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The IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary (1990) defines interoperability as “the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged”. Interoperability means systems can transparently share and exchange information, within and between organisations, to avoid duplication of effort and reduce compliance costs. By following agreed guidelines, organisations will be assured that their systems can join the national ICT infrastructure. The standards aim to achieve platform independence — organisations should be able to share and exchange information regardless of the hardware, application software or operating systems they use. This may be achieved through the use of Open Data Standards?. Open means no user is required to use a particular product simply because other users do. Different products inter-operate with each other through open standards. The interoperability standards will define a family of XML? applications (schemata) which all sector agencies will follow. An OpenProcess? will allow all those with an interest in a standard to contribute to its definition. The diversity of the sector and the constantly changing environment mean the standards will be evolutionary. At any time, each standard will define the adoption schedule for proposed changes:
This will allow sector organisations to plan their infrastructure renewal programmes with confidence. For example, it will allow the sector to manage the phase-out of support for older web browsers, or the transition to an open standard for document exchange, and so on. See also ← Architecture | Supporting Information | Information Commons → |
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