CANRI has joined an international effort to build interoperable spatial data frameworks, by sponsoring the OpenGIS Consortium's OGC Web Services (OWS) initiative. The OWS offers a strategic opportunity to extend the CANRI framework and build the first stage of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI). Alignment with national initiatives is assured because the ASDI Technical Working Group will be directly involved through CANRI's sponsorship in the OWS testbed.

The CANRI Board has also given in-principle support to join the OGC Collaborating Communities Initiative (CCI), due to commence in February 2002. The CCI will begin deployment of spatial data infrastructures across a number of key sectors worldwide, using OGC standards.

See the following links for further information about this initiative:

• CANRI, Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure Team Join OGC Web Services Initiative - OGC Press Release December 12, 2001
• Proposal for OGC Web Services - CANRI Support - from the CANRI/ASDI OWS Sponsorship Agreement
• CANRI Web Services User Requirements - CANRI stakeholders' questionnaire responses
• Proposal to ANZLIC ASDI Technical Working Group  - approved 18 October 2001
• Proposal to CANRI Board  - approved by email 12-19 October 2001
• Teleconference notes  - A teleconference with Jeff Harrison, Director of the OpenGIS Consortium's (OGC) Interoperability Program on 3 October
• Presentation - HTML or PPT  - by Jeff Harrison 3 October 2001
• Proposal to ANZLIC ASDI Standing Committee - approved in principle 11 October 2001
• Social Change Online's OGC Web Services Initiative Proposal  - accepted (in part)
• Related CANRI 2001/02 projects - Vector Plus, Catalogue Plus - to be merged into a "Web Services" project
• IP2001 OGC Web Services Initiative
• CANRI Technology Backgrounder

CANRI agency staff wishing to access the OWS participants' website should contact the CANRI Web Services project manager, Jonathan Doig. ASDI Technical Working Group members should contact Phil Rudd who is coordinating ASDI TWG involvement in the OWS.