OGC Demonstrates Decision Support Service Chaining

Wayland, MA, November 3, 2004 — The Open Geospatial Consortium Inc. (OGC) held a successful OGC Web Services 2 (OWS-2) Natural Resources Demo on September 2nd. On Sept. 23, in a “Defense Outbrief,” OGC showed how similar capabilities would be applied in a defense scenario. OWS-2 is a multi-threaded initiative to “ruggedize” and extend existing and draft OGC standards into a robust geoprocessing interoperability framework for implementation within enterprises and to achieve interoperability between enterprises. OWS-2 threads include Information Interoperability, Common Architecture, Image Handling for Decision Support, Compliance & Interoperability Testing, and Open Location Services (OpenLS).Myra Bambacus, Program Manager, NASA's Geospatial Interoperability Office, said, “The Natural Resources Demo revealed how open interfaces improve Image Handling for Decision Support. Decision makers often need days to find and access imagery, prepare it for analysis, and integrate it with other forms of geospatial information. The Demo showed how the OGC's interoperability specifications enable automated processing that reduces the workflow from days or weeks to minutes and hours. Now, these image processing results can be integrated into applications of National Priority to support critical decision making processes.”Sponsors of the demo included the US National Aeronautic and Space Agency (NASA),Spot Image (France), and the US Geological Survey (USGS). The Management Teamincluded OGC Staff and personnel from Lockheed-Martin Corporation (US), BAE Systems (UK),Image Matters (US) and Ecosystem Associates (US). A team of company and university experts advanced the specifications and developed reference implementations to test and demonstrate the specifications. These participants included Galdos Systems (Canada), George Mason University (US), Intergraph (US), IONIC Software s.a. (Belgium/US), ITT Industries Space Systems Division, Oracle (US), PCI Geomatics (Canada), Raytheon (US), Safe Software Inc., Environmenal Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the University of Alabama in Huntsville VisAnalysis Systems Technologies (VAST) team and the University of Alabama in Huntsville Information Technology and Systems Center (ITSC).The OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 250 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 http://www.opengeospatial.org.”