Interoperability

According to OGC, interoperability means defining a technology that enables an application developer and user to use any type of geocoded data and geo functionality or process that is available on the network, within their environment and their individual and unique workflow.
According to Bill (2016, p. 212, translated), interoperability [...] means the ability to integrate disparate systems and data into a single workflow. This presupposes that syntax and semantics of the data and systems are made available to the user in a uniform form. Interoperability allows transparent access to several spatial data and processing resources within a single workflow, without transferring them into a data pool. The user is required to have little or no knowledge of the special features of these resources. At the concept level, interoperability means that there is a common understanding of the facts between the participants (common world view). At system level, interoperability requires that different software applications communicate directly and smoothly with each other. This is usually done via profiles, services or uniformly defined interfaces (middleware).