Manage duplication, data sharing and flexibility across the software applications used to support education. The aims are to reduce costs and improve the flexibility and quality of the services delivered.

Using the Open Standard means that software can share information, there is more opportunity for customers to get the data they need and allows vendors to interoperate with a wider range of environments using one piece of software.

Education Faces a Critical Challenge
Education is facing a critical challenge in deploying technology due to the challenges raised by a lack of interoperability. Frequently the applications available for primary and secondary (K-12) schools and their States are either closed systems or systems that allow customer access only through proprietary interfaces and data formats. To a user, the lack of interoperability means:
 •         Applications and their data are isolated from one another
 •         Redundant data entry is common    
 •         Disconnected applications increase support costs  
 •         Data reporting is costly and inefficient  
 •         Data is inaccessible to decision makers and can be inaccurate  

 The lack of interoperability also creates difficult purchasing decisions for school and state technology coordinators who procure administrative and management applications. Many coordinators are experiencing a dilemma, invest more money in their aging installed-base systems? Or invest in newer, more efficient systems? The Systems Interoperability Framework Association addresses these issues. 

Rather than have each application vendor try to create a separate connection to every other application, the SIF Association has defined the set of rules and definitions to share data within a SIF Zone. A SIF Zone is a logical grouping of applications, in which software application agents communicate with each other through a central communication point - the Zone Integration Server (ZIS). Data is shared between applications through a series of standardised messages, queries and events written in XML and sent using Internet protocols. These events are defined by the SIF Implementation Specification.

SIF Agents are extensions of each application that serve as the intermediary between the software application and the SIF Zone. The ZIS keeps track of the Agents registered in the Zone and manages transactions between Agents, enabling them to provide data and respond to requests. The ZIS is responsible for all access control and routing and security within the system. Because the behaviour of the Agents and ZIS are standard functionality can be added to a Zone over time by simply adding SIF Certified applications.

Vertical interoperability is a situation in which SIF Agents at different levels of an organisation communicate using a SIF Zone. Vertical interoperability involves data collection from multiple agents (upward) or publishing of information to multiple agents (downward). For example, a state department data warehouse may listen for changes in an area level data warehouses and update its database on a regular basis. Or, a state department may wish to publish teacher certification data to area levels.