Intergraph Announces Support for New OGC Interface Specifications with Enhanced GeoMedia Product Suite.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

GeoMedia's open architecture enables customers

to access OGC-compliant data sources on the Web,

no matter where users or the data reside

Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions, a division of Intergraph Corporation (Nasdaq:INGR), today announced support for several new OpenGIS(R) Consortium (OGC) interface specifications as well as the OGC Interoperability Program. With interoperability a key issue in product development, Intergraph has enhanced the GeoMedia(R) product suite to support the OGC specifications and demonstrations. Intergraph is supporting these significant OGC interface specifications: Web Map Server 1.0 (WMS), Web Feature Server and Filter 0.0.11 (WFS), and Geography Markup Language (GML) 2.0. These new interface specifications have been developed using an industry consensus process as part of the OGC Interoperability Program activities. The WMS specification is now an adopted OGC standard. WFS and GML 2.0 are draft specifications developed over the last six months as part of the GeoSpatial Fusion Service and Web Mapping II Test Beds.

With the implementation of these new specifications, Intergraph is demonstrating GeoMedia and GeoMedia Professional as rich clients accessing multiple WFS- and WMS-enabled spatial data warehouses distributed across the Web. This is accomplished by enabling GeoMedia and GeoMedia Professional to read data encoded according to the GML 2.0 specification. GML provides a simple structure for communicating geospatial features on the Web. It is also critical to the successful deployment of a variety of emerging markets such as mobile location-based services. With GeoMedia WebMap and GeoMedia WebEnterprise, Intergraph is demonstrating implementation of the OGC WMS and WFS specifications. In this case, the GeoMedia Web servers generate feature data according to the GML 2.0 specification.

"Intergraph's participation in the OGC Interoperability Program coincides with our solid commitment to provide open, extensible geospatial technology for GIS professionals and key industries we serve," said Preetha Pulusani, executive vice president, Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions. "The GeoMedia product suite was conceived as a universal data integrator that is very closely related to the conceptual OGC model for spatial data access. This was by design, not by accident. Enhancements we've made to the GeoMedia product suite immediately expands their reach and interoperability capabilities by providing customers access to OGC-compliant data sources on the Web, no matter where users or the data reside."

GeoMedia's open architecture leverages OGC interfaces

Built on an open architecture, the implementation model for GeoMedia data access is based on OLE/COM concepts. The standard spatial data access API used in the GeoMedia products is referred to as Geographic Data Objects (GDO). GDO is an open standard that data providers can use to expose data to GeoMedia clients. Data connectivity is tied to the existence of GDO data servers (data providers). This has proven to be extremely useful for maximizing data integration in organizations using disparate GIS systems while reducing or eliminating costly and time consuming data translation.

To take advantage of the fast-developing OGC GML/XML standards, a GDO data server for the WMS, WFS, and GML specifications was quickly implemented with GeoMedia's easily extensible architecture. Because the GeoMedia GML data server is implemented in the same way as every other GDO data server, users of any of the GeoMedia products can access and manipulate WMS- and WFS-enabled spatial data warehouses over the Web exactly the same as any other warehouse.

For More Information

To learn more about Intergraph's initiatives in support of the OGC Interoperability Program and specification process visit www.intergraph.com/gis/ogc, download a briefing paper at www.intergraph.com/gis/ogc/paper_011601.asp, or send inquiries to [e-mail].

About Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions

Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions (IMGS) develops, markets, and supports core geospatial products that address a wide range of market segments. IMGS is focused on delivering end-to-end geospatial solutions and services at all levels of government and industry worldwide. With its GeoMedia technology, Intergraph succeeded in engineering a new generation of geospatial solutions, removing the barriers to data interoperability and integration. A division of Intergraph Corporation, IMGS products and solutions can be found on the Web at www.intergraph.com/gis.

Intergraph and GeoMedia are registered trademarks of Intergraph Corporation. OpenGIS is a registered trademark of the OpenGIS Consortium. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

EDITORS: If you wish to include contact information for reader inquiries, please use 800/791-3357 (within the United States) or Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions' Web address: www.intergraph.com/gis.