Interop: The Promise and Perils of Highly Connected Systems

"Born Digital" authors and technology experts John Palfrey and Urs Gasser return with an argument about how we can improve interoperability, the principle that streamlines innovation and simplifies our lives. Interoperability - the standardization and integration of technology - has been facilitating innovation for centuries, and today it is more important than ever. Interoperability is crucial to solving problems that affect us on a global scale, be they in finance, energy production, or healthcare. In order to get the most out of this critical principle, however, we need to revisit our understanding of how it works. In "Interop", John Palfrey and Urs Gasser propose a stable theory of interoperability that increases productivity while ensuring information security and minimizing risks. Pointing the way forward for the new information economy, "Interop" shows how interoperability will determine our success in the coming decades and beyond.