Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGF)

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGF) is an organization that promotes the development and use of open source geospatial software. Open source brings the benefits of GIS to a diverse (and often new) range of users and groups, including those who do not have the resources to purchase commercial standardized packages, do not want to be restricted by the standard copyright and intellectual property right agreements in proprietary GIS packages, or wish to access the source code of the application in order to develop new functionality and fix problems. It should be noted, however, that in many cases, open source products require a relatively high level of technical competence to configure and maintain the software.

At the end of 2005, Autodesk released a major Web-based GIS (MapGuide) as an open source project. This support by a leading vendor of GIS was a sign of the growing popularity of open source as a software development model. OSGF emerged shortly afterward, in early 2006, with support from Autodesk, and was [Page 331]created to provide financial, organizational, and legal support for a wide range of open source GIS development projects. The foundation provides a framework for open source projects in order to accelerate the adoption of open source GIS by mainstream users.

As of early 2007, OSGF supported desktop GIS packages, Web-based GIS, and software libraries and also promoted access to free geographic information. OSGF has not yet incorporated all active open source geospatial projects, including some significant activities in this area. This can be attributed to the short time since the establishment of the foundation, which aims to provide support for the full range of GIS applications in the future. An open source project can join OSGF after going through an audit process set out by the foundation. The OSGF Web site provides information about the projects and activities linked to the foundation and a range of technical resources to its members.

Unlike other open source work, which focuses on the development of software application itself, access to free software is not sufficient in the world of GIS: an effective GIS application must have access to up-todate and accurate geographic information. Therefore, OSGF is also active in the advocacy of open standards for geographic information, public access to statecollected data, and advising on the legal aspects of access and use.