The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) announced that Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging has increased its level of membership in the OGC to become a Principal Member.
Principal Members have authority over the development, release and adoption of OpenGIS® Specifications through their voting rights in the OGC Planning Committee (PC). Principal Members also evaluate and provide guidance on market direction and Consortium focus, have approval authority for OGC policies and procedures, and vote to elect members of the OGC Board of Directors.
In line with its commitment to provide and support standards-based geospatial data management solutions, Leica Geosystems recently acquired Acquis, ER Mapper and IONIC. IONIC has been active for many years in the OGC Technical Committee, Planning Committee, Architecture Board, and Board of Directors.
Mark Reichardt, President, OGC, said "Leica Geosystems’ move to Principal Membership in the OGC makes sense in terms of maximizing the potential for synergy in their acquisition of IONIC, ER Mapper and Acquis. The IONIC team based their platform on OGC standards, and the combined company’s expanded commitment to the Consortium indicates a continuation of this forward-looking strategy."
Bob Morris, President & CEO, Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging, said, "Leica Geosystems’ recent acquisitions enable us to provide a comprehensive portfolio of integrated geospatial solutions to meet a broad spectrum of customer needs in today’s enterprise environment. We are firmly committed to the OGC interoperability vision and look forward to increased involvement in the Consortium."