Google provide a map service on their website which lets you customise and save your own maps. They also (rather kindly) provide a service for web developers which allows you to build your own customisable maps and add them to your own website. There are obvious applications for presenting any geographical content - anything from a simple business premises location to a complex developing news story.

I have been working closely with Puffbox (a web consultancy) to develop map applications for major clients. Sky News used our map to show details of the flooding in England during the summer of 2007 as well as part of their Crime Uncovered initiative. We were particularly proud that our map helped bring about the arrest of a murder suspect at large. Who said web development wasn’t interesting?