London's First DataStore Super Database Opened

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, is all set to roll out London's open data project along with US Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and NASA CIO Linda Cureton via live satellite link at the Consumer Electronic Show happening at Las Vegas.

The open data project, announced by the UK government, focuses on making London's public data freely available over the internet via the London Datastore Website, which will consist of around 200 sets of information.  

The Datastore, which will become fully-functional from January 29th, is expected to help software developers in making applications based on the life in UK's capital apart from public and private sector entrepreneurs who require public data on a daily basis.

Johnson said in a statement that "The superb new London 'Datastore' will unleash valuable facts and figures that been languishing for far too long in the deepest recesses of City Hall."

The London Datastore will make information about planning decisions, crime rates, abandoned vehicles, road accidents, house prices along with several other metrics freely available for anyone who wishes to access them. 

Interestingly, UK government’s decision to make public data freely available over the internet follows a similar project, data.gov, which was launched by the US government recently.