In brief: Open Group calls for middleware standards

NEWS Too much time and money is wasted on integrating middleware solutions because of a lack of standards within the industry, according to the Open Group. The claim was made by the organisation at its Interoperability Forum meeting in Miami this week. The group claims the potential fragmentation of the industry due to proprietary technologies will pose a threat to IT development in the future. Allen Brown, vice president of the Open Group, claimed: "Too much of the IT budget is consumed on integration and the need for multiple skills within the enterprise." He said this limits the amount of money available for investment in other technologies. To help combat this problem, Brown previewed the Open Group Interoperability Assurance Program (IAP), an initiative designed to promote standards and provide vendors with information on interoperable products. The IAP is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.