Wayland, 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. These initiatives are helping to establish a core set of OpenGIS® Specifications that enable freer access to web services to process and apply geographic information in support of vital government, business, education and research, and consumer needs.OGC seeks sponsoring organizations to further shape the common market vision and technology objectives for this important initiative. 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. These specifications are actively being developed and tested by OGC members as part of OWS Thread Set 1 in consultation with local government to address interoperability issues identified during recent response and recovery efforts in New York City. OWS Thread Set 2 may address new specifications for web-based imagery exploitation, focusing on the development and testing of open architectures to dynamically connect earth imagery and other geospatial information providers, maintainers, and users.If you would like more information on becoming a Sponsor of OWS Thread Set 2, please contact Mr. Jeff Harrison, OGC Interoperability Executive Director by telephone at (703) 628-8655, or by e-mail at jharrison@opengeospatial.org .The OGC Web Services Initiative is part of OGC's Interoperability Program, a global, collaborative, hands-on engineering and testing program that rapidly delivers proven candidate specifications into OGC's Specification Program, where they are formalized for public release. In OGC's Interoperability Initiatives, international teams of technology providers work together to solve specific geoprocessing interoperability problems posed by the Initiative's Sponsors.OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 225 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface specifications. OpenGIS® 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 www.opengeospatial.org .– end –“