PikeNet Dispatch, July 1, 2003
Vol 8 No. 51 (680), "More than 9,000 subscribers"

The Final Word... Last week's Dispatch Are You the Strongest (Supply Chain) Link? (June 24) generated more thoughts on the pros and cons of standards.

Adrian Katz of Circle Software writes, "The UK approach is that data should be freely transferable between systems. The adoption of a common standard -- PISCES -- has assisted the market in several ways. Property management systems can export data for use in valuation systems. Brokers (estate agents) can exchange market data between themselves. Companies like IPD -- Investment Property Databank -- can gather market intelligence more efficiently through a single standard process for data collection."

However, Dave Johnson, president of FacilityWizards, worries that the adoption of standards will stifle creativity. "If you think that real estate information technologies are established and mature, then maybe you could argue that standards are a good thing. If, however, you think that we're still in the infancy of what we're eventually looking for, then standards will only get us there more slowly. The best new technologies emerge when providers have the freedom to innovate and customers have the freedom to choose between many options.

"Interoperability is a good and noble objective which is quite easy to accomplish without standards. It's achieved by smart companies with intelligent products built on flexible technologies. ... I think one of the great things about technology in today's real estate community is the fact that there is no clear market leader and there are no standards. To me, the table is set for the best products and technologies to emerge in the long haul. Then the customers win. That's the American way, right?"

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--Peter Pike