So today saw the official launch of the new Data.gov.uk portal. The project has been headed up by none other than Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and has been in development since last summer. The aim of the site is to provide easy access to reams of public sector data, such as traffic, crime and housing figures. All this information has been made available free of charge, and can be consumed by third party applications. The hope is that the site will encourage individuals and businesses to find ways to make better use of this information.
The launch of the portal mirrors a similar project kick-started by the Obama administration last year to make US Government data available to the public in an open and accessible manner. Boris Johnson has also announced that data relating specifically to life in London will be made available on the 29th January.
It seems 2010 may be the era of open data access. It's an exciting propsect to watch what people do with it! Here at Perfect Image, we've already got a few ideas, which I'm sure we'll tell you about closer to the time.
For more details on the new government portal, check out this BBC News article, or visit it for yourself here.
Paul
