Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/141447
Regional Forums Help OGC Understand Location Standards Needs OPENGEOSPATIAL CONNECTION T he technology world of today is much different compared to when the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) formed almost 20 years ago. Many of the technological advances needed for interoperability were only dreams in the mid 1990s, but now they're commonplace. Of course, there will be many upcoming geospatial technology advances, and OGC standards will play a vital role in how the industry achieves future interoperability. Standards work involves more BY DENISE MCKENZIE than just developing standards—they ultimately need to be implemented in products and applications that provide value. In OGC's case, standards need to support local, regional, national and international needs. Different regions are characterized by different languages, cultures, market dynamics, social structures and financial situations. OGC standards need to support communication within and among regions and nations, despite all their differences. As the geographic scope has expanded, so has the importance of regional participation, collaboration and requirements. Let's Get Regional Denise McKenzie is executive director, Marketing and Communications, Open Geospatial Consortium Inc.: e-mail: dmckenzie@ opengeospatial.org. 30 Recognizing these regional differences and needs, OGC members have created regional forums during the last few years (www.opengeospatial.org/ogc/regions). Such forums, run in the region's language, help others in the area understand OGC's work as well as coordinate with local partners to introduce regional requirements into the OGC standards process. Forum activities are variously focused on coordinating participation, promoting policy, encouraging collaboration, building public/private partnership, and supporting and advocating the use of OGC standards. Today there are three national forums and eight regional forums covering North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, UK and Ireland, Iberian and Latin American, Nordic region, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Some are as G E O W O R L D / J U N E 2 O 1 3 The world is constantly changing, and regional forums are a vital part of OGC's response to such change and the standards developed. small as a half-dozen members, and others are quite large, encompassing more than 100 participants. Some meet regularly, and some meet on an ad-hoc basis. OGC supports and guides them, but it doesn't dictate how each forum should best meet their regional needs. Meet MENA The OGC MENA forum is the newest addition; it was approved during the March 2013 Technical and Planning Committee meeting held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In response to growing interest in and use of OGC standards throughout the Middle East region, the UAE Ministry of the Interior hosted the meetings to connect the existing OGC community to the region and broaden OGC awareness within the Middle East. The MENA forum will provide a significant platform for local members to collaborate and meet the OGC outreach and education needs of the region's government, academic, research and industry organizations. Change is pervasive when visiting the major cities of the Middle East. Cranes and building construction are everywhere, driving the need for better location and geospatial information. Brands more familiar in western countries now appear throughout the shopping precincts. In the last 50 years, this region has undergone an almost unfathomable change, and the development doesn't seem to have an end in sight. This rapid cultural shift also brings needs for better spatial information to support law enforcement, public safety, environmental management and so on. These changes will drive open standards as the region embraces interoperability through adopting and supporting OGC standards and contributing requirements for further development. The world is constantly changing, and regional forums are a vital part of OGC's response to such change and the standards developed. The forums help ensure that despite the many differences, members are always working with each other and toward the shared goal of interoperability.