The Need for Standards

The Internet is built on open standards. The explosion of linked information on the web happened at an astounding speed. Web enabled applications and standards such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) are built on open published protocols to exchange information and data over standard HTTP.

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) have established standards and logic for exchanging facility data. Without standards nothing will be possible. Proprietary applications have been built on a business model of trapping data in specific formats and making the cost of shifting to another format very expensive and painful. Proprietary formats are not based on open standards.

The cost of managing proprietary formats exponentially grows. Forward looking facility owners such as the US Coast Guard state: "The US Coast Guard owns their data," said David Hammond, Chief, SFCAM Division USCG. "The US Coast Guard will not accept proprietary data or solutions," said Paul Herold, Director of LoGIC^? USCG. Establishing BIM standards, utilizing and supporting IFCs that allow easier data sharing, defining deliverables for government projects and other initiatives are well underway. The National BIM Standards (NBIMS) is preparing to publish version 1 of BIM standards at the end of 2006. While many think that initiatives need to be finalized before major benefits can be derived from BIM, first adopters are already using what is in place, gaining dramatic improvements in productivity.

Web Feature Services

ONUMA, Inc. provides access to the ONUMA Planning System™ data through Web Feature Services using OGC Standards.

Our Web Feature Services standards are published.

Building Smart

We support the International Alliance for Interoperability and the Buidling Smart Initiative by using IFCs.

Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

ONUMA, Inc. is a member of OGC and supports OGC interoperable standards. The ONUMA Planning System™ outputs files in CityGML^? format for use in other OGC applications. ONUMA, Inc. is inolved with the OGC OWS 4 Testbed project to link BIM to GIS.

General Services Adminstration - GSA

We support General Services Adminstration BIM Guide and requirements for interoperability by using Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). ONUMA, Inc. is one of the five vendors that are in the first version of the GSA BIM Guide Appendix. The ONUMA Planning System™ supports GSA requirements by exporting IFC files with GSA Property Sets.

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United States Coast Guard

We support the United States Coast Guard's need for interoperable solutions and BIM