The opening ceremony of the electronic map for the official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was held on November 23. The E-map service was jointly established by Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), SBSM, and Beijing Municipal Government. It is the first time for an Olympic Games official website to use electronic applications of geographic information system in multi-languages for the Olympic Games. Lu Xinshe, Vice Minister of Ministry of Land and Resources, Director General of SBSM, made remarks at the ceremony that the opening of the system was a great achievement of surveying and mapping in the development and application of information resources, and it was a new starting point for SBSM to serve Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Beijing’s economic and social development.

As the host city of 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing declared the objective in information services in its Beijing Olympic Action Plan that by 2008, information services will be inexpensive, rich in content, free of language barrier personalized, and available for anyone, at anytime and anywhere. This will not only contribute greatly to the success of an excellent Olympic Games, but also display to the world the level and achievements of China's information technology.

With the support of satellite images and GIS technology, the E-map services provide over 52 categories of geographic information such as competition venues, licensed retail stores, tourist attractions, hotels, health and medical communities, and academies. The E-map has been officially examined and approved. It provides fast and visualized information for travelers and Olympic athletes and will contribute to the basis of an excellent Olympic Games.

Min Yiren, Deputy Director General of SBSM took part in the opening ceremony. Presented in the ceremony were also leaders from BOCOG, SBSM and Beijing Municipal Government.