Operators of shipping companies will benefit from the new standard because they will have the ability to purchase the accurate, updated data that provides safe navigation. They will know that regardless of any other features present in the ECS that navigation will be safe by virtue of its compliance with the database standard.
Owners of private yachts, whose market segment constitutes a huge potential demand worldwide, will rely on the compliance label to identify database products for sale that represent navigational safety.
Government regulators will benefit from the standard because of the need for a reference document if a nation establishes the regulated use of ECS. These regulations will call for the use of a database that complies with the provisions of a standard - the proposed ISO standard for the ECS database will provide that facility.
Equipment manufacturers and database producers will benefit from the new standard by giving them the guidance they need to supply a database product that will meet marketplace demands. The compliance label on their product will assure product acceptance because content, accuracy and updating meet international standards.
4. Proposed Method of Working
A goal of the Working Group to be formed at the start of the project will be to assemble a knowledgeable, competent panel that can produce the desired standard as fast as possible. Drafting groups will be established, each having responsibility for a section of the standard. These groups will be asked to exchange their draft materials via Internet communications in order to function quickly, without the need for excessive travel. By using this method at frequent intervals, supplementing few actual physical meetings, the time required for completion of each section should be minimized.
The NECSA draft standard for the ECS database will be made available to the Working Group as a starting document. In addition, other private standards used by database producing companies, or by hydrographic agencies will also be studied to provide a starting point for the new standard. Having these documents available should provide a further means to reduce the time to completion.
5. Philosophy of the Standard
An essential quality of ECS is the fact that products of various manufacturers are quite different. Display sizes are variable; some use color screens, others are monochrome; some use raster charts, others vector - and so forth.
