[mtnygard]

The importance of those Interop conferences cannot be overstated. Even the simplest, most precisely worded standard will always be implemented differently. Those conferences were a very smart way for the customers to apply pressure to vendors in order to get them to work out their incompatibilities.

[AlbertCory]

Indeed. And they were WAY fun, too. I went to the 1988 one in Santa Clara, and some in the early 90s.