Published at LXer:

Exactly two years ago I spoke about interoperability and standards here in Brussels.
Here is a brief overview:

• Interoperability boosts competition and we need more of that.
• For devices or applications to be interoperable - to work together - all concerned parties must agree to a common way of "doing things".
• Formal standards are one way to get there.
• More transparency in formal standard-setting can lead to more efficient outcomes.
• Public and private procurers of technology should be smart and build their systems as much as possible on standards that everybody can use and implement without constraints: this is good for the bottom-line because it promotes competition between suppliers and prevents vendor lock-in.

In other words, as I said on that occasion: choosing open standards is a very smart business decision. That speech brought a general perspective to my work on competition policy.
Today I must apply that thinking in a more direct way, as the person who has proposed the Digital Agenda for Europe. Even though the whole Commission is responsible for its implementation I expect interested parties to mostly turn to me to demand progress – and rightly so.
Therefore let me explain what I have in mind when it comes to the topics of interoperability and standards.



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