Location Codes Launched

I guess post codes are like busses. You wait for a long time then two come along at once.

Yesterday saw the launch of two location codes Loc8 Code and GO Code.

Both seem to work on similar principles; they convert an unwieldy Latitude/Longitude co-ordinate into a more user friendly short code. Using a global co-ordinate system enables them to achieve very high positional accuracy, much greater than an area based code such as a post or ZIP code. This is really useful when the objective is to uniquely identify a location so that it can be physically visited in the real world or virtually visited on a digital map.

Go Code uses the Google Map which is great. Loc8 Code actually uses the OSi MapGenie web service via the ArcGIS Server JavaScript API and the ArcGIS Sever REST end point. This latter approach gets you right down to building level so that you can adjust the precise location before generating your Loc8 Code.

I’m sure that each provider will argue the merits of their own system. What is significant to me is that we now have a system! Not only that but it is commercially sponsored and hasn’t cost the tax payer a cent. And I suspect these guys didn’t spend years at committee stage debating how the system should work. I wish them both well and so should we all, in fact why not generate your own location code now and start using it on your communications. For the record, Esri Ireland Ltd., can be found at;

(Loc8 Code : NQ7-52-S63)

If you click on the code you will see us on the map. Notice OSi have upgraded the MapGenie services. The small to medium scale representations are now much more pleasing then they were at launch and the large scale vector & ortho mash-up is useful as it blends the best of both without having to switch between services. Nice job!