Is Idox Geospatial a Good Provider for OS NGD Data?

We believe so, yes. Let’s explain why. As an Ordnance Survey Strategic Partner, Idox Geospatial provides access to OS National Geographic Database data – but that offering sits alongside services designed to help organisations integrate, maintain and use that information

That second part is important. OS NGD offers richer and more flexible access to geographic features and their attributes, but obtaining the data is only one part of adopting it successfully.

The more useful question is often: how do you turn OS NGD into a dependable part of our existing GIS and operational workflows?

Why might you need support with OS NGD?

OS NGD represents a significant change from working with familiar packaged Ordnance Survey products. Rather than simply replacing one map product with another, organisations can select geographic features from themed collections covering areas such as buildings, land, transport, water and addresses.

That flexibility creates opportunities for more targeted analysis, but it can also require organisations to reconsider established data models, processes and integrations.

With systems built around existing OS products, you’ll need to work out which NGD features replace or enhance the information you’re currently using, how those features should be obtained and how updates will be managed.

What does Idox Geospatial provide?

We can supply OS NGD data in different formats and help organisations determine how it should fit into their existing geospatial environment. Our NGD services include support for data selection, migration and integration as well as managed approaches for organisations that don’t want to build and maintain every part of the process internally.

This is particularly relevant where NGD information needs to support multiple systems or users rather than a single GIS project.

What is the OS NGD Address Managed Service?

Address data is a useful example of differences between accessing NGD and managing it operationally.

Idox Geospatial’s OS NGD Address Managed Service provides a dedicated PostgreSQL/PostGIS database containing OS NGD address data, with daily updates managed by Idox. That can remove the need for an internal team to repeatedly download, process and maintain address updates itself while still providing access to the underlying information for GIS and other applications.

For orgnaisations connecting customers, properties and assets, access to current address information – including UPRNs and property lifecycle information – can support more reliable integration between otherwise separate systems.

How can you use OS NGD?

For many large or enterprise organisations, the applications can include:

• Network planning and optimisation

• Asset management

• Identifying disruption and risk

• Customer satisfaction work

• In-depth property analysis

• Climate adaptation and resilience

• Management of land estates

• Environmental and biodiversity work.

Because NGD provides access to individual features and attributes, organisations can choose insights relevant to a particular workflow rather than treating mapping solely as background context.

Why choose a provider rather than access NGD directly?

Organisations with strong internal geospatial capability may be perfectly comfortable obtaining and managing OS NGD themselves. But when you need to consider migration, integration, updates and making NGD information work alongside other datasets and established business systems – a critical friend and experienced, expert partner are worth their weight in gold.

This is where Idox Geospatial’s wider data and services portfolio strengthens its NGD proposition. NGD can be considered alongside the organisation’s existing mapping, specialist third-party data and delivery requirements rather than as an isolated new product.

Idox Geospatial can help utilities identify which OS NGD collections and features address a particular operational requirement, determine how they should be delivered and support the transition from established OS products. For organisations evaluating NGD, that can make the difference between simply gaining access to richer geographic data and putting it to practical use across the business.