                 The Data Exchange Standard
                     Executive Summary
                              

Why is interface interoperability needed?

     CD-ROM subscribers have been requesting a standard
     interface to access CD-ROM products from different
     vendors for several years.  In many cases large
     subscribers, including libraries, have refused to
     purchase additional products because of this lack of a
     standard user interface.
     

Will DXS create a "Standard User Interface" for electronic
information products?
     
     Some efforts in the industry have focused on
     standardizing the user interface itself.  While this
     would solve some problems for users, a standard user
     interface for all electronic products would also
     restrict creativity in developing new interfaces for
     market segments which use unique data types.  Access to
     databases with different structures like bibliographic
     records, full-text, or directories cannot be easily
     accommodated with one standard user interface.
     
     DXS creates a link between the user interface (client)
     and the database retrieval system (server).  This link
     or access protocol enables any compliant client to
     access any compliant server.  Thus, each vendor can
     still offer their own user interfaces and the customer
     can select the user interface of their choice to access
     the data.
     

Will other publishers of electronic information support DXS?

     The acceptance process can be very lengthy for adopting
     any standard.  DXS has been proposed to NISO as one
     alternative for resolving interface interoperability.
     There are other proposals.  Until a proposal has been
     formerly accepted by NISO, SilverPlatter will publish
     CD-ROM products according to DXS and encourage other
     organizations to publish according to DXS
     specifications.
     
     Once a standard is accepted by NISO, SilverPlatter will
     support that standard even if it is not DXS.
     

Will DXS limit the ways that a user can access electronic
information products?

     DXS, as proposed, is a rich standard which offers
     developers most standard retrieval software
     capabilities.  For some databases there may be features
     or access requirements which, because of their
     uniqueness, are not specified in DXS.  To preserve
     these features publishers can utilize the DXS vendor-
     extensions capability when developing information
     products.  Customers can then use the enhanced client
     to access the full database or a generic client to
     access the common elements within that database.
     
Are there other proposals for interface interoperability
which have been submitted to NISO?

     Yes, there are currently four proposals including:
     
     *  DXS
        "CD-ROM Data Exchange Standard" Version 1
     
     *  SFQL
        "Advanced Retrieval Standard-SFQL" Version 2.2C
     
     *  Z39.50
        "ANSI Z39.50: Information Retrieval Service and
        Protocol" Draft V2D4 of proposed Z39.50-1992
     
     *  CD-RDx
        "CD-ROM Read-Only Data Exchange Standard (CD-RDx)
        Version 3.11
     

Why did SilverPlatter submit a new proposal instead of
endorsing one of the other alternatives?

     Each of these proposals has benefits.  After an
     extensive analysis of the different approaches and
     conversations with their respective proponents it was
     decided that to meet the needs of broader markets an
     alternative standard proposal was needed.
     SilverPlatter is committed to developing a standard
     which is rich in searching capabilities, and provides
     good performance in both a stand alone personal
     computer system and in a network environment.  DXS
     meets these qualifications.
     

What development effort will be required for publishers to
adopt an interoperability standard based on the
client/server model?
     
     Publishers will not need to change their database
     structures or file formats.  To conform, they will at
     minimum need to provide a server program for the
     desired platforms which understands DXS standard
     queries and provides DXS standard responses to the
     client.  DXS has been designed to minimize the
     development impact for publishers wishing to
     participate in an interoperability standard.


