News

Welcome to OGC’s Press Room, your source for geospatial and location news. Here you can find the latest press releases, new blog content, the OGC newsletter, and more.

News in location happens fast, regularly, and often at OGC. Our hand-written news features innovative technologies, impacts in the industry across the globe, key issues, funding opportunities, and much more.

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All news (1412 match criteria)

April 12, 2006

Mobile Industry Groups Join Forces to Accelerate Time to Market of Location-Based Services

The cooperation between LIF and OGC will bring industry consensus on location-based ser-vices standards and ensure Plug and Play functionality for subscribers.OGCs Open Location Services (OpenLS) Initiative, currently underway, aims to develop candidate interface specifications in support of interoperable location application ser-vices to be made available through mobile terminals and to develop multi-vendor, specifica-tion-based mobile demonstrations of these interfaces in action.About Location Interoperability Forum (LIF) The Location Interoperability Forum, a global industry initiative, was formed jointly by Erics-son, Motorola and Nokia in September 2000 with the purpose of developing and promoting common and ubiquitous solutions for Mobile Location Services (MLS).Location based services will allow mobile users to receive personalized and lifestyle-oriented services relative to their geographic location.Mobile Location Services are predicted to be-come one of the most compelling value-added services, allowing wireless appliance users to combine mobility with the Internet.

April 12, 2006

OGC Seeks Sponsors for Second Thread of Web Services Initiative

jharrison [at] opengeospatial.orgWayland, MA, USA, February 4, 2002 – The Open GIS Consortium, Inc (OGC) today announced a Call for Sponsors for the OGC Web Services (OWS), Thread Set 2 Initiative.OWS Thread Set 2, set to commence in April 2002, will build on the successful results of previous OGC Interoperability Program initiatives.OWS Thread Set 2 aims to extend engineering specifications developed in OWS Thread Set 1 and other initiatives including: OGC Common Architecture, Web Mapping, and Sensor Web specifications.The OGC Web Services Initiative is part of OGCs Interoperability Program, a global, collaborative, hands-on engineering and testing program that rapidly delivers proven candidate specifications into OGCs Specification Program, where they are formalized for public release.In OGCs Interoperability Initiatives, international teams of technology providers work together to solve specific geoprocessing interoperability problems posed by the Initiatives Sponsors.

April 12, 2006

NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA Becomes OGC Principal Member

Wayland, MA, February 1, 2002 – The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announced today that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through the GeoConnections national initiative, has upgraded its OGC membership to the Principal level.As a Principal Member, NRCan/GeoConnections will participate and vote in the OGC Technical Committee as well as the OGC Planning Committee.NRCan/GeoConnections has been a longtime member of OGC and has sponsored two Interoperability Initiatives, the completed Web Mapping Phase II, and the current OGC Web Services Initiative (OWS-1).OGC activities and standards continue to play a key role in the GeoConnections initiative in Canada.Canadas leading role in setting standards around OGC specifications underscores the importance of interoperability for the rest of the world.

April 12, 2006

Columbia University to Host Upcoming OGC Meetings

Wayland, MA and Palisades, NY, January 29, 2002 – The Columbia Earth Institute will host the upcoming Meeting of the Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York, February 4-9, 2002.The Earth Institute chose to host the meetings as the two organizations anticipate a close working relationship aimed at advancing the global information infrastructure to support multidisciplinary research for Earth science and sustainability.OGC is privileged to hold its meetings at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, with its remarkable history of interdisciplinary work.The OGC Meeting in New York will bring together a number of programs and institutions that are focused on fostering collaboration among various communities, in the scientific, public and private sectors.The upcoming OGC Technical and Planning Committee proceedings will aim to advance OpenGIS® Specifications for public release.

April 12, 2006

OGC to Support JRC/USGS Cooperative Technology Effort

USGS and JRC wish to develop methods for testing information exchange which will be useful to them and other organizations they cooperate with.They have brought OGC into their activities because their technical interoperability issues are the kind that OGC works with, and a main function of OGC is to facilitate Interoperability Initiatives – multi-vendor testbeds, pilots, feasibility studies, etc.USGS and JRC have worked together in the past, and both agencies have been involved with OGC for most of the consortiums seven years.During this first phase OGC will work closely with JRC to formulate a testing plan and project design.As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference center of science and technology for the Union.

April 12, 2006

NORTHROP GRUMMAN Becomes OGC Strategic Member

TASC will engage in strategic planning as a member of both the OGC Planning Committee and as a member of the newly formed OGC Strategic Advisory Committee.To assist the OGC in meeting global spatial technology interoperability needs, TASC has assigned Jen Barmann as OGC Interoperability Program (IP) Deputy Director for Engineering.In this role, she will provide leadership and direction to major initiatives within the OGC Interoperability Program.OGC President David Schell commented, We are very pleased to have Northrop Grumman IT, TASC among our strategic members.Northrop Grumman Information Technology is a premier provider of advanced IT solutions, engineering and business services for government and commercial clients.

April 12, 2006

Dr. Mike Jackson Joins OGC Board

Wayland, MA, December 12, 2001 – The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that Dr. Mike Jackson, Head of Location Platform, at Hutchison3G UK Ltd (H3G), has joined OGCs Board of Directors.Before joining H3G, Dr. Jackson was, for ten years, the Chief Executive of Laser-Scan Holdings plc, a leading geographic information systems (GIS) company based in the UK and USA.Dr. Jacksons technical and business experience in bridging the worlds of GIS and Location Services will bring significant insight to OGCs strategic planning discussions.On announcing Dr. Jacksons election, OGCs President, David Schell, referred to Dr. Jacksons long working relationship with OGC and his strong links with European Union geospatial programs, and he praised Dr. Jacksons unique experience in the spatial enablement of the wireless industry.Regarding his appointment as a member of the OGC Board of Directors, Dr. Jackson expressed his pleasure at being able to contribute to the OGCs vision and strategic development.

April 12, 2006

CANRI, Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure Team Join OGC Web Services Initiative

Wayland, MA, USA, December 12, 2001 – The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that Community Access to Natural Resources Information (CANRI) has joined the OGC Web Services Initiative (OWS).CANRI works closely with Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC), proponents of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI).CANRI and the ASDI Technical Working Group will join 26 other public, private and educational institutions to work on the Web Services Initiative.Jonathan Doig of CANRI notes, The OWS offers a strategic opportunity to extend the CANRI framework and build the first stage of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure.Some 50 countries worldwide are working to establish compatible Spatial Data Infrastructures that are helping to establish a Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI, http://www.gsdi.org ) according to the GSDI Secretariat.

April 12, 2006

BAE Systems Increase its Focus on Support to Interoperability

BAE SYSTEMS joined OGC in 1995 and has been a Principal Member of OGC since1997.Idol will support OGCs Interoperability Program Director, who is responsible for OGCs Interoperability Initiatives, which include testbeds, pilot projects, feasibility studies, technology insertion projects, and the OGC Network.His work will focus on Open Web Services (OWS) initiatives that will drive the future architecture of imagery and geospatial systems for government and industry.BAE SYSTEMS Information Systems Sector employs more than 3,000 people and has played a leading role in developing, integrating, and supporting high-quality image exploitation and archiving systems for stereo photogrammetry and photointerpretation, and mapping, charting and geodesy applications.BAE SYSTEMS is the truly global systems, defense, and aerospace company, designing and manufacturing civil and military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, space systems, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, guided weapon systems, and a range of other defense products.