Open Standards
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Open Standards are essential for interoperability and freedom of choice based on the merits of different software applications. They provide freedom from data lock-in and the subsequent supplier lock-in. This makes Open Standards essential for governments, companies, organisations and individual users of information technology.
Definition
An Open Standard refers to a format or protocol that is:
- Subject to full public assessment and use without constraints in a manner equally available to all parties;
- Without any components or extensions that have dependencies on formats or protocols that do not meet the definition of an Open Standard themselves;
- Free from legal or technical clauses that limit its utilisation by any party or in any business model;
- Managed and further developed independently of any single supplier in a process open to the equal participation of competitors and third parties;
- Available in multiple complete implementations by competing suppliers, or as a complete implementation equally available to all parties.
What Open Standards mean to you
Open Standards ensure that you can:
- Collaborate and communicate with others, regardless of which software they are using
- Upgrade or replace your apps and still be able to open and edit your old files
- Choose which phone / tablet / computer you want to use without worrying about compatibility
Open Standards ensure that society has:
- More competitive software and tech products
- More efficient governmental systems and services
- More accessible high-end software for innovation and experimentation