RE: Information on the OGC Emergency Mapping Symbology Interoperability Initiative

["Carl Reed" <creed@opengis.org>]

Emergency Mapping Symbology, Phase 1 (EMS 1)  

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RFQ can be found at http://portal.opengis.org/files/?artifact_id=3497
The Emergency Mapping Symbology Interoperability Program Initiative will be a testbed initiative focusing on maturing the Style Management Service (SMS) and the Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) with application to Emergency Mapping Symbology. The project will test by enabling the use of multiple symbol sets with one set of feature data. The symbology used will likely come from the following: Emergency Response Map Symbology (ERMS) – a map symbology set being defined by the FGDC’s Homeland Security Work Group. See: http://www.fgdc.gov/publications/homeland.html Geospatial Symbols (GeoSym) for Digital Displays. The map symbology set defined by DOD to portray Vector Product Format (VPF)data. Reference TBD. SMS is a service that was first described and demonstrated in the Open Web Services Phase 1.2 (OWS-1.2) test bed initiative. While SMS can be thought of as a type of service, it is in actuality a logical composition of design-patterns, service interfaces and encodings. As such, SMS defines architecture for enabling scalable and interoperable management of symbols and styles in support of cartographic portrayal processes.
Emergency Mapping Symbology (EMS) Request For Quotation and Call For Participation This call seeks interested technology providers to make proposals in response to a defined set of requirements addressing interoperability needs for the use of symbology in emergency mapping. The EMS Initiative will mature OGC's specification framework for interoperable geographic symbolization while simultaneously testing emerging standard map symbol sets for emergency response developed by national-level agencies. Participants will be addressing sponsor requirements including the development of a client for publishing, managing, and previewing particular symbolization configurations, testing the assignment of symbols to particular feature types from a feature level data store, testing and enhancement of the Style Layer Descriptor (SLD)Implementation Specification and its use in Web Mapping Service implementations to support the portrayal specified symbol sets, and testing and enhancing the Style Management Services Specification (SMS). EMS is an opportunity for vendors, users, and other interested parties to mutually define services, interfaces and protocols in the context of a hands-on engineering experience, resulting in Interoperability Program Reports. This initiative is expected to help shape the future of interoperable technology to meet Emergency Management and Response requirements. Sponsors have provided cost-sharing funds to partially offset development costs associated with this initiative. Proposals are due by December 16, 2003.