Plenary Session

The Plenary session will feature the IT DialTone, led by a presentation by The Open Group's President and CEO Joseph De Feo. This will be followed by several important supporting sessions

What is it? Why is it important? Why support from both buy-side and supply-side is essential?

But the significant number of pivotal issues and problems with the Internet, if not addressed, will severely inhibit its development and, as a result, our ability to benefit fully from its true potential.

Currently, the Internet is ill-disciplined, unmanageable, unreliable and has significant security problems. The Internet certainly has huge potential - but no company is going to commit important or valuable information to the Internet until it is reliable, robust, predictable and secure.

The network we need will protect freedom of choice, be flexible and encourage innovation - the 'IT DialTone'. But how can this be created? What is the role of The Open Group and how can our members participate in the process and benefit from the results?

One company is not going to solve all the problems. A strategy of collaboration and mutual benefit is therefore required. The Open Group and its members have extensive experience in this process and should be able to provide a valuable lead - the catalyst in the development of the 'IT DialTone'.

Note: the detailed discussion on how the Councils will adapt to address the IT DialTone will be covered in the Customer and Software Council meetings on Tuesday a.m.

Dr Sykes will explain ICI's approach and the key challenges in effective IT provision across a company this large and diverse. He will outline his key principles for success and the type of support ICI needs from suppliers, industry consortia and other buy-side players.

The talk will include an ICI reaction to the IT DialTone, welcoming the initiative, highlighting areas of prime importance and issues arising. The IT DialTone is important to ICI because it is vital that the Internet provides an effective response to the key business drivers and issues affecting commercial organisations.

Dr Sykes believes that the IT DialTone can only succeed if it responds effectively to user and business drivers. A technical solution would not be sufficient to enable wide-scale adoption of a global network.

Getting down to implementation issues. Analysis of the problem. How to identify the key work areas? What role will Architecture play? What should be the role of the Program Groups and how will they interact with TOG services and with the activities of other consortia.

The appropriate role for The Open Group as a definitive reference point is becoming clearer and it is evident that the group cannot do the whole job. An effective partnership with relevant consortia is therefore essential.

The role of Architecture in managing the implementation of the IT DialTone was evident from the outset. Current thoughts on structure will be explained, together with a proposed strategy for populating this structure and categorising the necessary technologies and standards.

All this has an impact on the way that the current program structure might need to evolve, both within Members Meetings and within Technical Working Groups. One key to success will be to have a managed life-cycle from requirement to successful standard and to involve the membership fully in this process.

• Architecture
• Security
• Distributed System Management
• Interoperability
• Distributed Computing Environment
• Desktop
• Information Superhighway