Interoperability

Overview

Friday, 11:30am-1:00pm
Format: Lecture with audience participation
Leads: Urs Gasser and John Palfrey

This synthesizing session will examine interoperability and its role in driving innovation in the ICT environment. Urs Gasser and John Palfrey--who recently completed a book on the topic (slated for release in February 2012)--will outline a conceptual framework for thinking about interoperability, its driving forces and inhibitors, how it can best be achieved, and why. They will touch on a number of current usecases where interoperability plays a decisive role, including, cloud computing, the Smart Grid, and electronic health records. John and Urs will also consider a number of questions: What is interoperability? What do consumers, companies, and governments stand to gain (or lose) from interoperability or lack thereof? How do concerns related to lack of diversity, or diminished privacy and security interact with interoperability? How are optimal levels of interoperability achieved through law, policy, technology, and innovations in the marketplace?

Required Readings

• Urs Gasser and John Palfrey, Breaking Down Digital Barriers; please select and read one of the featured case studies.
• Urs Gasser and John Palfrey, “Breaking Down Digital Barriers: When and How ICT Interoperability Drives Innovation,” Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2007-8 (2007).