This essay was originally published in the September/October 1999 issue of Medical Equipment Designer, but could have been written today: ‘One of the hottest topics for designers and developers these days is the promise of open systems. For a generation, product advancements in control software, motion control cards and modules, VCRs, and mobile phones have all been hobbled by the promise of profit in proprietary systems. Those of you who travel overseas know all too well that even phone jacks, electrical outlets and voltages, and telephone protocols vary from country to country. While business and engineering goals are sometimes at odds, the promise of having a universe of integrated products which can communicate with each other is strong fuel for stoking the standards engines…’