WiscMap is an online mapping application that draws upon geospatial data from distributed online sources and integrates them into a single view. The application is similiar to ESRI's ArcIMS, but is built with open source technology. It allows for the previewing of Web Mapping Services(WMS) found in the WiscLinc geospatial data catalog.

Interactivity was also the guiding principle behind our WiscMap design. Conventional web maps can be cumbersome to use, because a new map image must be generated every time a user pans the map or changes the map layers that are being displayed. In order to support continuous panning and real-time layer management, we designed a system for caching and reusing map images. The first time a set of map tiles are requested at a particular scale and extent, they are generated on-the-fly by MapServer. The tiles are then stored for later use, so subsequent requests are handled almost instantaneously. WiscMap incorporates other design features to improve interactivity, including on-the-fly layer handling, a drag-box zooming tool and navigation history.