[mapserver-users] Base map data for WMS

[Reinoud Bokhorst]

Dear list,

Until now I have been using the public Demis, Metacarta, Google Maps services as base map providers 
in my WMS clients. Since our company creates commercial services, I don't want to be dependent any 
longer on those because:
- availability is never guaranteed
- can not use those off-line
- license restrictions a la Google Maps prohibits use for closed services

So I am keen to start hosting our own base map WMS server containing a good resolution world map to 
start with. Later local maps for smaller areas can be added. The world map should be something like 
Demis with layers coastlines, borders, bathymetry, topography, place names, inland waters, main 
roads and place names.

I could buy a WMS server including world map data, e.g. Demis or ArcIMS but I don't really want 
that. We already use GeoServer and MapServer and would rather add world map data. So I could:
1. buy world map data
2. create world map myself by assembling freely available data (gshhs, etopo, vmap, srtm, ...).

I am afraid (2) will cost a lot of time. Regarding (1) I already found world data for sale from DM 
Solutions and ThinkGeo, are there others? Which is better?

There is surprisingly little information on the net about this issue, I guess most people are either 
using public services or using commercial packages.

My question is a general one: I wondered if anybody has encountered the same problem and what 
solution has been chosen, what data sources when creating a map yourself, other commercial data, 
what data is better than other, etc. All comments welcome!

Reinoud Bokhorst