#USA #San Francisco #Overture Maps #GERS #Geospatial IDs

Overture Maps Foundation Launches the Global Entity Reference System (GERS)

The Overture Maps Foundation has recently announced the launch of the Global Entity Reference System (GERS), aimed at revolutionizing the way geospatial entities are identified and connected. This innovative system provides a unique identifier for various geospatial features, including buildings, streets, and places, making it easier and more feasible for organizations to incorporate and share data across sectors such as automotive, logistics, and urban planning.

What is GERS?

GERS is a groundbreaking standard developed to enhance data interoperability between different geospatial datasets. By providing unique IDs for every geospatial entity, GERS simplifies the integration of various datasets, offering a more seamless experience for developers and organizations.

Imagine a world where linking disparate data sources does not involve tedious and resource-intensive processes. GERS aims to eliminate the complexities associated with data integration, allowing users to efficiently combine relevant information from different sources.

Key Features of GERS

• - Unique Identifiers: Each entity in GERS is assigned a distinct ID. This includes a staggering 2.6 billion buildings, 64 million places, nearly 447 million addresses, and 321 million road segments, forming a robust foundation for mapping applications.
• - Open Standards: Unlike existing ID systems that are sometimes restricted by proprietary licenses, GERS promotes an open framework. This openness allows organizations to utilize the system without the fear of vendor lock-in, making integration more straightforward.
• - Global Reach: GERS is designed to be universally applicable, facilitating applications that operate globally instead of being confined to specific regions.
• - Entity-centric: The system is designed with an entity-based focus, meaning that the GERS IDs are particularly beneficial for referencing specific features like buildings or road segments, as opposed to vague geographical coordinates.

The Need for GERS

The geospatial industry has seen a dramatic increase in the number of data types available for mapping and analysis. However, the challenge lies in accurately merging these varied datasets. Organizations often face prohibitive costs and complexities when integrating geospatial data, resulting in hesitation to utilize new datasets altogether.

As Jeffrey Hightower from Microsoft noted, “Data conflation is a hidden tax on the data ecosystem.” GERS addresses this challenge by significantly reducing the time and effort involved in onboarding data. According to experts, GERS allows new datasets to augment current systems in a matter of minutes, making the development of richer applications not only feasible but also efficient.

Impact on Innovation

GERS is seen as a major leap in the geospatial industry by enabling developers to easily track changes in data associated with unique IDs, rapidly location entities, and link internal data sources without intensive engineering resources. This shift is expected to accelerate innovation across various industries by freeing up valuable resources and allowing data teams to focus on utilizing data rather than simply managing it.

“The GERS framework allows teams to be more productive, spending less time on onboarding and more time on making informed decisions based on the data at hand,” claims Dan Adams, EVP of Data Enrichment at Precisely.

Conclusion

The introduction of GERS stands to reshape the landscape of geospatial data management significantly. By providing a consistent and easy-to-use framework for integrating diverse datasets, Overture Maps Foundation positions itself at the forefront of the innovative wave sweeping the industry. As the initiative gathers steam, we can expect to see widespread adoption of GERS across various sectors, ultimately driving advancements in how we utilize geographic information.

For more information about GERS and the capabilities it offers, please visit Overture Maps.