And there was the need for interoperability

Technology is a hot buzz nowadays with so many smart phones emerging the market and hybrid cars developing characteristics comparable to a Ferrari. While all this technology development is going on at supersonic speeds, there aren’t so many people interested in reading about what goes behind the curtains, how a certain motor is devised or how a standard is introduced.

This blog will try to look a bit deeper into the plot that takes places behind closed doors before certain standards are adopted. I am only a Telecom Master student, but the academic environment has brought me into contact with standards, thus nudging me to search further and discover the reasons why certain technologies are adopted into standards. I wanted to make this quest for the truth public so that other people get the chance to accompany me in this adventure I am embarking on. I do believe that there are others like me, wretched with the need to know and the desire to discover hidden details in the technology world, but at the same time also be willing to share their vision on this particular topic: INTEROPERABILITY STANDARDS IN THE MEDICAL WORLD. Thus, if you are one of those people, and find my blog the least bit interesting, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I will reply, for sure.

I mentioned standards. Why did I choose this topic, might sound surprising to some. There are thousands of standards people use on a daily basis but are seldom aware of it; without them, few things would actually work. Standardization is the process responsible for creating a sort of model rule, which if used in practice ensures that other devices may interconnect. Compatibility is important for products to be considered successful in terms of usage; standards like USB, Ethernet, GSM give customers an idea of what technology they are using and if they want to connect two devices together they can do it provided there is the same technology or compatible version. Standards are meant to make the technical details of a certain method available to both the producers and the future customers so as to bridge the gap in knowledge between the two sides. First of all, let me make the distinction between the de facto standards and the de jure ones. The former is the one that becomes a standards by frequently usage. There is no formal body to adopt it or check it every couple of years, like it happens with the de jure standards. The focus of our discussions from now on will be the de facto standards, because the dynamics of the process is fascinating, given that there are no/little external regulators to influence its faith. In addition, its status becomes rooted with the passage of time, which makes it even more interesting to see what is exactly the amount of time that must pass in order for a technology to be considered a standard.

In the last day, God created Adam. Well, in the last couple of decades, there have been so many devices that communication between them is almost unthinkable. Thus, there was the need for interoperability. I hear this word all around me "interoperability". When I hear it, I also hear the cha-ching in the back of my head. Why? What's the big deal with interoperability? Imagine a world where transfer between all devices was possible without any intervention. Not such a big deal you would say, but if I tell you that YOU, Mac owner, would no longer need so many cables to connect to a regular projector, or would no longer need to download so much software to use the same programs like a Windows (Microsoft Windows is also an example of a de facto standard) based computer? These are just some minor examples to make you visualize it.  But the fact is, interoperability goes far beyond one can imagine.

Due to the mobility of people in the one big oyster that is Planet Earth, systems in different countries all over the globe have to be remotely similar. Even the European Union has realized the extent to which this abstract concept is involved. Thus they came up with the European Interoperability Framework, which defines general rules and principles for the design of interoperable public services. But public services nowadays cannot be thought of without the aid of technology: we pay the taxes with the credit card and get the state of our health read with some gizmo or other. We do need these devices to be able to connect to the same base station and to be accessible in different regions.

When talking about Standardization within the European Framework, steps are being taken towards unifying the market. The Digital Agenda of Europe has come into action a few years ago, looking to settle the problems of the digital environment and maximize profits for all parties involved (governments, organizations, companies). The 2010 Digital Agenda analyzed among others the topic of Improving ICT standards-setting and Enhancing interoperability through coordination. The upcoming year has already been targeted with a project which aims at the increase of interoperability. In mid June, the European Commission Information Society will organize Digital agenda summit in the workshop on standards where two aspects of standards will be brought into focus: Provide guidance on ICT standardisation and public procurement and Identify and assess means of requesting significant market players to licence information about their products or services. What measures are there going to be taken to these respects? Leave in the hands of the European authorities for the producers or impose regulations on the market. We will find out after the 17th of June.