Membership Level Summaries and Fees

Table of Contents

Strategic Membership

Principal Plus Membership

Principal Membership

Technical Committee Membership

Aggregate Membership (2 types)

• Principal Aggregate Level
• Technical Aggregate Level

Associate Membership (6 types)

• Commercial / Government-National Organization
• Government-Local
• Government-Subnational
• Research Institute / Not for Profit Institute
• Small Company
• University / Research Center

Individual Membership

Membership Fees By Level

Strategic Members

In addition to maintaining Principal Membership, Strategic Members provide significant resources to support OGC objectives in the form of funding to program initiatives and Full-Time Equivalent staff resources inserted into the OGC process, of total value in excess of US$250,000 per year. Strategic Members are able to focus the use of their resources in specific OGC programs and leadership roles, subject to OGC management approval. Strategic Members are also provided a forum, the Strategic Member Advisory Committee, in which to make recommendations regarding strategic business opportunities to the OGC Board of Directors and to the OGC Planning Committee. Strategic Membership is reviewed and subject to approval by the OGC Board of Directors.

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Principal Plus Members

In addition to maintaining Principal Membership, Principal-Plus Members provide an FTE staff resource, for a minimum 6-month commitment during a membership year, or mutually agreed in-kind resources (hardware, software, network, or other relevant support), valued at US$100,000 per membership year over and above Principal Membership fee. Principal-Plus Members are accorded the opportunity to focus the application of their resources in mutually agreed, specific areas of OGC programs. Principal-Plus Membership is subject to the review and approval of OGC management.

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Principal Members

Principal Members have complete authority over the specification release and adoption process through their voting rights in the Planning Committee (PC). It is by PC vote that OpenGIS® Specifications are approved and released by the Consortium. PC Members participate in planning and management of the Consortium's technology development process, evaluate and provide guidance on market direction and Consortium focus, possess Technical Committee voting rights, have approval authority for OGC policies and procedures, and vote to elect members of the OGC Board of Directors.

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Technical Committee Members

Technical Committee Members participate and vote in the OGC Technical Committee (TC). TC members may submit draft standards for consideration by the membership. The TC consists of the technical representatives of all OGC member organizations and is charged to define, document, approve, and maintain OGC standards that enable interoperability of geospatial data and services. TC members may represent their organizations in any working groups or subcommittees of the TC, and may sponsor and/or participate in OGC Interoperability Initiatives.

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Aggregate Members

Aggregate Membership provides a way for a group of local, provincial, state or other subnational government agencies, not-for-profit, academic and research institutions with a common interest to collectively join the OGC as a single voting member. Together, as an OGC Aggregate Member, these “component organizations” can pool both their requirements and their resources to optimize their participation in OGC programs.

(Note that Aggregate Membership is a new trial membership category, and it is subject to change based on feedback from Aggregate Members during the trial period.)

There are two levels of Aggregate Membership: Technical Level and Principal Level. The benefits to the Aggregate Member are the same as the benefits for non-Aggregate Technical Level and Principal Level Members. Each Aggregate Member has one vote in the Technical Committee (TC). Principal Level Aggregate Members have, in addition, one vote in the Planning Committee. All of an Aggregate Member’s component organizations have access to all written and electronic communications that are available to non-Aggregate Technical Level or Principal Level members. People employed by component organizations may participate in OGC TC working groups and subcommittees, but they must participate as representatives of the Aggregate Member, not of their own organizations. An Aggregate Member may sponsor or participate in Interoperability Initiatives.

The OGC membership listing will show one name for the Aggregate Member. The names of component organizations participating in the Aggregate membership will be listed on a separate page on the OGC website.

Aggregate Memberships are not open ended. That is, the component organizations of an Aggregate Membership must all be working together in a particular area of interest. Also, the total number of component organizations allowable in an Aggregate Membership must be negotiated and approved in advance by OGC staff. The rule for determining the maximum number of component organizations is that the total value of the organizations’ memberships if they were to join individually as Associate Members must not exceed the value of a Technical Level or Principal Level membership.

In addition to direct involvement in the OGC Committee processes, OGC provides its Government Special Interest Group (GovSIG), the OGC User online publication and the OGC Network as tools for collaboration between Aggregate Members and other government OGC members around the world. Members can share, for example, interoperability requirements, implementation case studies, and best practice exchanges.

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Associate Members

Associate Members are granted non-voting membership in the TC and have access to all written and electronic TC communication. Associate Members may participate in working groups and subcommittees of the TC, as well as in OGC Interoperability Initiatives. Commercial enterprises; national, state, provincial, and local government agencies; and university administrative units may become Associate Members.

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Individual Members

This membership class is intended for independent consultants and other individuals not covered by an existing OGC organizational membership. Individual Members are granted non-voting membership in the TC and have access to all written and electronic TC communication. Individual Members may participate in working groups and subcommittees of the TC. They may participate in OGC Interoperability Initiatives on an in-kind resource basis. Additional information is available here .

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Membership Fees By Level

NOTE: 1

Government-National includes organizations representing national-level interests, such as a country that is a member of the European Union, the United States, etc.

NOTE: 2

Associate Small Company Member applicants must provide documentation that their annual gross revenue is less than US$ 2,000,000.

NOTE: 3

Government-Subnational includes province- or state-level organizations, e.g., a province of Canada, a state of the United States, a province or state of a country that is a member of the European Union, etc.

NOTE: 4

Research Institute / Not For Profit - An independent not-for-profit organization legally recognized in its nation of registration.

NOTE: 5

Government-Local includes town-, municipal- or county-level organizations.

NOTE: 6

University / Research Center - Accredited universities and research centers that are funded and managed by an accredited university.

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