SpatialNews Press Release
Twenty-nine Sponsors and Participants Tackle Interoperable
Location Services in OGC Testbed
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Wayland, MA, USA, September 7, 2001 - The Open GIS
Consortium, Inc. (OGC) along with Sponsors Hutchison 3G UK,
Sun Microsystems, Oracle with Webraska, ESRI with SignalSoft,
and In-Q-Tel, as well as 22 other participant organizations will
work together in the Open Location Services (OpenLS) Testbed.
This testbed aims to develop an Open Location Services Platform
with fundamental interfaces and services to allow a wide variety of
location-based solutions to interoperate between infrastructure
platforms and wireless devices. The use of open platforms in the
fast growing location services sector will be a key market enabler,
and will help increase the ability of companies offering location
based services to compete across the various networks and
platforms that characterize the global location services market.
The Testbed will begin on September 13, 2001 with completion
anticipated by early 2002.
Harry Niedzwiadek, OpenLS Architect said, "Location Services are
not a complete reality today. The market will not reach its full
potential until industry connects this emerging technology area
with existing open platform frameworks. We believe open
platforms are key market enablers."
The OpenLS Testbed uses principles of previous successful OGC
testbeds where technology developers collaborate to create
software interface specifications that support interoperability. The
defined specifications encourage new, interoperable location-
based products and services that can be developed and
implemented in the broad marketplace.
Location services are becoming invaluable additions to
emergency response, public safety, disaster management and
dozens of other business and consumer applications that require
information about geographic position. Achieving the full value for
location services depends on consistent communication across
different regions, technology platforms, networks, application
domains, and classes of products. Each of the OpenLS Sponsors
and Participants believes that a truly interoperable Open Location
Services Platform is essential for long-term success in this market.
OpenLS Testbed Sponsors include:
Hutchison 3G, a mobile multi-media company, will be providing
requirements, engineering and other technical expertise as part of
the testbed.
Sun Microsystems, a leading provider of industrial-strength
hardware, software and services that power the Internet, will be
providing technology as well as engineering expertise as part of
the testbed.
Oracle Corporation, a leading supplier of software for information
management, and the world's second largest independent
software company joins partner Webraska, a worldwide provider
of wireless navigation, mapping and technologies for telecom
operators and car manufacturers in providing initial candidate
interfaces for services as well as engineering, technology and
content information for the testbed.
ESRI, a leading developer of geographic information system (GIS)
software products used daily by organizations and people around
the world, joins business partner SignalSoft, a provider of location
services to wireless operators in providing location gateway
technology, application technology, engineering and content
information for the testbed.
In-Q-Tel, a private, not-for-profit company contracted by the CIA to
identify and deliver the next generation of information technologies
to support the CIA's critical Intelligence missions, and is a
longtime supporter of OGC programs to accelerate delivery of
interoperable geospatial services.
Joining the Sponsors are 22 participating companies and
organizations including, BigTribe, Compaq, Cquay, Galdos
Systems, Inc., Hitachi Ltd., IBM, Intergraph (Intelliwhere), Ionic
Software, Laser-Scan, LocatioNet, MapInfo, NavTech, NTT Data,
MobileGIS, Opt[e]way, SICAD Geomatics, a Siemens Company,
Syncline, Tata Infotech, TCS, the University of Illinois,
Vodaphone, and Yeoman Group. Together, the Sponsors and
Participants will develop candidate interface specifications across
multiple platforms in the location services universe.
Organizations interested in discussing their involvement in this
Testbed, or future location services initiatives, should contact
Louis Hecht, Vice President Business Development at
lhecht@opengis.org or +1 301 320 5760.
OGC is an international industry consortium of over 220
companies, government agencies and universities participating in
a consensus process to develop publicly available geoprocessing
specifications. OpenGIS Specifications support interoperable
solutions that "geo-enable" the Web and mainstream IT, and
empower technology developers to make complex spatial
information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of
applications. Visit the OGC website at www.opengis.org and the
OpenLS website at www.openls.org
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