diff --git a/Code/Common/otbUtils.cxx b/Code/Common/otbUtils.cxx
index 4af006907b965d2b0d24286d387c1178cc621445..1beb2b1acd82c7c3f940eee1de4672d753220b4d 100644
--- a/Code/Common/otbUtils.cxx
+++ b/Code/Common/otbUtils.cxx
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@
 =========================================================================*/
 
 #include "otbUtils.h"
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace otb
 {
 
-bool Utils::IsLonLatValid(double lon, double lat)
+namespace Utils
+{
+
+bool IsLonLatValid(double lon, double lat)
 {
   if (lon < -180.0) return false;
   if (lon > 180.0) return false;
@@ -31,3 +35,5 @@ bool Utils::IsLonLatValid(double lon, double lat)
 }
 
 }
+
+}
diff --git a/Code/Common/otbUtils.h b/Code/Common/otbUtils.h
index 6ab435e7a3ed52689d0525d6a57113605122ec27..dd0b5b8c1007a6933ac13ba4cde3c5e393413205 100644
--- a/Code/Common/otbUtils.h
+++ b/Code/Common/otbUtils.h
@@ -29,14 +29,20 @@ namespace otb
  * Some usefull utilities in use across the library
  *
  */
-class ITK_EXPORT Utils
+namespace Utils
 {
-public:
-
   /** Check that the values for lon, lat are reasonable */
-  static bool IsLonLatValid(double lon, double lat);
+  bool IsLonLatValid(double lon, double lat);
+
+  template <class T>
+    inline std::string ConvertToString (const T& v)
+  {
+    std::stringstream s;
+    s << v;
+    return s.str();
+  }
 
-};
+}
 
 } // namespace otb