Google Earth standard ratified by industry body

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 15 Apr 2008 at 10:42

The format used to annotate Google Earth and Maps can now be used by third parties, as Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is accepted as an open standard by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).

The XML-based format can be used to place additional information onto online maps, including the location of certain buildings or objects, and will now fall under the control of the OGC. The format will be openly available for use by third parties.

"Geographic data adds tremendous value to the online experience. More and more people are looking for ways to incorporate location information into their online content," says Michael Weiss-Malik, KML product manager for Google.

"The standardisation of KML makes it possible for both novice and expert users alike to publish and share geographical information in an open format. It's not unlike web browsers' standardised support for HTML, which allows any web browser to read any web page."

KML version 2.2 and onwards will be ratified as a standard, and will be slightly adapted in the future to be more compatible with existing standards such as Geography Markup Language, Web Feature Service and Web Map Service.

KML allows Google to add various layers of information to its maps, including YouTube videos that are relevant to certain geographical areas.