Petrotechnical Open Software Corp. (POSC) has taken a key licensing step toward its goal of standardizing exploration and production computer work.
The Houston nonprofit membership corporation licensed technologies from Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., and UniSQL Inc., Austin, for a data access specification to be unveiled next year.
POSC, formed in 1990, is developing what it calls a software integration platform, a set of specifications ensuring that technical data can pass freely among computer products of diverse origin.
Eventually, the group will certify software for compliance with its standards.
Hewlett-Packard and UniSQL will help POSC develop a "standard interface specification" for connections among data bases from various suppliers.
Separately, POSC will define a format for exchanging data across companies and computing platforms. It will use American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice 66 as a basis.
POSC has 58 member companies, mostly oil and computer companies and service firms. Membership fees fund its work.
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