OGC Web Services Request For Quotation Now Available.

Business/Technology Editors

WAYLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2001

The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that the Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the Open Web Services Initiative, Phase 1 (OWS-1) is available at http://ip.opengis.org/ows. The OWS-1 Initiative aims to develop interfaces to enhance the growth of geospatial Web services. A Web service is a self-contained, self-describing, modular application that can be published, located, and dynamically invoked across the Web. Web services perform functions, ranging from simple requests to complicated business processes. Once a Web service is deployed, other applications, and other Web services, can discover and invoke the deployed service. OWS follows several previously successful initiatives that have helped accelerate the creation and deployment of interfaces to support open web services for spatial information and processing.

The RFQ invites organizations to submit proposals to address the development of open interfaces and to validate them by developing reference implementations of software that use these interfaces. OWS-1 will be modular, and will be conducted in "thread sets" phased in over the coming year. This RFQ addresses the first Thread Set and includes work in the following areas:

- Common Architecture - produces the common, foundational elements of the OGC
Technical Architecture, common to all OGC Interoperability Program Initiatives.
This effort will address an OGC Services Model, OGC Web Registry Services, and
Sensor Markup Language in support of Sensor Web.

- Web Mapping - follows Web Mapping Testbed I and II and focuses on producing
interoperable Web Map Clients for display and interaction with services such as
Web Map Server (raster maps), Web Feature Server (vector data), and Web
Coverage Server (imagery).

- Sensor Web - addresses interfaces that provide ability to access data from a
variety of land, water, air and other sensors via open, direct real time
interfaces. The focus of this effort is on development of a Sensor Registry and
Data Collection Service that will support a range of sensor interfaces.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EMPACT Program, the Federal Geographic Data Committee, GeoConnections/Natural Resources Canada, Lockheed Martin, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center currently sponsor OWS-1. Organizations interested in sponsoring this or future threads of OWS are encouraged to review the RFQ and consider funding requirements listed in Annex A.

Responses to the RFQ are due August 17, 2001 and the program is expected to begin in late September. Inquiries related to OWS should be addressed to Mr. Jeff Harrison, Director of OGC Interoperability Programs, [e-mail], or [phone].

OGC is an international industry consortium of over 200 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geoprocessing specifications. OpenGIS Specifications establish common interfaces that "geo-enable" the Web and mainstream IT, enabling 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.