OGC Members Adopt Implementation Specification for Location Based Services

New York, New York, January 20, 2004 – At meetings held at United Nations Headquarters, OGC members approved the OpenGIS(R) Location Services (OpenLS(TM)) Specification for public release. The OpenLS Implementation Specification can be found at http://www.opengeospatial.org/specs/?page=specs .The OpenLS Implementation Specification defines a set of core interfaces for implementing interoperable location service applications. The core interfaces are for accessing directory services (such as yellow pages), route determination, location determination gateway, geocoding, reverse geocoding, and portrayal services using standard Web protocols. The interfaces allow telecommunications companies, telematics service providers, traditional GIS technology companies, and location-based services (LBS) providers to efficiently implement interoperable LBS applications that seamlessly access multiple content repositories and service frameworks that work across the world’s many different wireless networks and devices.The following organizations submitted the OpenGIS OpenLS Implementation Specification for formal adoption: Autodesk, ESRI, Image Matters, Intergraph IntelliWhere, MapInfo, and Webraska. The submitters acknowledge the following OGC member organizations for their in-kind contributions: Hutchison 3G, IONIC Software sa, Navigation Technologies, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems.The OpenLS Specification grew from work performed in 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 sponsoring organizations. Information about the OGC Interoperability Program can be found at http://www.opengeospatial.org/initiatives .OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 255 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 .– end –“