Next Generation GIS Portal

The US Department of the Interior has selected ESRI (CA, USA) to develop full implementation of the Geospatial One-Stop Operational Portal (GOS 2), providing new ways of sharing geospatial information to improve decision-making processes. Since its launch in July 2003 the prototype has provided a central site for posting and discovering metadata about agency resources. The experience ESRI gained through administering GOS 1 has directly led to improvements in usability and functionality. The GOS site compiles more than 75,000 metadata records. GOS 2 uses the proven Google Search Appliance for a new method of integrated spatial and subject searching. Metadata searches take less than a second, and implementation of newly established OGC specifications improves the level of interoperability. GOS 2 employs IBM WebSphere Portal to provide a customisable portal framework.