New Delhi, Feb. 10 : Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Tuesday inaugurated the `Map World Forum' in Hyderabad.

He noted that the instruments for accessing geo-spatial information have become much simpler.

"It is indeed a privilege for me to inaugurate the Map World Forum today. Let me acknowledge that I was impressed with the vision of the Forum of aiming "beyond speeches and discussions to find practical ways to improve people's lives," Ansari said.

The Vice President opined that the use of technology is only an enabler. The use that technology could be put to is guided by the political, social and economic context of the time.

"Today everyone can access them through freely available services of Google, Microsoft and other companies. The instruments for accessing geospatial information have also become simpler," Ansari said.

But he also cautioned that the technology could have serious implications for the national security.

"The terrorists who attacked Mumbai used global positioning systems and Google Earth maps to identify their targets and the terrain. The only constructive option lies in better regulation of geospatial data and of relevant stake-holders. A fine balance is needed to allow geospatial technologies to flourish without compromising on national security concerns," Ansari said. (ANI)