What are the best ways for a utility company to share licensed mapping to contractors?

Utility companies can distribute mapping to contractors in several ways. The best approach depends on how many contractors need access, how often the data changes, and how much control the organisation needs over licensed information. Here are five common approaches:

1. Emailing GIS or CAD files
For a one-off project with a trusted contractor, sending an extract directly may be perfectly workable. The problems begin at scale: files can become outdated, requests consume GIS-team time, and keeping track of who holds which data becomes difficult.

2. Shared folders or document platforms
A central folder is more organised than email and gives contractors somewhere consistent to retrieve files. However, the utility still needs to prepare updates, manage permissions and make sure users are accessing the correct version.

3. Giving contractors access to internal GIS
Direct system access can provide contractors with current information, but it may expose more data or functionality than they need. User administration, security and software access can also make this disproportionate for temporary external users.

4. Streaming mapping through web services
WMS, WMTS and WFS services can deliver maintained geospatial data directly into compatible GIS and applications. This reduces file distribution and can keep users connected to a consistent data source. It works particularly well where contractors already have the software and expertise to consume those services.

5. Using a dedicated contractor mapping service
For utilities regularly supplying licensed mapping to multiple contractors, a purpose-built service offers greater control. Access can be managed around individual projects or users, while the organisation retains oversight of the data being made available.

Perhaps the most important consideration, though, is licensing. For occasional sharing, it’s true – an email or a controlled folder may be enough. But as contractor numbers and data requirements increase, the administrative and licensing burden grows with them.

Ordnance Survey and other commercial datasets cannot simply be treated like unrestricted company files. Utilities need to make sure contractors receive mapping under the appropriate licensing arrangements and that access is managed accordingly.

Idox Geospatial's Spatial Share is designed for that more complex environment, helping utilities distribute licensed spatial data to external teams through a managed process rather than turning every contractor requirement into another manual GIS request.

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