Interoperability – “The ability of two or more entities to communicate and co-operate despite differences in the implementation language, the execution environment and/or the model abstraction”

The convergence of systems, networks and services across many industry sectors is driving much of the growth of Europe. Indeed it can be asserted that almost no device, product, system or service is isolated from some form of connectivity and that this applies to any sector where ICT technologies are in use. However, while convergence is opening up opportunities for interworking between devices, systems, networks and services across many sectors, a reliable means of ensuring that they can and will always work together or interoperate is not well defined within many sectors or and certainly not across or between sectors.

It may reasonably be asserted therefore that “Interoperability” is a vital requirement for convergence and that this convergence is a major determinant of the future growth. TAHI is concerned with products, services and applications in the home and it has identified Interoperability as being the most vital determinant of enabling systems in the home for home-based users. TAHI has formed the Interoperability Working Group for this very reason and together with continuing work on the TAHI Open Architecture it is aiming to set up projects that use the TAHI vision of Interoperability to enable the Industry Sector Working groups to deliver Interoperable solutions to industry.

Resulting from this work, TAHI has launced an Initiative to set new standards for Interoperability in the Home space (or in the Smart Home).

Find out more about the Interoperability Framework Initiative here