In the fall of 2010, The Object Management Group is expected to adopt the Shared Operational Picture Exchange Services Specification (SOPES) IEDM. The SOPES IEDM specification formalizes a platform independent set of data patterns for the construction, parsing and processing of JC3IEDM semantics for situational awareness and collaborative planning. The data patterns apply directly to a set of transactions for the MIP Joint Consultation, Command and Control Information Exchange Data Model (JC3IEDM: version 3.1 c ratified December 2007). The specification provides this set of data patterns as building blocks for the exchange of information that is applicable to a wide range of operational communities, including:

• First Responders (e.g., Police, Fire Department and Emergency Medical Personnel);
• Government Agencies (Federal, Provincial/State, and Municipal);
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs);
• Other Government Department (OGD);
• Private Volunteer Organizations (PVOs);
• Para-military and security agencies; and
• Military (Joint, land, maritime, air, space and coalition).

These communities have comparable requirements for shared situational awareness, and collaborative planning. Their operations are increasingly crossing organizational, agency and national boundaries. The participating organizations are required to collaborate on asymmetric real-time operations such as: Crisis Response, Disaster Recovery, Humanitarian Aid, Sustainment and Support Operations, Public Health and Safety, Stability Operations and Homeland Security. The scope, complexity and frequency of these operations are presenting significant communication challenges. The SOPES specification provides a core set of information patterns that have the potential to bridge evolving community semantics and ontologies.
Additional Information on the SOPES, IEF and architecture (policy / rules/ metadata) driven semantic interoperability go to the ASMG (www.asmg-ltd.com) or OMG (www.omg.org) websites.