Wayland, MA, February 20, 2007 – The Open Geospatial Consortium Inc. (OGC®) is seeking European companies, universities and individuals to pre-qualify to receive funding and work as part of the OGC Interoperability Program (OGC IP) Team. The “Invitation to Qualify” (ITQ) can be found at: [https://portal.ogc.org/files/?artifact_id=14559]. The companies, universities, and independent consultants who pre-qualify to be part of future Open Geospatial Consortium Interoperability Program Team (IP Team) activities will become IP Team Pool members and may be selected for future initiatives, including the OGC's 2007 OGC Web Services test bed, OWS-5.

“It is an ideal way for these organizations to support OGC initiatives in Europe as well as internationally,” said Mark Reichardt, President of OGC. “Members of the current EV Pool will be accepted automatically, but must resubmit to confirm their interest.”

The IP Team is an engineering and management team that oversees and coordinates the OGC Interoperability Program's Interoperability Initiatives, which include test beds, pilot projects and interoperability experiments. Pool members are selected in accordance with the process defined in the OGC IP Team Invitation to Qualify (ITQ). Qualification for the IP Team Pool is not required to apply as participants in IP projects.

The OGC IP is a global, innovative, collaborative, hands-on engineering and testing program designed to deliver proven, tested specifications into the OGC Specification Development Program. Through collaborative engineering efforts, the OGC IP produces and tests Candidate Implementation Specifications for geoprocessing interoperability; develops prototype interoperable infrastructures based on those specifications; and demonstrates the utility and functionality of these specifications in the context of specific exemplary applications.

Responses must be received before 30 March, 2007, for OGC Initiatives in 2007.

Contact George Percivall at gpercivall@opengeospatial.org for further details.

The OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 335 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface specifications. OpenGIS(R) Specifications support interoperable solutions that “geo-enable” the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. The specifications empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications. Visit the OGC website at http://www.opengeospatial.org.