Dr. Zeljko Bacic, director general of SGA, says, “Simple access to geospatial data is the key prerequisite for an efficient and economically prosperous society. A geoportal in operation means that other governmental organizations can use SGA data but also make their data accessible. This is the first step to the establishment of a Croatian national geoportal as part of a national SDI. I am convinced we shall do this soon, as we have a clear direction from the Croatian government and sufficient knowledge and capacity to do this.” The SGA geoportal has revealed opportunities in local and regional government for GIS users in nature protection, urban planning, agriculture, public G I S AT T H E C O firstsafety,O Fin southeastern Europe,” says R E its and more. “TheISGA geoportal is S D s 27 the of kind Andrej Loncaric, director of GISDATA in Croatia and the southeastern region. “Croatian GIS users now have access to vast quantities of geospatial data that will make their everyday work much easier.” More Information For more information, contact Zeljko Bacic, director general, State Geodetic Administration, Republic of Croatia (e-mail: zeljko.bacic@dgu. hr). What Is an SDI? SDI stands for spatial data infrastructure. What does that mean? Think of the roads and dams and underground pipes necessary for the well-being of a community or nation. These fundamental engineering projects are, of course, infrastructure. An SDI is similar except that it consists of essential data rather than concrete or steel. A broader view recognizes that it is a framework of technologies, policies, standards, and human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve the use of geospatial data across multiple public and private organizations. SGA provides the platform for organizations to quickly access geospatial resources regardless of location or type. Pe n n Stat e | On l i n e required by INSPIRE. Only the metadata is uploaded to the geoportal, while SGA’s sensitive data remains securely housed within its own servers. Through the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension, registered data includes digital orthophotos, 1:5,000-scale basemap information, raster cadastral maps, administrative units through the Central Registry of Spatial Units, and land survey information from the Registry of Geodetic Points. The First Step to a National SDI By the end of the year, more agencies within Croatia will register their data with the geoportal, using the SGA data as a guide for resolution and standards. The Ministry of Defense; the Ministry of Culture; and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development will all provide spatial data. By creating a comprehensive SDI, Croatia expects to continue to see improvements in the reduction of time when producing and accessing data. Geospatial data and service producers in the government will be easily connected to the consumers who need the data. Data integrity will be maintained, and the users can more easily share the authoritative version of data. a leader in Geospatial education Master’s Degree in Geographic Information Systems Certificates in Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Intelligence Reach the next level in your career Network with peers from across the nation and the world Benefit from an award-winning curriculum Named the 2009 Sloan Consortium Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program www.worldcampus.psu.edu/arcnews09 U.Ed.OUT 10-0981/10-WC-278edc/bjm