FOSS is just one of several tools for this organization. The core mission of IDABC is to provide recommendations and services that enable public administrations of different EU countries to communicate quickly and effectively with each other. Interoperable digital services are just one of the eEuropeobjectives of modernizing the whole European public sector. Some projects only cover specific policies, while others, called Horizontal Measures (HM), implement infrastructure and egovernment services not linked to any single area, or cover other strategic and support activities. IDABC also provides financing to external projects targeting the same goals.
The most relevant projects and measuresare described in printable fact sheets which you can request by sending an email message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Translations to EU languages should be available in the upcoming months.
To learn more about IDABC, NewsForge spoke with Bernhard Schnittger, IDABC's Acting Head of Unit, who is responsible for programs such as European Interoperability Framework, Mobility Case Study, and Architecture Guidelines.
NewsForge: Has IDABC activities already had an impact on the software choices of European IT managers in public administrations and private organizations?
Schnittger: We hope so. The EU's own private IP network providing Trans-European Services for Telematics Administrations(TESTA), started in 1996, is growing quickly, with total network traffic growing by an average 30% per month. Applications such as the Communication and Information Resource Center Administrator(CIRCA) are also widely used within commission and member states. Our initiatives and studies on interoperability topics have raised the awareness of the requirements for interoperable cross-border services in member states and EU institutions.
NewsForge: Do you already use open source software, such as OpenOffice.org, in your daily work?
Schnittger: IDABC is not an IT department. We use the software supplied by the Commission's IT department. The default is Microsoft Office at the moment. IDABC staff, however, is free to use the installed OpenOffice.org package.
NewsForge: If a software company has a product of interest to a European public administration -- for example, a database or document management system -- how could it check whether that product complies with IDABC guidelines?
Schnittger: There is no "certification" for the compliance to IDABC guidelines, in line with the scopes of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF).
NewsForge: What exactly is the purpose of the EIF?
Schnittger: It is an IDABC guidelinethat prescribes the principles of pan-European collaboration on egoverment services. It was initiated to implement the requirements of the eEurope Action Plan. By design, it is at such a generic level that, with the exception of the principle of open standards, it is barely applicable to particular products.
NewsForge: Speaking of open standards, recently the BSA criticized the European Union's open standards policy. What is your position on their comments?
Schnittger: Coordination and standardization for egovernment is a complex field, with many stakeholders involved. IDABC develops its guidelines in a consultation process with the member states. In this context IDABC also discusses its documents with industry representatives. BSA is one voice among a wide variety of critical as well as supporting comments IDABC received in reaction to the EIF. IDABC is carefully considering this input, but its own perspective will remain one of an IT user taking into account the special requirements of egovernment.
NewsForge: The file format of the latest versions of Microsoft Office competes directly with the OpenDocumentstandard specified by OASIS. OpenDocument will be the default file format in the 2.0 release of OpenOffice.org. What is the IDABC position on these office document formats?
Schnittger: IDABC supports the idea of open document formats to be used for exchange between administrations and between administrations and their customers. For more information on our position, you may consult our page titled "Promoting an Open Document Format." IDABC has established a working group to promote awareness and exchange experiences, offering a discussion forum between Microsoft and industrial players in the field.
NewsForge: Does IDABC have an official position about the software patents issue which is still being debated before top EU institutions?
Schnittger:IDABC's interest in patent rights is limited to the aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in European egovernment standards. The EIF recommends the use of "open standards," and provides a definition of open standards which insists that IPRs must be "irrevocably made available on a royalty-free basis."
Conclusion
IDABC may play a crucial role in the ICT future of the European Union. Its focus on interoperability and open standards, rather than any particular product or family of products, could have a beneficial effect on free and proprietary software alike.
Autor: Marco Fioretti
Quelle: NewsForge, 12.05.2005
