nbul 2004 
STANDARDIZATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 
Wolfgang Kresse 
University of Applied Sciences, Neubrandenburg, Brodaer Straße 2, D-17033 Neubrandenburg, Germany - 
kresse(@fh-nb.de 
Commission II, WG 11/4 
KEY WORDS: Cartography, Databases, GIS, Internet/Web, Photogrammetry, Services 
ABSTRACT: 
Many organizations and groups are active in the field of standardisation. The “official” standards are published by the International 
Organization for Standardisation (ISO). Through the work of its Technical Committee 211 (ISO/TC 211) the ISO has taken the 
leading position in the standardisation of geographic information. The ISO/TC 211 has created a complete suite of standards for 
vector-based GIS which integrates all major developments in this field. 
The ISO-numbers for the geographic information standards are between 19101 and 19199 presently ending with 19140. The 
reference model, the spatial and temporal schema, the referencing by coordinates, the portrayal, the encoding and the metadata are 
typical titles of the individual standards. These standards have been completed in Phase 1 since 1994. Phase 2 focuses on imagery, 
gridded data and coverages. Those standards will be the most important development of the ISO/TC 211 in the coming years. 
Typical standardisation projects of Phase 2 are the reference model for imagery, the sensor and data model for imagery and gridded 
data, the encoding for imagery, and the metadata for imagery. The sensor and data models contain a comprehensive approach 
towards the classical and the new sensors of photogrammetry and remote sensing such as the photogrammetric camera, line sensors, 
and film scanners. 
Most of the ISO 19100 standards contain abstract solutions. Standards on the implementation level have been defined by other 
organizations such as the Open GISConsortium. In many cases the implemented solutions are well established existing formats or 
environments. However, many recent implementation developments are strongly influenced by the ISO works including the use of 
the Extensible Markup Language (XML), web-based services, and location-based services. 
The term standard has different meanings depending on its 
1. INTRODUCTION responsible organization. Usually one distinguishes between 
two types of terms, the “standards” and the “de-facto” or 
Today the development of standards for geographic information “industry standards”. The “standards”, sometimes called the 
has reached maturity. Though the efforts will never end a “official standards”, are developed by one of the so called 
comprehensive suite of standards has been completed in the last “Standards Developing Organizations” (SDO). There are three 
couple of years. Those standards were primarily developed by SDOs: the “International Organization for Standardisation” 
the ISO/TC 211 “Geographic information / Geomatics”, the (ISO), the “International Electrotechnical Committee” (IEC), 
Open GISConsortium (OGC), and the World Wide Web and the “International Telecommunication Union” (ITU). The 
Consortium (W3C). Within this group of organizations the [SO/TC 211 is one of about 150 technical committees of the 
[SO/TC 211 developed an abstract, but detailed baseline ISO. 
including vector, raster, metadata, and georeference. The OGC 
focused on the implementation-oriented standards including The standards of those three organizations are developed and 
Web mapping and the Geography Markup Language GML. The approved by the participating nations in a public and democratic 
W3C provided the information technology baseline. Its process. For instance, the final document, the "International 
standards include general Internet technology and the markup Standard", must be approved by at least a two thirds majority of 
languages such as the Extensible Markup Language XML. the participating nations while only a maximum of 25% of votes 
against is allowed. During the development process similar 
2. ORGANIZATIONS FOR STANDARDISATION voting procedures are compulsory. After five years at the latest 
an International Standard is checked for relevance with the 
The scope of geographic information is large. Within the GIS- options to keep, update, or withdraw. 
: community it is seen in the widest possible sense. The definition 
given in the standard ISO 19101 “Geographic information — All other organizations such as the OGC and the W3C are 
Reference model" says a geographic information system is an consortia of companies and government agencies. Their 
“information system dealing with information concerning standards are called industry standards or de facto standards. In 
Phenomena associated with locations relative to the Earth“ many cases they play a prominent role in the technical 
(ISOI, 2002). After the start of detailed exploration of other communities. The less formal process of their development and 
celestial bodies an extension of this definition has to be taken maintenance sometimes leads to a better adaptation to actual 
into account. needs. However, users may be confused by the publication of 
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