February 10, 2017
Geospatial data is pervasive. Utilizing geodata to its fullest extent requires accepting geodata from many diverse sources and interoperability between information systems that handle geodata. Understanding data models and encodings as well as services and APIS is critical to raw moving across diverse user populations. Innovations in standards that provide cross and inter-organizational interoperability is key to efficient geodata management and integration.
Location analytics are powerful. Analytics and models based on location and feature information in geodata is complex but yields powerful insight and understanding. Real-time geospatial information from web connected sensors continues to increase the data volume and variety available for big data analytics. Dedicated sensor webs and commodity IoT devices as well as social media are all sources to feed analytics and models. Spatial modeling including dynamics processes are becoming richer and interconnected. Geospatial is moving from maps to models as the basis for informed analytics.
The OGC is an international consortium of more than 525 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in innovation and consensus processes to advance geospatial technology and develop publicly available geospatial standards. OGC standards support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location based services, and mainstream IT. Visit the OGC website at .
George Percivall is the CTO and Chief Engineer of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). He is responsible for the OGC Technology Strategy, Interoperability Program and the Compliance Program. His roles include articulating OGC standards as a coherent architecture, as well as addressing implications of technology and market trends on the OGC baseline.
Prior to joining OGC, Mr. Percivall was Chief Engineer with Hughes Aircraft for NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) - Landsat/Terra release; Principal engineer for NASA's Digital Earth Office; and represented NASA in OGC, ISO and CEOS. He was Director of the GST's Geospatial Interoperability Group. Previously, he led developments in Intelligent Transportation Systems with the US Automated Highway Consortium and General Motors Systems Engineering including the EV1 program. He began his career with Hughes as a Control System Engineer on GOES/GMS satellites. He holds a BS in Engineering Physics and an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois - Urbana.