OGC Releases Request for Comment for Proposed Location Services Specification

Orleans, France, April 21, 2003 – The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) has released the proposed OpenGIS® Location Services (OpenLS™) Implementation Specification for public comment as a Request for Comment (RFC). The RFC defines XML for Location Services, which consists of interfaces for a variety of specific services. Also included in the RFC is a separate document detailing the interface for the Navigation Service Extension. The documentation is available at http://www.opengeospatial.org/specs/request.htm and comments are invited from any interested parties for 30 days, until May 19, 2003.The proposed OpenLS specification is the product of the OpenLS 1 testbed initiatives held between October 2001 and October 2002. The initiatives aimed to define and build the “core” location application services and information framework necessary for interoperable use of mobile devices, services and location-related data.The proposed OpenLS specification includes details of several interfaces including those for a Directory Service (a Yellow Pages used to “find the nearest” or a specific product or service), Gateway Service (fetches the position of a mobile device from the network), Geocoder Service (converts a location, such as a street address to a point with latitude/longitude), Presentation (Map Portrayal) Service (draws a map), Reverse Geocoder Service (transforms a given position into a description of a feature location, such as a street address), and a Route Service (creates a travel route). The Navigation Service Extension, an enhanced version of the Route Service is part of the RFC, but contained in a separate document. This complex service was separated from the core since it may not be needed for all implementations.The OpenLS specification submission team includes ESRI (USA), Image Matters (USA), Intergraph IntelliWhere (Australia), MapInfo (USA) and Webraska (France).Request for Comment is a method to integrate public input into OGC's consensus process in the creation of its OpenGIS Specifications. After the Request for Comment period ends, and comments are assembled and addressed, the OpenLS RFC may be brought to a vote to become an Adopted OpenGIS Specification.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 www.opengeospatial.org .– end –OpenGIS® is a registered trademark of Open GIS Consortium, Inc.”