The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international organization that develops and promotes standards for geospatial and location-based services. Its goal is to ensure that different systems and technologies can work together seamlessly, allowing for better sharing and use of geographic information. Founded in 1994, the OGC brings together various stakeholders, including government agencies, private companies, and academic institutions. By creating open standards, the OGC helps improve interoperability among geospatial data and services, making it easier for users to access and utilize geographic information across different platforms and applications.