The same maps and plumbing get rebuilt
Indoor maps, map UX, and integration glue are repeatedly recreated across deployments, often with weak portability and little reuse.
A mapping-first foundation for interoperable RTLS
Open Location Stack helps RTLS vendors, integrators, and application teams stop rebuilding the same indoor mapping and integration plumbing. We are creating shared open source components so more effort goes into usable products and less into bespoke infrastructure.
Created by FORMATION
Why Open Location Stack is needed
RTLS projects still spend too much time rebuilding the same non-differentiating foundation before teams can deliver useful workflows.
Vendor-specific hubs reduce interoperability
Every RTLS stack models feeds, events, and integrations differently, which makes federation harder and drives vendor lock-in.
Too much effort goes into base infrastructure
Teams lose time on bespoke middleware instead of focusing on search, navigation, alerts, zones, and better operational products.
Mission
Open Location Stack is an open source initiative focused on the missing shared layer between RTLS hardware, indoor maps, and downstream applications. Real-world deployments still rebuild the same venue models, connectors, and operational map capabilities vendor by vendor. We are starting with indoor mapping because structured spatial context is the substrate the rest of the stack depends on: places, floors, routes, zones, and assets all need a common model before location data becomes operationally useful. The project is initiated by FORMATION, where we build production RTLS solutions and encounter these integration gaps directly.
Why start with indoor mapping?
Indoor mapping is the shared substrate for applications, hubs, and operational workflows. Open Location Stack starts there so the rest of the stack can become more portable.
Shared spatial context
Places, levels, routes, zones, and assets need a common indoor model before live coordinates can be interpreted correctly.
Better interoperability
Strong venue models make hubs, SDKs, and downstream applications easier to integrate across vendors and sites.
Operational leverage
Authoring, validation, rendering, and map maintenance become reusable capabilities instead of one-off project work.
Standards alignment
Open Location Stack is mapping-first, but standards-aligned across the stack so maps, hubs, and live operational systems can interoperate more cleanly.
OMLOX
open locating standard
OMLOX defines interoperable RTLS interfaces, including hub APIs and core-zone compatibility across vendors and applications.
OGC IMDF
Open Geospatial Consortium Indoor Mapping Data Format
IMDF is the structured indoor mapping model Open Location Stack treats as the foundation for portable venue maps and spatial context.
MQTT
Message Queuing Telemetry Transport
MQTT is lightweight glue for ingesting and distributing live telemetry, events, and updates around the map.
Roadmap
The 2026 plan starts with mapping-first components and practical geospatial workflows, then expands toward broader interoperability and reusable RTLS infrastructure.
March 2026
Website launch, outreach, requirements gathering, and early prototypes focused on the shared mapping and integration layer.
Spring 2026
First releases focused on practical IMDF workflows, map quality improvements, and map-adjacent integration components.
Summer 2026
OMLOX Plugfest demos, roadmap revision, and a clearer path toward a 1.0 foundation for interoperable RTLS building blocks.
Near-term emphasis
IMDF workflows
Better map quality
Faster geospatial integration
Planned Open Location Stack components
Open Location Stack is being built as a staged stack, starting with practical indoor mapping workflows and extending outward into interoperable live data exchange.
Mapping foundation
The first practical releases focus on structured indoor maps and the workflows needed to make them usable in products.
IMDF Editor
An open editor for creating and maintaining OGC IMDF indoor maps with workflows suited to integrators and operations teams.
IMDF Validator
A standards-aligned validator that catches IMDF issues early and helps teams keep venue data correct as maps evolve.
MapLibre IMDF Renderer
A product-ready rendering layer for stylable indoor maps, floor switching, navigation context, and map-aware application experiences.
Interoperability and integration layer
Once the map foundation is in place, Open Location Stack layers interoperable live data exchange and reusable integration components on top.
Open Location Stack Hub
A hub component exposing OMLOX compatible APIs for interoperable position and event exchange across systems.
Connector Framework
Reusable integrations for RTLS hardware vendors, software systems, and enterprise workflows so each deployment does less bespoke integration work.
MQTT Support
Built-in MQTT connectivity for ingesting and distributing real-time updates around the operational map.
What this means for the market
Open Location Stack aims to lower the cost of interoperability and raise the quality of map-aware RTLS products across the ecosystem.
Integrators
Less bespoke plumbing, faster delivery, and a clearer path to standards-based multi-vendor deployments.
RTLS vendors
Shared infrastructure for the non-differentiating layers around maps, interoperability, and downstream application integration.
Customers
Higher map quality, easier lifecycle management, and more portable data for long-lived operational systems.
Developers and partners
A lower barrier to building map-aware applications, connectors, and workflow tools on top of a common foundation.
Share use cases, blockers, and contributor interest
Contact us with concrete indoor mapping use cases, toolchain constraints, map and RTLS integration blockers, or operational pain points that should shape the first Open Location Stack modules.
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