OSCRE.org A True Data Standard?

Oh, here I go again with the old data standards argument.  This time I take a look at the global organisation of OSCRE,which stands for Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate.

A little conversation and debate?

Richard Harris posed a question on CreoPoint.com about data standards and I could not resist jumping in with a little comment.  From there Stephen Spooner the Executive Chairman of OSCRE and Alan Edgar also from OSCRE jumped in and the debate/conversation was on.

A just cause?

The information below is taken for the OSCRE.org web page.  It outlines the vision that the organisation has. It also states that “OSCRE is the only global e–commerce standards body for the real property sector.”

OSCRE Vision “To enable the real estate industry to work more effectively through the use of cost-effective, standardized and automated electronic information exchange.”

OSCRE Mission “OSCRE will deliver global electronic standards for exchanging real estate information and will drive standards adoption within the real estate industry by guiding and providing a platform, methodology and resources within a not for profit model.”

OSCRE Values The values OSCRE has adopted are intended to create and sustain the conditions required for broad industry participation and acceptance. These values include the following:

• Global – OSCRE will maintain a geographic scope of governance which is globally consistent with local profiles for varying business conditions and languages, requiring governance that differentiates and is accountable across the regional and industry sector interests.
• Not–for–Profit – OSCRE is a not–for–profit business entity whose motives are to remain neutral with regard to priorities and impartial with respect to member or specific organizational input while serving the needs of the industry as a whole.
• Voluntary – OSCRE is a voluntary consortium in which members elect to pay dues and participate in a manner which upholds the consortium’s open and consensus‐based principles. OSCRE will facilitate the development of standards requiring extensive consultation with membership and their active involvement.
• Industry – OSCRE provides standards development, adoption & management to the Real Estate Industry.
• Consensus – OSCRE employs consultative and transparent processes to achieve broadly applicable and accepted work products. All interests are discussed and agreement found via a fair and democratic process, to ensure the overall needs of the industry are being addressed and not just those of one organization.
• Standards – OSCRE’s principle work products are Standards; which are recognized by implementation and acceptance to be authoritative and accepted in the target user community.
• A Forum and Proven Processes – OSCRE provides a forum and proven processes for industry organizations to identify, discuss, resolve develop and accept real estate information exchange standards.
• Development and Adoption – OSCRE employs both development and adoption methods. Development methods generally involve hosting the process for creating standards specifications while an adoption method involves acceptance of bespoke specifications developed external to OSCRE. Both methods are subject to OSCRE’s requirements for openness and consensus‐based approval.
• Open Specifications – OSCRE’s intent is to make its work products widely and readily available to the public but it reserves the use, duplication and distribution rights for all of the consortium’s work products in order to protect them in the public interest. The end product is one that will be free to use and will not be hindered by individual IPR for a contributing member organization.
• Transparent – OSCRE recognizes that, in order to foster maximum possible industry trust and acceptance, the methods and work processes of the Consortium must be as clear and understandable as possible. These methods and processes will be fair and will be adhered to for all work products.

OSCRE is the only global e–commerce standards body for the real property sector.

Looks great and so……

This post was not intended to provoke or take any particular side of a debate. My intent here is to give rise and attention to this issue.  The simple beauty of the so called  RE.Net or CRE.net ( I want all props for making up CRE.net BTW) is the ability to listen ,learn and access points of view from everywhere.  Which is exactly what needs to be done.

More…

More attention,debate, discussion, conversation,real world case studies and applications. More accountability, transparency,cross industry sharing…and on and on.  The list is endless.  The tasks daunting.  The need for all is essential for commercial real estate.  Your Thoughts?