets' iShareMaps. Built using web services, iShareMaps can easily integrate with South Tyneside's existing website, as well as applications such as those used in call centres, one stop shops or other internal systems to provide new levels of service to the citizen. By simply reconfiguring one of the maps they now have an online solution that links directly to the relevant chapters of their Unitary Development Plans. The intuitive user interface of iShareMaps uses simple maps to reveal the breadth and depth of council information and services. The software meets the requirements put forward by South Tyneside by allowing citizens access to information on the Internet from the convenience of their own home.

Halton Borough Council

When Halton Borough Council were putting together their requirements for their website, they identified the need for a 'My Property 'page similar to the award winning Amber Valley website. Luckily for them, iShareMaps includes 'My House' which was developed especially for the Local Authority market. It allows a citizen to conveniently put their house on a map and perform searches to find out more about the services available nearest to that location. This can include everything that a Council wishes to publish information about:

This can include anything a council wishes to publish as public information, such as:

• Road works & Traffic Information
• Leisure and Daycare centres
• Police Stations, Hospitals and GP practices
• Schools and their relevant catchments
• Home and commercial Recycling points
• Voting wards & Parish boundaries

The functionality provided by iSharemaps enabled the citizen to accurately report the location of an abandoned car or a street light which is in need of repair. iShareMaps allows various maps to link directly to existing online forms so that the information is passed through a Council 's normal work load. Tight integration like this makes it easy for both the citizen and the Authority to maintain accurate and improved communication between one another.

North Lincolnshire Council

Continuously looking for way to improve, North Lincolnshire Council decided they needed to provide online Self Assessment maps as part of their Parsol (Planning & Regulatory Services Online) requirements. Previously, North Lincolnshire was working with SoftwareAG for their Parsol requirement. However, it was not providing them with the results they wanted.

North Lincolnshire adopted iShareMaps to further improve their previously implemented SoftwareAG. For North Lincolnshire, iShareMaps worked seamlessly with their SoftwareAG solution during implementation. iShareMaps allowed integration between multiple maps and allowed users to assess various components of their maps.