BCS is delighted to announce the formation of the new Location Information Specialist Group (LISG) built on the foundations of the existing and successful BCS Geospatial Specialist Group.  As part of the extension of the role of the Specialist Group, it is also able to announce that it is taking over responsibility for the Digital National Framework (DNF). 

DNF will be managed through a Linked Data sub group of the new BCS LISG which will combine DNF with areas such as Linked Data and the semantic web. Previously DNF had been managed through a separate volunteer group, referred to as the DNF Expert Group.  

The new sub-group will be able to extend existing links to a wide range of resources within BCS including related specialist groups (data management, open source, Green IT) and its branches and also more formal bodies set up by BCS such as the Academy of Computing which includes leading academics such as Professor Nigel Shadbolt; BCS former president.  Links will also be developed to groups such as W3C and related industry bodies.

Dan Rickman, chair of the LISG, says: "We are delighted to take responsibility for and develop further the important work done by DNF and help ensure that lessons learned in the geospatial/location intelligence industries can be applied more widely."

Mike Sanderson (1Spatial), the new chair of the Linked Data sub-group, commented: "I am delighted to take over this role from Keith Murray, who spent many years as the champion of the DNF framework. This included developing practical guides for implementing DNF principles long before the initiatives emerged. We have much work to do to socialise the DNF principles within the Linked Data community for the benefit of all parties concerned."

The new Linked Data sub-group will meet approximately three times a year to develop its plan of work and will also carry forward the excellent outreach work of the DNF Expert Group, which delivered the highly popular Linked Data workshops earlier in the year. 

Participation in these BCS groups is open to all and for more information on the groups, their work and how to participate in them, please contact either Dan Rickman ( dan.rickman@gmail.com) or Mike Sanderson ( mike.sanderson@1spatial.com).

For more information, please visit: http://www.bcs.org/content/ConWebDoc/4043