As part of its customer-focused commitment to interoperability, Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has contributed its Web services protocol specification for consumer scanning peripherals � Microsoft Scan Service Definition Version 1.0 (WS-Scan) � to the Printer Working Group (PWG), a program of the IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (ISTO). The contribution of the WS-Scan protocol specification will make it easier for partner companies to make their products interoperable across multiple platforms and deliver new functionality and manageability improvements to customers.

WS-Scan provides a common framework for describing and sharing information between Windows Vista and consumer scanning peripherals. As part of its continuing efforts to work with partners to provide innovative Windows-based solutions and the best set of experiences to meet customers� specific needs, Microsoft built upon the initial efforts of Xerox Corp. and collaborated with several leading companies in the printing ecosystem to develop the WS-Scan protocol specification. As a result of submitting this specification to the PWG, these solutions will now be available to any platform that companies need to meet their customers� interoperability requirements.