Earth Observation Products, and also the related Geography Markup Language (GML) Application Schema for EO Products. Together, these standards, when implemented, will enable more efficient data publishing and discovery for a wide range of stakeholders who provide and use data generated by satellite-borne and aerial radar, optical and atmospheric sensors. The OASIS standard ebRIM (Electronic business Registry Information Model) is the preferred cataloguing metamodel foundation for application profiles of the OpenGIS Catalogue Service Web (CS-W) Standard.

The CS-W ebRIM EO standard describes a set of interfaces, bindings and encodings to be implemented in catalog servers so that data providers can publish descriptive information (metadata) about Earth Observation data. Developers can also implement this standard as part of Web clients that will enable data users and their applications to very efficiently search and exploit these collections of Earth Observation data.

The CS-W ebRIM EO standard was developed based on requirements from the European Space Agency and partners as part of the Heterogeneous Missions Accessibility project. The Submission Team for this standard included ERDAS, Spacebel s.a. and the European Space Agency. The Geography Markup Language (GML) Application Schema for EO products was developed by the European Space Agency, the French Space Agency, the European Satellite Center, Spacebel s.a. and Spot Image.

Already now about 100 participants have applied for participation in the Conference, including representatives from such organizations as: Khrunichev State Research & Production Space Center, Ramenskoe Instrument Design Company JSC, Saturn JSC, Space Research Institute of Kazakhstan republic, The Centre on the problems of ecology and productivity of forests (CEPF), FSUE “FCC” Zemlia (The Land)”, Gasprom VNIIGAZ, “Siberian Scientific-Analytical Center” JSC, etc.

International Conference annually organized by Sovzond is of great interest for experts operating in the field of remote sensing, GIS and related industries. Taking part in the conference is an effective opportunity to share the experience of using space technologies, to learn about new products, implemented and future developments.

In addition to the service sessions, EUSI customers learned more about WorldView-2’s 8 multi-spectral band applications, large area collection capability, customer support services and an update on the status on the Direct Access Facility in Munich.

More information can be obtained from www.worldviewglobalalliance.com

GEO-10 takes place on the 24th and 25th March 2010 at the Ricoh Arena Coventry and combines a full two days of conference with the UK’s only dedicated national geospatial trade exhibition, a packed programme of free, show floor seminars, live product demos and of course great networking opportunities.

The full conference programme and details of delegate packages on offer can be downloaded from www.pvpubs.com

The geoportal is hosted by the State Geodetic Authority (SGA) of Croatia and can be found at www.geo-portal.hr/Portal. Dr. Željko Baèiæ, head of SGA, states, “Simple access to geospatial data is the key prerequisite for an efficient and economically prosperous society. The geoportal in active operation means that other governmental organizations can use SGA data but also make their data accessible. This is the first step to establishing a Croatian national geoportal as part of a national SDI.”

The geoportal is modeled after the European Union’s Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) directive to share geographic information across Europe. “The Croatian geoportal is the first comprehensive NSDI [National Spatial Data Infrastructure] in southeastern Europe,” says Mark Cygan, ESRI manager of map, chart, and data production and SDI. “Croatia continues to be a leader in the region when it comes to the collection, management, and distribution of geospatial data.”

SGA is able to support the discovery and purchase of national data through the geoportal while also providing strict access control and data quality policies. Data available through the geoportal includes digital orthophotos, basemaps, administrative units, and land survey information.

The geoportal was developed by ESRI distributor GISDATA d.o.o. and con terra GmbH, the professional services arm of ESRI Deutschland GmbH, using ESRI’s ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension. The Geoportal extension provides the platform for organizations to quickly access geospatial resources regardless of location or type.

“The implementation of this portal is enabling a change in behavior from a restrictive data policy to a more open, transparent, and efficient use of spatial information,” says Andrej Lonèariæ, director of GISDATA in Croatia and the southeastern region of Europe.