Information exchange modeling (IEM) and extensible markup language (XML) technologies

In the past, utilities have been implementing many different types of computer systems and applications to meet specific needs. These systems and applications were rarely designed to exchange information with each other. However, as deregulation has caused utilities to rethink their information needs and as new technologies have enabled ways for these information needs to be met, utilities are beginning to struggle with interfacing their disparate systems. But the new technology standards often overlap with each other, and even worse, are incompatible with each other. In addition, the information being exchanged must be able to be understood, not only by the sender, but also by the receiver. Two technologies are being developed which could assist with these problems. Information exchange modeling (IEM) can develop standardized data object definitions and formats, while the extensible markup language (XML) can act as a human-readable method of describing the IEM data objects, permits mixtures of standard and utility-specific objects, and is emerging as a kind of duct tape to glue disparate technologies together.