Spatial data exchange standards: Springboard to the future or fetter to the past?

Spatial data systems could become a major tool in tomorrow's world. As the number and size of computer networks grow with connections encircling the globe, today's standards must accommodate the associated evolving needs of the gIS users. Standards must prmote data transfer which is efficient both to process and store, to minimize costs whereas maximizing performance. Standards will affect the lives of everyone in both conscious and unperceived ways. The standards that are currently being developed for spatial data exchange can have a considerable impact on the acceptance and influence, the efficiency and application, of spatial data systems.