Interoperability

Interoperability refers to the ability of technologies or systems to work together in both providing and accepting services from other technologies or systems. Typically, interoperability refers to IT systems or services, and pertains primarily to the exchange of information and how different systems are able to use information that they have received in said exchange. There are several different types of interoperability, the primary two being syntactic interoperability (two or more systems capable of communicating and exchanging data) and semantic interoperability (ability to automatically interpret information exchanged meaningfully and accurately in order to produce useful results). In telecommunications specifically, interoperability refers to the communication capabilities of communications or electronic systems. There are degrees to which interoperability is possible and effective, which should be defined when referring to specific cases.