PCTE in the context of open systems [programming environment standard]

The CCTA, Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, is part of HM Treasury and has the broad objective to improve the return on IT spending in central government. The agency views PCTE from the perspective of information systems or administrative computing. They are concerned to promote interoperability of software, portability of skills, in a word, open systems. The CCTA has taken important initiatives in this field and is therefore interested in the promotion of PCTE. However the CCTA is concerned not to promote a standard which will conflict or overlap in a contradictory way with other emerging standards that they are promoting. The author concludes by stressing that other open systems initiatives should be considered in the progress of becoming a universal standard