Unlocking the Vaults of Geospatial Data
OGC is the home of open geospatial standards, but we’re far more than that. We run an agile research and development lab that evaluates geospatial technology to identify future standardization needs, we certify solutions as OGC compliant and backed by our collective expertise, and we provide advisory services.
Breaking Barriers
OGC Standards are collective, expert thinking on interoperability to maximize the value of geospatial.
Standards are fundamental descriptions of the geospatial information being collected at pace, and scale, in the world around us. OGC Standards describe the way to do something, telling you what data is, who created it, how it can be rendered on a map, and how it can be analyzed. Starting from a recognition that things can be done better, our members work on making it easier to share and use geospatial information. And our next-gen standards, OGC APIs, take advantage of modern web development practices to extend their reach.
Cutting-edge Community-wide Research
Initiatives like testbeds, pilot projects and interoperability experiments are how we advance the wider use of OGC standards.
The Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program (COSI) is OGC’s Research and Development arm, driving interoperability though initiatives like testbeds, pilot projects and experiments. COSI unites expertise and funding to tackle urgent environmental and societal challenges such as disaster resilience, climate adaptation, the land- sea interface and digital twins. Sponsored by some of the world’s premier governmental agencies, COSI’s collaborative approach accelerates technological development while assessing the maturity of solutions, increasing their acceptance in the market. Over the last two decades, OGC has completed more than 140 initiatives and redistributed millions of dollars to member organizations.
Greenlighting Solutions Market-wide
The OGC Compliance Program confirms that products meet OGC Standards. It helps solutions stand out in today’s competitive geospatial market by assuring they will seamlessly integrate with other certified products, no matter the vendor. More than 300 products and 1,200 implementations are OGC-certified.
Advising on Best Practice
Through our Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program (COSI) we advise governments on issues related to standards and the effective use of geospatial data. Through collective expertise we have helped set up technical/administrative architectures for geospatial data management like Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), shared knowledge by convening workshops and events and published best practice reports.