Home What's New Search NSDI Metadata Clearinghouse Standards Framework Stakeholders FGDC Funding Publications Data

Related Standards Information

Standards Development Organizations
Informative sites
Publications
Humor

Diagram shows relationships among various standards organizations 

FGDC Participation in non-Federal standards organizations

STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

  • The InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).   INCITS is comprised of many technical committees that develop standards in specific topic areas of ICT, including INCITS L1.

  • The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the U.S. member body of the International Organization for Standardization, or  ISO.  ANSI accredits standards developers, certification bodies and technical advisory groups (TAGs) to both ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).   It accredits INCITS L1 as the U.S. TAG to ISO TC 211.

  • ISO describes itself as a "network of the national standards institutes of 147 countries, on the basis of one member per country."   Standards development is carried out by technical committees, including ISO Technical Committee 211. 

  • Open GIS Consortium (OGC) is  a consortium aimed at growing interoperability for technologies involving spatial information and location.   OGC has a liaison relationship with ISO TC 211.  It is also an advisory (non-voting member) of INCITS L1.


    •  

  • Other consortium activities include:

    • Object Management Group (OMG), a not-for-profit consortium that produces and maintains computer industry specifications for interoperable enterprise applications, including specifications for Unified Modeling Language (UML), the conceptual schema language used for ISO TC 211 standards.

    • The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential.  It developed Extensible Markup Language (XML) that plays an increasingly important role data exchange on the Web.

    • The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), which drives the development, convergence and adoption of e-business standards. OASIS produces worldwide standards for security, Web services, XML conformance, and more.

INFORMATIVE SITES

  • The American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) provides links to information on standards regarding maps, aerial photography, and other geospatial data

  • ICA Spatial Data Standards Commission - The International Cartographic Association (ICA) is an external liaison of ISO Technical Committee 211.    It has surveyed spatial data transfer standards and Metadata standards from around the world.  In its current cycle of work, it proposes to develop a conceptual model of the SDI and define the technical characteristics of the SDI

PUBLICATIONS

The following publications focus on legal development and government policy pertaining to standards, and each has its particular point of view. 

  • ANSI has a free biweekly What's New E-newsletter.   To request a subscription, send an Email to Sarah McCreary of ANSI at smccreary@ansi.org.

  • Consortium Standards Bulletin is a free monthly E-newsletter from Lucash, Gesmer & Updegrove, a Boston law firm that represents OGC and other consortia.

HUMOR (not links to standards development activities)

FGDC, USGS, 590 National Center, Reston, VA 20192
URL: http://www.fgdc.gov /standards/related_activities.html
Updated: Thursday, 15-Apr-2004 00:14:01 GMT
Send your comments to the F G D C