What Are Open Standards?
Open standards are publicly available, collaboratively developed technical specifications that anyone can use, implement, or improve. They are:
- Openly documented — no proprietary restrictions
- Developed by consensus — usually by standards bodies (e.g., W3C, ISO, IEEE, IETF)
- Vendor-neutral — not controlled by a single company
- Interoperable by design — intended to work across platforms and systems
Examples of Open Standards
- HTTP, HTML, CSS — the foundation of the web
- UTF-8 — universal text encoding
- PDF, PNG, SVG — document/image formats
- OAuth, OpenID Connect — authentication standards
- JSON, XML — data exchange formats
What Is Interoperability?
Interoperability is the ability of different systems, technologies, or organizations to work together seamlessly. This includes:
- Data interoperability — exchanging and understanding information
- System interoperability — connecting different software or hardware
- Semantic interoperability — preserving the meaning of that data
Open standards are a primary enabler of interoperability.
Why Open Standards + Interoperability Matter
1. Avoiding Vendor Lock-In
Open standards give users the freedom to switch tools or platforms without losing access to their data.
2. Lower Costs & Faster Innovation
Developers can build on open, well-documented specifications instead of reinventing the wheel.
3. Better Competition & Ecosystems
Interoperable systems support diverse ecosystems—e.g., browsers all supporting HTML/CSS/JS.
4. Longevity & Accessibility
Open standards ensure data isn’t trapped in proprietary formats that can disappear.
5. Security Through Transparency
Public scrutiny leads to better, more trusted protocols (e.g., TLS, SSH).
Where Interoperability Is Especially Important
- Web technologies
- Healthcare (FHIR)
- Banking/Payments (ISO 20022)
- AI and machine learning model formats (ONNX)
- Cloud services and APIs
- Smart home devices (Matter standard)
How Open Standards Enable Modern Interoperability
Open standards create a shared language. For example:
- JSON + REST APIs → allow nearly any programming language to communicate
- Email (SMTP, IMAP, POP3) → universal inbox compatibility
- WebRTC → real-time audio/video across browsers
- ONNX → AI models running across frameworks