Definitions and Glossary of Terms

Introduction
Definitions
Glossary

1 Introduction

This document provides some basic definitions and a glossary of terms used within the formal procedures which govern the standards development process of The Open Group.

The Open Group develops standards in a number of distinct areas, and the standards development process can involve different types of working bodies, including bodies internal and external to The Open Group. These working bodies fall into the following basic categories:

Governing Board - responsible for the formal acceptance of specifications as Open Group Standards , and approval of the fundamental standards process and principles to which all working bodies must adhere for deliverables to carry The Open Group name.
Forums - working bodies internal to The Open Group, operating with a significant degree of autonomy, as required to enable them to meet their objectives, and with a lifetime that spans many projects (see Forum Operations).
Working Groups - A Working Group is a body set up by the Governing Board, the Customer Council or Supplier Council, or a Forum to do some work. Working Groups operate under the same procedures as Forums (see Forum Operations).
Open Group Managed Consortia - consortia hosted by The Open Group (i.e., formally constituted as part of The Open Group, and managed by Open Group staff), but operating with a very high degree of autonomy. Deliverables from managed consortia need to be approved through the formal Open Group Standards Process if they are to become Open Group standards.
External Organizations - independent bodies operating totally autonomously, but with whom The Open Group has a complementary liaison and/or working relationship. Deliverables from external organizations need to be approved through the formal Open Group Standards Process if they are to become Open Group standards.

All of these types of working body support the development of The Open Group's certification programs.

The Open Group standards development can thus be viewed as being undertaken by a federation of affiliated groups and consortia, each of which operates with the degree of autonomy necessary to enable it to meet its objectives in a timely and effective manner.

3 Glossary of Terms

3.1 Organizational Entities

Entity	Description/Role
Open Group Governing Board	The governing body of The Open Group. The Governing Board is responsible for ultimate approval of Open Group standards and the Standards Process.
Customer Council	The collective body of all buy-side members of The Open Group.
Supplier Council	The collective body of all supply-side members (System and Software Suppliers) of The Open Group.
Technical Program	A program of work established by The Open Group through the relevant forum, working group, the Governing Board, or the Customer or Supplier Council, to develop technical solutions in a specific strategic functional area
Forum	A cross industry body, established by The Open Group, through the Customer and Supplier Councils, to discuss the priority needs of customers in a strategic functional area, to propose activities to address those needs and to assess the extent to which technical program are addressing those needs.
Working Group	A body within which detailed technical work can be executed, consensus developed and where confidential information can be handled. There may be more than one Working Group associated with a Technical Program and one Working Group may execute activities relating to more than one Technical Program.

3.2 Document Definitions

Term	Definition
Certification Register	One or more publicly accessible registers of certified products, individuals or services registered under the terms of an Open Group certification program.
Standards Adoption Criteria	The Open Group stated requirements before any specification may be adopted as an open standard and included in the Standards Information Base.
Open Group Standard	Any standard developed or adopted through the Open Group Company Review process and subsequently published under The Open Group name.
Open Group Referenced Standard	A document developed and published by a third party, which is accepted by The Open Group as suitable for use in procurement or in an Open Group Product Standard.
Open Group Technical Standard	A detailed technical definition published by The Open Group, which has achieved the necessary level of consensus for inclusion in the Standards Information Base.
Open Group Product Standard	An Open Group Standard upon which an Open Group certification program is based.
Open Group Technical Corrigendum	A collection of corrections to errors or inconsistencies to an approved standard.
Standards Information Base	A publically accessible register of all Open Group standards and Open Group Referenced Standards.
Trademark License Agreement	A legal agreement which sets out the terms under which a vendor may use one of The Open Group's certification marks in association with products that conform to Open Group Product Standards.

3.3 Miscellaneous Definitions

Term	Definition
Certification Manager	The Open Group Manager responsible for the development and introduction of an Open Group certification program.
Company Review	The formal process by which The Open Group measures consensus around a specification in order that it may become an Open Group Standard
Fast Track	A variant of the Company Review process that allows the introduction of a specification by a sponsor under the claim that it is self-sufficient and fit for purpose, to be submitted directly into Company Review with the objective of it becoming an Open Group Standard
Members Meeting	A meeting which is open to members of the Open Group.
Standard Track	A variant of the Company Review process for a specification developed within a forum or working group, with the objective of it becoming an Open Group Standard
Technical Program Manager	The Open Group Manager responsible for a designated Technical Program or Programs
WEB Format	The acceptable format of material for company review documents: HTML (Version 4), including embedded graphics in JPEG or GIF format, tables, frames and cascading style sheets Adobe PDF (Version 1.3)

Last updated: June 29 2007

Definitions and Glossary of Terms

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Definitions

2.1 Working Bodies

3 Glossary of Terms

3.1 Organizational Entities

3.2 Document Definitions

3.3 Miscellaneous Definitions