ABSTRACT
Geographic information systems (GIS) has an exceptionally broad base of interested users covering a wide spectrum of disciplines, and has been successful because it meets basic common needs for geographic information technology. There have been dramatic changes in the information technology environment. Open GIS Consortium (OGC) is creating the Open Geodata Interoperability specification, a computing framework and detailed software specification that makes true geoprocessing interoperability possible. OGC maintains close ties with the standards community through ANSI and ISO technical committees and working groups. In Europe as well, several activities are moving in the direction of open GIS. In 1994 the European Umbrella Organisation for Geographical Information, European organisation for geographic information, was formed with a mission, amongst other things, to facilitate the development of standards in Europe. In The Netherlands and Portugal there are already national clearinghouses which make spatial data exchange between government agencies and the public possible.
