OGC Newsletter - September 2002
CONTENTS
Presidents MessageNews From the Noordwijk MeetingOGC/GITA Emerging Technology Summit Series: Location Based Services (LBS)What`s New on the OGC WebsiteOGC Interoperability InititativesMember CornerNew MembersOGC In The NewsEventsContactSubscribe/UnsubscribeBack issues of OGC News are available.
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PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
A Milestone Beyond
The introduction of the personal computer spreadsheet was a key milestone in the history of information technology. The spreadsheet made financial planning and many kinds of "number crunching" easy for both the average person and the expert. For a wide variety of activities, the spreadsheet leverages our diverse skills and knowledge by doing our repetitive arithmetic for us. It saves time. For a limitless variety of problems, it frees us from the little data problems so we can devote more time to solving the "real" problem before us. It neatly packages a set of relationships for review by others. The spreadsheet makes our thinking about "the numbers" more fluid and it facilitates communication.
OGC Web Services mark a similar milestone. We are at the transition point where spatial information begins to be smoothly integrated into virtually any information environment. As vendors and integrators begin building with spatial objects and as the number of connectable spatial data sources and spatial services on the Web grows, spatial relationships become easier to see, use and communicate. OWS enables development of services that automatically extract spatial information from spatial data. Currently, analysis of spatial problems is slowed and conditioned by "data impedencies," i.e., tedious transformations between coordinate reference systems, scales, raster and vector files, etc. Automation enabled by standardization enables us to get past the repetitive data manipulations so we can model situations more directly, bringing a fresher, more holistic perspective to the problem at hand. The Web can now provide real-time integration of spatial data into problem solving. This is important because, for many different kinds of problems, the way you think about a problem is different when you have spatial/temporal information at your fingertips. Indeed, primitive spatial/temporal reasoning is deeply embedded in our minds. Basic location services are widely anticipated, but who can predict what will evolve as the layers of geodata become denser and powerful geoprocessing becomes more available to people who, as children, learned to work with a "god's eye" view in their video adventure games? University groups (including several in OGC) are doing interesting research in spatial reasoning, which may shed light on where we can go with this, which will help us think about where we ought to try to go.
Which is the more important milestone? I believe that in less than five years, far more people will be using the Spatial Web than will be using spreadsheets.
David Schell, President, OGC
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NEWS FROM THE NOORDWIJK MEETING
The TC and PC meetings in the Netherlands sponsored by Shell International Exploration and Production were held the week of September 9th. There were over 20 quality technology papers and activity updates presented, numerous motions discussed and passed, major work accomplished on GML 3, and three new public OGC specifications adopted. The key motions and activities were:
Version 1.0 of the OpenGIS® Web Feature Service Interface Specification was approved for public release
Version 1.0 of the OpenGIS Filter Specification was approved for public release.
Version 1.0 the OpenGIS Style Layer Descriptor Specification was approved for public release.
Version 2.1.2 of GML was approved for public release.
The Gazetteer Interface Specification Draft Paper (OGC 02-076r3) has been released as a public OpenGIS Discussion Paper. This is a profile of the WFS and addresses a number of issues in terms of harmonization with related ISO documents as well as European requirements for a Gazetteer interface.
The Unit of Measure Specification Paper (02-007r4) has been issued as an OpenGIS Recommendation Paper.
The Web Coordinate Transformation Service draft specification (02-061) has been released as an OpenGIS Discussion Paper.
The Architecture SIG voted to use the term Catalog as the over-arching term for both the OGC Catalog and OGC Web Services registry work.
In addition to the numerous SIG and Working Group meetings, there were special sessions to address specific activities in Europe. These sessions covered the status of GETIS, INSPIRE, and related European Commission activities. The Europe SIG met and recommended the formation of a Europe GovSIG to provide a forum for the discussion of European government requirements for interoperability. The Planning Committee approved the motion.
Another topic presented was the OpenGIS Reference Model (ORM). The ORM provides an architectural framework 1.) describing and documenting the OGC technical baseline and 2.) outlining future vision and work activities. The ORM will be a major topic for discussion during the meetings in December.
Carl Reed, Director, Specifications Program
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OGC/GITA EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT SERIES: LOCATION BASED SERVICES (LBS)
OGC and GITA are joining forces to present the first seminar in the Emerging Technology Summit Series. The summit is aimed at helping attendees understand how LBS can improve an organization's ability to provide timely service, respond to change, and deal with emergency situations. LBS' ability to provide instantaneous position information, and rapid integration of this position with your operational data, is a key value point for nearly every business. Speakers include invited guests from some of the top LBS companies, Open Location Services (OpenLS) participants and OGC staff.
http://www.gita.org/events/ets/LBS/lbs.html
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WHAT`S NEW ON THE OGC WEBSITE
- Implementation Specifications:
http://www.opengeospatial.org/specs/implementation.htm
Geography Markup Language (GML) version 2.1.2
Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) version 1.0
Web Feature Service (WFS) version 1.0
Filter Encoding version 1.0
- Discussion Papers:
http://www.opengeospatial.org/specs/discussion.htm
Web Map Context Documents
Web Coordinate Transformation Service
Gazetteer Service Specification
- Recommendation Papers:
http://www.opengeospatial.org/specs/recommendations.htm
Units of Measure Use and Definition Recommendations
The following product was added to the list of implementing products
http://www.opengeospatial.org/cgi-bin/implement.pl
- New Implementing Products
CARIS CORPORATION
http://www.caris.com
CARIS Spatial Fusion 3.0
Specification: WMS 1.0.0, 1.1.0
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OGC INTEROPERABILITY INITITATIVES
- Open Location Services (OLS-1.1):
OpenLS has been underway since the Fall of 2001 and is successfully culminating this Fall with two major roll-out events.
The first is scheduled for October 24-25 in Reston, Virginia at the Sheraton Reston. This event is the first of an "Emerging Technology Summit Series" from OGC and GITA. See details above.
The second event is scheduled for November 18 in Nice France at the Nice Acropolis. This event is organized by IIR (www.iir-conferences.com) as a pre-conference briefing for the GIS In Telecoms conference entitled "OpenLS Initiative Forum Meeting". The GIS In Telecoms conference is being held this year in conjunction with Location Based Services and TETRA 2002. For more information and/or to register, please see www.iir-conferences.com/gis.
- The Conformance & Interoperability Testing & Evaluation (CITE):
The Conformance & Interoperability Testing & Evaluation (CITE) Initiative RFQ was released on August 27th. Proposals are due on October 4th. Details and clarifications are available at http://ip.opengeospatial.org/cite/. As customers in the geospatial industry prepare to modernize their systems based on OGC Web Services, they will require proof of products' conformance to OpenGIS Specifications in order to achieve interoperability. Validating conformance to an OpenGIS Specification means verifying that a software product has implemented the specification correctly. Validation involves testing the software interface for response and behavior outlined in the specification. The Conformance and Interoperability Test and Evaluation (CITE) Initiative will give customers and vendors a methodology and tools that will test conformance to OGC Web Services specifications and determine whether products that conform are interoperable with one another.
- The Geospatial One-Stop - Transportation Pilot (GOS-TP):
The Geospatial One-Stop - Transportation Pilot (GOS-TP) Initiative RFQ will be released in the near future. OGC is supporting the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB)/FGDC sponsored Modeling Advisory Teams (MATs) for Transportation, and will be engaging OGC members in an initiative to generate a capability to build application schemas in GML using the MAT produced data standards and UML. These application schemas can then be used with WFS to help deal with the differences between community data models.
Communities typically do not use the same data standard and data models when creating and managing data themes such as transportation. Communities whose application schemas are in GML will be able to map their geodata to a common schema wherever possible, in an automated fashion, enabling them to use each other's data. OGC is providing modeling support to the Model Advisory Teams in their efforts to generate Road, Air, Rail, and Transit Transportation UML. In the pilot, OGC will engage a team of its technology provider members in developing the UML to GML tool and also engage them in verifying that the GML schema with WFS is truly effective with real world data provided by local authorities participating in the pilot.
- Open Location Services Phase 1 (OLS-1):
OWS-1.2 is shifting focus away from pure specification development to testing prototypical software exercising the specifications developed or enhanced thus far. These Technology Integration Experiments (TIEs) will be carried out through the month of October including the first interoperability testing with live Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAVs).
Critical Infrastructure Protection Initiative 2 (CIPI-2)
A Request for Quotation regarding a U.S. Census Bureau sponsored CIPI-2 pilot was released on 27 September (details are available at http://ip.opengeospatial.org/cipi2/). The CIPI-2 initiative will produce two prototype systems. The first will be an online system to perform web-based update of governmental unit boundary information for existing incorporated places. The second an OGC conformant server solution for Topology Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER®) data. This prototype will be a first step in moving away from what is now a manual process. This standards based server solution will also allow Census data to be used with data and services associate with other government organizations. Industry responses to the CIPI-2 RFQ are due to OGC by 17 October 2002.
For more information on OGC's Interoperability Program, please contact Jeff Harrison at jharrison [at] opengeospatial.org.
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MEMBER CORNER
The association between PCI Geomatics and the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) has been a productive one, and indeed longer than most. PCI Geomatics was the first paying member of OGC. Over the years, we have taken our involvement quite seriously because we recognized immediately how our participation allowed us to gain by giving.
PCI Geomatics has significantly benefited from exposure to present and future geomatics customer requirements and the vision of OGC. PCI Geomatics is providing the benefits of interoperability to our customers with products that more easily interact with other software components.
Our involvement on the Technical and Planning Committees of the OGC and in the Open Web Services initiative has provided value to the OGC community, as well as to the development of our technology. Our industry leading format support initiatives and our next generation of WebServer technology are important examples.
Thanks to OGC and its members, the interoperability challenges we face head-on today are being turned into real opportunities for the future that will benefit the entire geomatics market place.
Ian Suttie
Chief Operating Officer
PCI Geomatics
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NEW MEMBERS
The Open GIS Consortium welcomes our members who've joined us since August 2002:
Defense Information Systems Agency
http://www.disa.mil/
Technical
Environment & Heritage
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/
Associate
Hansa Luftbild Consulting International GmbH
http://www.hansaluftbild.de
Technical
Niagara College
http://niagarac.on.ca
University
Seoul National University, School of Civil, Urban & Geosystems Engineering
http://www.snu.ac.kr/engsnu/
University
Texas A&M University
http://www.tamu.edu
University
University of Waterloo
http://www.uwaterloo.ca/
University
Wuhan University
http://www.whut.edu.cn/english/
University
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OGC IN THE NEWS
- OGC in the Press
Defence Research & Development
Canada (DRDC) - Valcartier, an agency operating within the Canadian
Ministry of National Defence (DND), has selected JMap from KHEOPS
Technologies as a mapping server. Support of SVG and the OpenGIS Web
Map Server specification were factors in the choice.
http://www.kheops-tech.com/english/html/press_releases.html
Sep 24, 2002
IONIC
Software Chosen by Hutchison 3G as Location Services Partner IONIC
Software will deliver standards based software such as Web Feature
Server (WFS), using GML and Web Map Server (WMS), as well as the Ionic
Portrayal Engine and other professional services to Hutchinson3g as a
component of its location-based services offerings.
http://www.ionicsoft.com/channels/pressroom/pressreleases/h3g.htm
http://www.hutchison3g.com/news/h3gnews/pressnewsview.omp?collcid=1019745742912&cid=1032281675791&index=1
Sep 18, 2002
OGC Interoperability Standards Underpin New International Grant Program Unveiled by Intergraph
http://www.intergraph.com/gis/newsroom/press02/ingrgrtprg_rlsf.asp
Sep 16, 2002
Cadcorp GIS Software Now Certified Conformant for Grid Coverages
http://nt1.directionsmag.com/pressreleases.asp?PressID=5492
Sep 6, 2002
CITE Creates an Interoperability "Seal of Approval"
http://www.geoplace.com/gw/2002/0208/0208ogc.asp
Jeff Harrison, GEOWorld, Aug 2002
- OGC Press Releases
OGC Approves Major Specifications for GeoSpatial Web Services
http://www.opengeospatial.org/press/?page=pressrelease&year=0&prid=112
Sep 27, 2002
http://www.opengeospatial.org/press/?page=pressrelease&year=0&prid=111
Sep 24, 2002 >
OGC Seeks Interested Parties for Air Transportation Modeling http://www.opengeospatial.org/press/?page=pressrelease&year=0&prid=108
Sep 09, 2002
OGC Seeks Interested Parties for Public Transit Modeling http://www.opengeospatial.org/press/?page=pressrelease&year=0&prid=109
Sep 09, 2002
http://www.opengeospatial.org/press/?page=pressrelease&year=0&prid=107
Sep 06, 2002 >
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EVENTS
October 24-25, 2002
Reston, Virginia
OGC - GITA Emerging Technology Summit Series - Location-Based Services
http://www.gita.org/events/ets/LBS/lbs.html
November 18-22, 2002
Nice Acroplois, Nice, France
GIS in Telecoms
http://www.iir-conferences.com/gis
December 9-13, 2002
Thousand Oaks, California
OGC Technical and Planning Committee Meetings
http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogcEvents.htm
February 10-14, 2003
Annapolis, Maryland
OGC Technical and Planning Committee Meetings
http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogcEvents.htm
gbuehler [at] opengeospatial.org.
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CONTACT
Please send comments and suggestions to:
Adena Schutzberg
Editor, OGC News
adena [at] opengeospatial.org
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Copyright 2002 by the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc.
