No Subject

From: Anthony Mazy, ORA

I request the following item be put on the agenda both for the Meter
Communications subgroup on May 26 and for the Plenary meeting on May 28.

ITEM: NEW BUSINESS:  Identification of key concepts and terminology for
use in preparing proposals and final recommendations, as follows:

INTEROPERABILITY.  Defined as the attribute of a system (e.g., in this
case, the system composed of meters, meter reading and data management
systems, and the ESPs and UDCs that require settlement-ready meter data,
as the functional elements) such that any one supplier's device(s) or
subsystem(s) for any functional element can be replaced, in accordance
with customer choice, with a device, performing the same function, from
any other supplier, with no impairment of the overall system.

OPEN ARCHITECTURE.  Defined as the system of ensuring interoperability
by specifying the functional elements (or, "services") and the
protocols, data formats, and physical interfaces for use among those
functional elements (i.e., the "architecture"), in an "open" (hence the
name), democratic forum such that all prospective users may have their
requirements considered, under the auspices of a recognized, accredited
standards body, and so that the resulting specifications ("standards")
are manufacturer- and vendor-neutral and readily available at reasonable
cost.

ARCHITECTURE:  Of a system, the underlying principles of its operation,
including definition of (1) its functional elements, and (2) the
protocols, (3) the data formats, and (4) the physical interfaces for use
among those functional elements.

OPEN STANDARDS: Defined as technical specifications that are (1)
developed in an open, democratic forum, such that all prospective users
may have their requirements considered, (2) developed under the auspices
of a recognized, accredited standards body, (3) manufacturer- and
vendor-neutral, and (4) readily available at reasonable cost.

NATIONAL STANDARDS: Defined as standards produced or adopted, under
international convention, under the auspices of a national standards
body, the American National Standards Institute ("ANSI") in the United
States.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS:  Defined as standards produced or adopted under
the auspices of an international standards body, in the United States
any international standards body to which the United States is a
participant, including ISO, IEC, etc.



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