Standard-compliant, but incompatible?!

This paper addresses the question why standard-compliant IT products often do not interoperate. The findings are based on an institutional analysis, three case studies, and a debate among experts. The paper concludes that some dilemmas cannot be resolved easily. However, many causes can be addressed, in particular those in the area of standard development. Where interoperability is concerned, standard development and implementation issues cannot be meaningfully separated.