diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index fd2f95a6..f4ca90b9 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ EO Exploitation Platform Common Architecture (EOEPCA) -The goal of the “Common Architecture” is to define and agree the technical interfaces for the future exploitation of Earth Observation data in a distributed environment. The Common Architecture will thus provide the interfaces to facilitate the federation of different EO resources into a “Network of EO Resources”. The “Common Architecture” will be defined using open interfaces that link the different Resource Servers (building blocks) so that a user can efficiently access and consume the disparate services of the “Network of EO Resources”. +Earth Observation (EO) data has quickly evolved into an indispensable resource, directly facilitating solutions for society's most pressing challenges. This intensifying influx of data, oftentimes distributed across multiple independent platforms, presents a significant challenge for end-users in efficiently accessing and collaborating on critical geospatial tasks. Nevertheless, these platforms are more commonly collocated with cloud computing resources and applications such that users are now able to perform geospatial analysis tasks remotely. Working in the cloud bypasses traditional download, storage and performance limitations, however the distributed nature of these platform networks introduces complexities in the free and collective access to this remote geospatial data. + +Our vision with EOEPCA then is for greater interoperability between such platforms, towards an open network of resources, whilst enabling current and future users to easily collaborate on geospatial analysis tasks at source. To this end we are helping to establish a consensus of best practice for EO Exploitation Platforms, based on open standards. Supporting that, we are developing a reference implementation of building blocks, as free open source software. + +The goal of the EOEPCA's “Common Architecture” is therefore to define and agree the technical interfaces for the future exploitation of Earth Observation data in a distributed environment. The Common Architecture will provide the interfaces to facilitate the federation of different EO resources into a “Network of EO Resources”. The “Common Architecture” will be defined using open interfaces that link the different Resource Servers (building blocks) so that a user can efficiently access and consume the disparate services of the “Network of EO Resources”. This repository represents the system integration of the building blocks that comprise the **Reference Implementation** of the Common Architecture.