Home -> XR glossary -> Open Geospatial Consortiums

Open Geospatial Consortiums

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international organization that develops standards for the use and sharing of geospatial information.

OGC promotes the interoperability of geographic information systems (GIS) and supports the integration of geospatial data into various applications.

Working with members from industry, government and academia, OGC contributes to the development of open standards that improve the efficiency and accessibility of geospatial information.

Open Geospatial Consortiums

The Importance of Open Standards

Open standards are essential to facilitate the sharing and use of geospatial information. They ensure that different systems and applications can communicate seamlessly. This is particularly important in areas such as environmental monitoring, urban planning and disaster management, where accurate and up-to-date geospatial data is critical.

The role of the OGC

The OGC works with a wide range of members from government, industry, and academia. Together, they develop standards that are accepted and used around the world. These standards cover a wide range of technologies and applications, including Web mapping, 3D geospatial information, and sensor Web enablement.

Applications and benefits of OGC standards include

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Enabling the integration and analysis of geospatial data from multiple sources.
  • Environmental monitoring: Standardized data formats enable more efficient collection and analysis of environmental information.
  • Smart Cities: OGC standards support the development of smart cities by seamlessly integrating geospatial data into urban infrastructures.

The benefits of these standards include improved data quality, easier data integration, and cost efficiencies by avoiding proprietary solutions.

Facts and Features

  • Year of foundation: OGC was founded in 1994.
  • Objective: To promote the interoperability of geospatial information through open standards.
  • Membership: Consists of government agencies, private companies, and academic institutions.
  • Standards: Develops standards for Web mapping, 3D geospatial information, sensor Web enablement, and many other areas.
  • Global acceptance: OGC standards are accepted and used worldwide.
  • Interoperability: Focuses on ensuring that different systems and applications can communicate seamlessly with each other.
  • Collaboration: OGC works closely with other international standards organizations, including ISO and W3C.
  • Technology: Covers both traditional GIS technologies and modern developments such as IoT and cloud computing.
  • Events: Organizes regular workshops, conferences and plugfests to promote the development and implementation of standards.
  • Open Data: Promotes the use and dissemination of open geospatial data.

More terms:

Back to the main page