Editing Interoperability (section)

{{Short description|Ability of systems to work with each other}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Lead too short|date=December 2016}}

[[File:Synology-audio-station-chromecast-apple-tv-dlna.jpg|thumb|An example of software interoperability: a mobile device and a TV device both playing the same digital music file that is stored on a server off-screen in the home network]]

'''Interoperability''' is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems.<ref>{{cite web |others=Copyright AFUL under CC BY-SA |url=http://interoperability-definition.info/en/ |title=Definition of Interoperability |website=dedicated website for a Definition of Interoperability at interoperability-definition.info |access-date=2017-03-13 |archive-date=2017-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314064547/http://interoperability-definition.info/en/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> While the term was initially defined for [[information technology]] or [[systems engineering]] services to allow for information exchange,<ref>Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary: A Compilation of IEEE Standard Computer Glossaries. New York, NY: 1990.</ref> a broader definition takes into account social, political, and organizational factors that impact system-to-system performance.<ref>{{cite web |author=Slater, T. |url=http://www.ncoic.org/what-is-interoperability |title=What is Interoperability? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714143139/http://www.ncoic.org/what-is-interoperability |archive-date=2014-07-14 |publisher=Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium |url-status=usurped |date=2012}}</ref>

Types of interoperability include '''syntactic interoperability''', where two systems can communicate with each other, and [[cross-domain interoperability]], where multiple organizations work together and exchange information.