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The importance of integration standards: recent developments in XML-based integration. (Standards).

Article Excerpt
On a recent trip overseas I neglected to pack the adapter plugs that enable you to plug an electrical cord from one country into an outlet in another. If you travel overseas you soon realize that many countries have incompatible electrical outlets.

Outlets in the UK and Ireland use a plug with three thick, flat pins, while Australia and China use two flat, angled pins. In addition to the hardware incompatibilities, voltage standards tend to vary by country--U.S. appliances function on 120 volts AC while many foreign power sources provide 240 volts AC. Plugging a U.S. appliance into a foreign outlet (assuming you remembered your adapter plugs) can damage the appliance unless a voltage converter is used (most laptop power supplies include a built-in voltage converter). My laptop battery was depleted and my U.S. plug (three pins: two flat and one circular) could not be used with a Korean socket (two circular receptacles). As I watched my laptop die a slow, painful death (ironically begging me to switch to another power source as soon as possible), I reflected on how much we take standardization for granted.

A Sony CD player and JVC cassette deck can be quickly and easily connected to a Panasonic audio receiver. A CD from a small label like Skunk Records sounds just as good as a new CD from BMG. Firefighters no longer need to worry about hose fittings that vary from one hydrant to the next. USB's token, data, and handshake protocols enable us to quickly and easily connect a broad range of devices to our computers. TCP/IP has become largely ubiquitous, enabling computers (and other devices) to be quickly and easily assembled into large networks. The magazine you're now reading would not have been possible without standards regarding printing, binding, and distribution.

Clearly, without standardization there would be no hope for mass production or mass communication. The so-called "new economy" wouldn't have had a chance because the "old economy" would have sputtered and died (much...

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