Open standards are normally established in standardization bodies such as ITU and ETSI. Standards developed by these bodies are often compromise solutions whereby a number of contributors bring in alternatives, which then become all part of the standard. The stakes are high, because also IPRs are involved. Because of the very different approaches of the contributors and the way manufacturers implement the optional parts, interoperability is often a problem. This is also true for the TETRA ISI, for which a common method to implement group call functionality is still not achieved, but also just a few from many interoperability test cases are passed for individual calls!

For ODINI a more pragmatic method for standards development is choosen. A few simple rules are applied to the development of the specifications, which include compliance to requirements, simplicity and extensibility. The protocol is developed and validated step-by-step according a roadmap, which is continuously updated through end-user involvement. This results also in earlier availability of products. In addition, by means of on-line developer forums the high cost of face-to-face meetings are avoided.

This initiative can only be successful if more equipment manufacturers and system integrators embrace the open standards model of ODINI, which is why much effort is spend on marketing of ODINI. When successful, it is most likely that the Internet Engineering Task Force (EITF) route for formal standardization is choosen.