There are no shortage of industry standards that allow for products and services to interoperate. In fact, there are so many standards that a team implementing an information sharing system can quickly become overwhelmed in determining which standard is best. Then once they pick a standard, they must determine HOW that standard will be used and ensure that the standard is used in the same manner as the other systems they want to interoperate with.
In my experience integrating enterprise level systems, the great equalizer for HOW a standard will be implemented is the Internet. I could A) read the standard specs over three cups of coffee, OR B) I can rely on the lessons learned from other implementers who have been in the same boat I have been in. To a busy implementer, which do you think they will pick?
But of course the Internet is the wild wild west, and the information gathered doesn't guarantee interoperability either. Just because I implemented a NIEM IEPD for arrest warrants recommended on an Internet forum doesn't meant that I will be able to pass that arrest data to another agency.
A first step is providing a central repository of standards, profiles, and best practices that implementers can use to collaborate on the solutions they are currently implementing and they have implemented in the past. However, it is KEY that this solution be available for more than just one segment of business or government agency. Information exchange does not just happen INTRAangency in the Intelligence Community or at DHS. It happens INTERagency between these agencies. Therefore, if each agency maintains their own repository, then we may remain in the same stovepipe problem we are now. Agency A implements Profile P of Standard X, and Agency B implements Profile Q of Standard X. Iterate this problem for 8 more agencies, and information systems are in the same boat of implementing different connectors to each system.
In addition, for a respository to work, implementers and agencies MUST contribute back to the repsository. It must be a two way conversation for it to be useful.
A repository is not the only step (governance anyone?), but it is an important part of breaking down the iron curtains between information systems and allowing for information to more freely flow to the users who need it.
Just some quick thoughts I had during the day and this evening. I am actually at the
OMG Technical Meeting where standards and frameworks are defined for a whole set of technologies. There has been some great discussion here, and I am trying to absorb what I can for my first OMG event.
What has been reinforced for me here is that there is a small percentage of people in the world either smart enough, and/or passionate enough, to a specific topic to define standards around a technology or methodology. However, unless the business utility is translated to concepts and language that the general buyer (aka contracting officer or project manager) understands that standard or technology is next to useless. It is also crucial that those general buyers actually know HOW to ask for the standard and what it will benefit. Without this knowledge, the buyers will not have the knowhow to sell the standard internally to people who are even less tech savvy. And typically these less tech savvy people are the ones actually setting aside money to buy that same technology.
Im probably not making too much sense, but I think this translation layer is a key to success in technology projects and efforts.
I grew up as a techie and first got hooked using an old Texas Instruments programming in Basic ("Hello World" app is my fav) and then learned the fun of "integration" making my PCjr actually run the old Sierra games I wanted to play. After a lot of fun at college, I found myself entrenched in the government technology world leading projects and integrating systems for the past 11+ years. I have extensive experience in technical project management, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Collaboration Technologies, Information Sharing, and Secure Systems Integration.