1. Interoperability, International Standards, & ISO TC 211
David Danko

2. Interoperability ...
As defined by ISO TC 211
the ability to find information and processing tools, when they are needed, no matter where they are physically located
the ability to understand and employ the discovered information and tools, no matter what platform supports them, whether local or remote
the ability to participate in a healthy marketplace, where goods and services are responsive to the needs of consumers

3. The Need for Interoperability
Geographic analysis
Multiple sources, multiple organizations
Distributed within a community
GIS is unique in merging diverse information
Enterprise GIS
GIS evolving beyond isolated communities
GIS merging with broader IT infrastructures
Web Services
Enabled by distributed networks
E-Government
Within government (G2G)
Between citizens and government (G2C)
Between business and government (B2G)
Spatial Data Infrastructures

4. Interoperability Enablers
Infrastructure
Metadata
Authorization
Business Agreements/MOUs
Copyright
Pricing/commerce/ Business Model
Compatible Technology
Security
Privacy
Information Assurance
Certification
Quality
Standards
Interoperability defined by ISO TC 211 is defined as:
ability to find information and processing tools, when they are needed, no matter where they are physically located
the ability to understand and employ the discovered information and tools, no matter what platform supports them, whether local or remote
the ability to participate in a healthy marketplace, where goods and services are responsive to the needs of consumers

5. Standards Documented agreements:
As defined by ISO
Documented agreements:
Technical specifications or precise criteria
Rules, guidelines, definitions of characteristics
Ensuring materials, products, processes and services are fit for purpose
Reference documents used in public contracts or international trade
Indisputable reference clarifying the contractual relations between economic partners
Promote competition, commerce and free trade

6. Standards & Specifications
Make things work – affect every aspect of life
Widespread use of Standards
Make things work around the world
Increase efficiency - globally
Enable global interoperability
Make things work – affect every aspect of life
Electrical outlets (North America)
Credit Cards – ATM (ISO standard size)
CD players
Safety glass – automobile windshields
Drinking water
Through widespread use of Standards
ATMs
Thai environmental data works in a US global model
Disaster relief is more efficient
International standards enable the GSDI

7. International Organization for Standardization
ISO from Greek ISOS meaning “equal”
Founded in 1947
146 member nations
1 member per country (represented through national standards organization – ANSI, DIN, SABS, etc)
13700 standards, 3000 technical bodies, experts
NGO – unlike UN
Delegates not national governments
May be mandated by government
Roots in private sector and industry associations
Able to bridge the gap
Consensus solutions meeting requirements of business and broader needs of society
South African Bureau of Standards
Deutsches Institut für Normung

8. Benefits of ISO Standards (1)
Business
Wide acceptance of products and services
Free to compete in broader market
Government
Provides technical and scientific underpinnings for health, safety, environmental legislation
Consumers
Conformance of products and services provide assurance about quality, safety, & reliability

9. Benefits of ISO Standards (2)
Trade
Remove technical trade barriers
Support political trade agreements
Planet
Standards for air, water, soil, emissions contribute toward environment
Everyone
Contribute to quality of life ensuring transport, machinery and tools are safe

10. Hallmark of ISO Brand Equal footing Voluntary Market driven Consensus
Every ISO member institution has right to take part
1 nation –1 vote regardless of size or economic strength
Voluntary
ISO has no legal authority
Adopted by nations – health, safety, etc
Market driven
Developed by experts from industry, technical, business, government, academic
Consensus
Ensures widespread applicability
Remain current

11. ISO Committees and the Geographic Community
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 24 Computer graphics and image processing
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 32 Data Management and Interchange
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35 User interfaces
ISO/TC 20 /SC 13 Space data and information transfer systems
ISO/TC 23/SC 19 Agricultural electronics
ISO/TC 46/WG 2 - Coding of country names and related entities
ISO/TC 82 Mining
ISO/TC 130 Graphic Technology
ISO/TC 204 Transport Information and Control Systems (WG3 GDF)
ISO/TC 211 Geographic Information/Geomatics

12. ISO/TC 211 Geographic Information/Geomatics
… building the foundation of the geospatial infrastructure, brick by brick ...

13. Some Objectives ...
Increase the understanding and usage of geographic information
Increase the availability, access, integration, and sharing of geographic information
Promote the efficient, effective, and economic use of digital geographic information and associated hardware and software systems
Contribute to a unified approach to addressing global ecological and humanitarian problems

14. Scope of ISO/TC 211
Standardization in the field of digital geographic information.
This work aims to establish a structured set of standards for information concerning objects or phenomena that are directly or indirectly associated with a location relative to the Earth.
These standards may specify, for geographic information, methods, tools and services for data management (including definition and description), acquiring, processing, analyzing, accessing, presenting and transferring such data in digital/electronic form between different users, systems and locations.
This work shall link to appropriate standards for information technology and data where possible, and provide a framework for the development of sector-specific applications using geographic data.

15. Who Are We ? ...Member List Active Members (P-members), 29 Countries
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
China
Czech Rep.
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Malaysia
Morocco
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States of America
Yugoslavia

16. Member List Observing Members 27 (20 O-members, 4 Corresponding Members)
Argentina
Bahrain (corr.)
Brunei Darussalam (corr.)
Colombia
Cuba
Estonia (corr.)
France
Greece
Hong Kong (corr.)
Iceland
India
Isl. Rep. of Iran
Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Mauritius
Netherlands
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Tanzania
Ukraine
Uruguay
Zimbabwe

17. External Liaisons, 1 of 2
CEOS, Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
DGIWG, Digital Geographic Information Working Group
EPSG, European Petroleum Survey Group
FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FIG, International Federation of Surveyors
GSDI, Global Spatial Data Infrastructure
IAG, International Association of Geodesy
ICA, International Cartographic Association
ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society
IHB, International Hydrographic Bureau
ISCGM, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping
ISPRS, International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

18. External Liaisons, 2 of 2
JRC, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
OGC, Open GIS Consortium, Incorporated
PCGIAP, The Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific
PC IDEA, Permanent Committee on Spatial Data Infrastructure for the Americas
SCAR, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research UN Economic Commission for Europe, Statistical Division
UNGIWG, United Nations Geographic Information Working Group
WMO, World Meteorological Organization
UNGEGN, United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
CEN/TC 287, Geographic information

19. ISO/TC 211 Statistics More than 500 persons involved since start
WG 1 – approx. 80 persons
WG 2 - approx. 55 persons
WG 3 - approx. 115 persons
WG 4 - approx. 60 persons
WG 5 - approx. 55 persons
Other projects: 90 persons
400 have attended one or more plenaries
16 plenary meetings have been convened in 13 different countries
NB! Figures are approximate and vary over time

20. ISO/TC 211 Organization Geospatial services Imagery
Chairman
Olaf Østensen Secretary Bjørnhild Sæterøy Norway
AG WSI
AG Strategy
AG Outreach
TMG
MHT
TF 211/204
WG 4 Morten Borrebæk Norway
WG 6
Douglas O’Brien Canada
WG 7 Antony Cooper South Africa
WG 8 John Rowley UK
WG 9 Hiroshi Imai Japan
Geospatial services
Imagery
Information communities
Location based services
Information management

21. ISO TC 211 Program of Work Standards Access, technology Content (data)
ISO 6709:1983, Standard representation of latitude, longitude and altitude for geographic point locations
ISO Reference model
ISO – Overview - deleted
ISO/TS Conceptual schema language
ISO Terminology
ISO Conformance and testing
ISO Profiles
ISO Spatial schema
ISO Temporal schema
ISO Rules for application schema
ISO Feature cataloguing methodology
ISO Spatial referencing by coordinates
ISO Spatial referencing by geographic identifiers
ISO Quality principles
ISO Quality evaluation procedures
ISO Metadata
ISO Positioning services
ISO – Portrayal
ISO Encoding
ISO Services
ISO/TR Functional standards + new rev
ISO/TR Imagery and gridded data
ISO/TR Qualifications and certification of personnel
ISO Schema for coverage geometry and functions
ISO/RS Imagery and gridded data components
ISO Simple feature access – Part 1-3
ISO Profile - FACC Data Dictionary
ISO Geodetic codes and parameters
ISO Web Map Server Interface
ISO Imagery, gridded and coverage data framework
ISO Sensor and data model for imagery and gridded data
ISO Data product specification
ISO Location based services possible standards
ISO Location based services tracking and navigation
ISO Multimodal location based services for routing and navigation
ISO Procedures for registration of geographic information items
ISO – Geography Markup Language (GML)
ISO Generally used profiles of the spatial schema and of similar important other schemas
ISO Data Quality Measures
ISO Metadata - Implementation Specification
ISO Technical amendment to the ISO 191** Geographic information series of standards for harmonization and enhancements
Organization
Content (data)
Access, technology
Education
Standards
ISO TC 211 Program of Work

22. Old ISO/TC 211 Organization Building the Basics
WG 1 Norman Andersen USA
WG 2 Antony Cooper South Africa
WG 3 Robert Walker UK
WG 4 Morten Borrebæk Norway
WG 5 Doug O’Brien Canada
Framework and reference model
Geospatial models and operators
Geospatial data administration
Geospatial services
Profiles and functional standards

23. The Foundation Framework/standards infrastructure Locate, understand
basic architecture
ISO 19101
service architecture
ISO 19119
Locate, understand
Metadata
ISO 19113, 14, 15
Basic structure
Spatial, temporal schemas, CRS definition
ISO , 11
Access
Simple feature access, ISO 19125
Data content descriptions
ISO 19103, 19109, 19110, etc

24. Completed Standards The Building Blocks
ISO 19101: Reference model
ISO 19105:2000- Conformance and testing
ISO 19107: Spatial schema
ISO 19108: Temporal schema
ISO 19111: Spatial referencing by coordinates
ISO 19113: Quality principles
ISO 19114: Quality evaluation procedures
ISO 19115: Metadata
And several technical reports

25. Draft International Standards
ISO Terminology
ISO Profiles
ISO Rules for application schema
ISO Feature cataloguing methodology
ISO Spatial referencing by geographic identifiers
ISO Positioning services
ISO Portrayal
ISO Encoding
ISO Services
ISO Simple feature access – Part 1-2
The mortar

26. The Challenge for ISO/TC 211...
... to retain a strong foothold in infrastructure requirements, while being flexible in responding to emerging needs ...
location based services
GSDI
infrastructure
requirements
information communities ....
enterprise systems
eGovernment eCommerce ....

27. WG 4 - Geospatial Services
Morten Borrebæk
Norway
ISO – Web map server interface
ISO Geography Markup Language (GML)

28. WG 6 - Imagery WG 6 Douglas O’Brien Canada
ISO Imagery, gridded and coverage data framework
ISO Sensor and data model for imagery and gridded data
ISO Extensions for imagery and gridded data

29. WG 7 – Information Communities
Antony Cooper
South Africa
ISO/TR AMD. 1 - Functional standard - Amendment 1
ISO/TR Qualifications and certification of personnel
ISO Profile - FACC data dictionary
ISO – Generally used profiles of the spatial schema and of similar important other schemas
ISO Metadata - Implementation Specification

30. WG 8 – Location Based Services
John Rowley UK
ISO Location based services possible standards
ISO Location based services tracking and navigation
ISO – Multi-modal location based services for routing and navigation

31. WG 9 – Information Management
Hiroshi Imai
Japan
ISO Geodetic codes and parameters
ISO Data product specifications
ISO Procedures for registration of geographical information items
ISO – Data quality measures
ISO Standard representation of latitude, longitude and altitude for geographic point locations

32. Geographic Information Standards
ISO suite of standards
Maturing
Providing the basics
Adopted by nations
Implementation by industry
ISO TC 211
Organizing for the future
Addressing broader community issues
Maintaining leadership role