Laurent Duval, Robert Royer and Laurent Roger have recently set up in the incubator at Telecom Bretagne (Rennes campus) to structure and develop OpenSkyMap. The company offers the possibility for users to visualize in real-time global air traffic over a GoogleMap.

What the next version of the site Openskymap will look like.

The observation of planes, whether on the ground or in flight, is a hobby for thousands of fans, nicknamed “spotters”. Laurent Duval, an aviation buff, has turned his passion into a business project. His company, OpenSkyMap, joined the school incubator last March. The OpenSkyMap site now offers users the ability to view in real-time, global air traffic on a GoogleMap.
Based initially on a community of volunteer contributors, the team has developed a network of stations that can collect information relative to aircraft. The eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjöll, and its huge cloud of ash in early 2010 confirmed the extraordinary interest shown in this new service: the general public, groups of eager amateurs, airlines, institutional media and agents all turned to the OpenSkyMap Internet website.

A provider of innovative monitoring services and real-time analysis of international air traffic

Laurent Duval and his partners created the company to establish itself as a provider of innovative monitoring services and real-time analysis of international air traffic. The company’s project is already attracting interest from several partners and investors.
Note also that OpenSkyMap won the StartWest 2011 trophy in the “start-up” category. The project is supported by the Emergys regional incubator, and Telecom Bretagne is one of its partner institutions.