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Connecting our world with accessible networks is scaling to trillions of everyday objects. The Internet of Things, Pervasive Computing, Sensor Web are research names for this development. Planetary Skin, Smarter Planet and CeNSE are several corporate names. The Internet will be augmented with mobile machine-to-machine communications and ad-hoc local network technologies. At the network nodes, information about objects will come from barcodes, RFIDs, and sensors. The location of all objects will be known.This workshop seeks to explore the role of location in expanding GeoWeb to an Internet of Things. The workshop seeks presentations on functions enabled by geographic location and to location relative to surrounding objects. Most of the objects will be indoor in a 3D setting. The workshop also seeks presentations on relevant technologies such as location determination, geocoding, schemas for points of interest, ad-hoc network formation based on location, processing of information of the objects to detect phenomena of interest and location based services. Technology standards will be important for interoperability at this scale, e.g., OpenLS, CityGML, and Sensor Web Enablement standards from the OGC.

With the increasingly seamless integration of geospatial intelligence into mainstream IT solutions and the rise of the "Geospatial Web", the need for geoinformatics standards is ever more critical. Geoinformatics standards detail the engineering aspects (and rules) capturing common agreements for implementing an interface or encoding that applies to specific geospatial interoperability problems. Standards from organizations such as ISO and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) enable users to more freely exchange and apply geospatial information, applications and services across networks, platforms and products.This panel is about the emerging agile processes behind the development of such standards in the geoinformatics field, specifically complementing the traditional formal consensus processes as a way to keep up with rapid technology changes, and the immediate needs for these standards in a wide range of domains. Agile processes are based on iterative, incremental and collaborative development, and typically deliver increased value, higher adaptability and reduced risk levels in meeting customer requirements and project objectives.As an example in the geospatial field, the OGC Interoperability Program organizes and manages Interoperability Initiatives based on a rapid engineering process to develop, test, demonstrate, and promote the use of OGC standards. Such initiatives typically provide the initial working prototypes that are positioned to be the next best standards. Complemented by a solid architecture framework, this process allows for the development of set of standards for adoption in mature products.This panel hosts representatives from standards-development organizations and industry to provide their perspectives on the agile processes in geoinformatics standards development and their value to their members/customers in the era of ubiquitous geospatial informatics. Such agile processes contribute to achieving the guiding vision of a world in which everyone benefits from geographic information and services made available across any network, application, or platform.

In a multi-vendor environment, development of the Internet of Things (IoT) will be limited without the emergence of open, consensus standards that enable collaboration. Such standards will define an infrastructure that raises the level of services and quality of information for the marketplace thereby providing more opportunities, particularly for the vendors that collaborate to define the standards. Collaborative development is key to consensus adoption and wide use of information technology standards.Development of effective open standards is a balancing act. The standards need to be agile and adaptive to the rapidly changing developments in the marketplace. The standards also need to have a sound engineering foundation and respect relevant aspects of the existing technology base. The use of open standards to connect components, applications, and content -- allowing a "white box" view on the components' functionality and interfaces without revealing implementation details -- fulfills the industry requirement for protection of intellectual property and the user requirement for transparency.The COM.Geo Workshop on "Expanding GeoWeb to an Internet of Things" is an excellent opportunity to discuss how organizations can increase their business based on quality location information in the Internet of Things. Quality information in a multi-vendor environment can only be obtained using standards. An industry-based consortium is needed to establish effective standards for information sharing about location in the Internet of Things. The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has a proven process for industry-wide collaborative development of efficient standards for spatial and location information.The mission of OGC is to serve as a global forum for the development and promotion of open standards and techniques in the area of geoprocessing and related information technologies. The OGC has 410+ members - geospatial technology software vendors, systems integrators, government agencies and universities - participating in the consensus standards development and maintenance process. Through its Specification Program, Interoperability Program, and Marketing and Communications Program, the OGC develops, releases and promotes open standards for spatial processing. Technology and content providers collaborate in the OGC because they recognize that lack of interoperability is a bottleneck that slows market expansion. They know that interoperability enabled by open standards positions them to both compete more effectively in the marketplace and to seek new market opportunities.The OGC recommends the following steps for advancing the GeoWeb to an IoT-based marketplace:• Definition of a standards-based "GeoWeb meets IoT" framework to spur coordinated application development.• Coordination of standards for location in IoT with other relevant standards development organizations.• Discussions of the framework in the OGC Specification Working Groups to identify if additional standards are needed.• Conduct an Embedded Mobile Ecosystem Testbed using the OGC Interoperability Program approach.

Geospatial data accessible on the web has become common place and transformative. The GeoWeb allows us to view geographic information about any location on the planet and to make plans based on this. Planning routes for travel using the GeoWeb has become highly advanced enabled by open standards. Using the GeoWeb for environmental studies is advancing but requires additional standards regarding semantics of the features of the world. The GeoWeb is now moving to mobile internet platforms. Soon, if not already, mobile devices will be the predominant method to access the Internet. This is enabled by dramatic advances in technologies and business models for electronic communications and hand held devices. Smartphones have led the way enabling access on mobile devices similar to fixed internet locations. The initial generation of Location Based Services were defined based on walled gardens. Now we are extending the GeoWeb to the mobile internet and enhancing it based on location context and by access to an Internet of things including sensors. Using mobile GeoWeb devices embedded in the world enables an augmented understanding of our geospatial reality.