Each of these various equipment employs a database customized for the particular design. The standard that covers this variety of databases needs to be flexible and responsive to this quality. This degree of variation argues against a rigid specification for the database product, and, instead, leads to a standard that recognizes the variability of the systems and accommodates to them. The standard will define different classes of ECS, and each database being tested will have to comply with the requirements of one of the classes. In each and any case, the standard for each class will possess:
・Sufficient content to assure the safety of navigation
・Cartography of navigational data displayed in such a manner as to enhance navigation safety
・Accuracy of the displayed data as required by safety considerations
・Timeliness, as a result of regular updating of the data
Each product submitted for compliance testing will be judged against these criteria. The use of "classes" will permit differentiation between products of the same company, and between competitor's products.
This method of assuring product safety is different than one that applies a single database "product specification" to ECS. That approach would ultimately reduce the variability of systems offered in the marketplace, choking off the new developments that point the way to future progress.
The database standard will be a minimum standard; database products that comply may contain more features or support more functions than are required by the standard - as long as the additional features or functions don't interfere with the safety of the displays.
6. Ratification of the Previous Vote
The NWIP for the ECS database has gone through a difficult voting process. The voting, when it officially closed in June, 1999, showed eight countries in favor of the project and four willing to participate. That was changed when Germany requested that its vote be changed before the close of voting to a participating country. However, that change was recognized at the same time that UK changed its vote to nonparticipating. Finally, Netherlands changed its vote - the fifth vote - to "participate", but that vote was deemed to be too late to change the results. As a result, the proposal stands as defeated.
However, the fact is that five countries among the eight have agreed to participate. This is confirmed by the continuing position of those five. As a result, we would like to propose that the Subcommittee ratify the vote to approve the start of the project.
