The Object Management Group is trying to increase end-user involvement in determining the specifications for its Common Object Request Broker Architecture – it has not only come under pressure to do so from users, but also needs to build a co-operative relationship with Microsoft Corp, which is developing its own object technology, but has not actively committed to the Request Broker – the Group believes that customer demand is the only effective way to pull the company into the CORBA fold. In the past, the Object club’s end-user Special Interest Group had only one vote on the technical committee. This committee evaluates proposals and then makes recommendations on emerging standards to the Group’s board of directors. Henceforth, end-users will have a seat on this board, which votes on whether a given standard should be implemented. The board bases its vote on recommendations made by the technical committee. In future, the Special Interest Group will also evaluate the emerging standards to see if they meet end-user requirements. Such work is likely to be done in parallel with the technical committee. The Special Interest Group’s recommendations will be submitted to the board and given the same weight as the technical committee’s comments. The board will vote on these proposals in December.
