Who can participate in a workgroup?

Any HTNG member whose membership is in good standing is eligible to participate in workgroups, but you must apply.  The way to apply depends on whether it is a new workgroup or an existing workgroup.

My company wants to participate in a workgroup.   How do I apply?

First, read the charter for the particular workgroup carefully.  Then, read the current HTNG workgroup policies.

For information on the process for applying to an existing workgroup, click here.  To apply for new workgroup (one that has not yet started meeting), click the name of that workgroup in the navigation bar to the left.

How can I keep tabs on what a workgroup is doing?

HTNG workgroups are expected to document the discussion and decisions taken at their meetings and on their conference calls, and to publish all working papers, drafts, specifications, and comments on the HTNG private collaboration website.  All HTNG members have read-only access to all workgroup areas and can view these documents at any time.

Interested members are also encouraged to maintain open dialog with their vendors, customers, or partners who may be participating in a workgroup.

How does HTNG make sure that all workgroup proceedings are documented?

The chair or co-chair of each workgroup and team is responsible for ensuring that someone documents the decisions taken at each meeting.  

HTNG also provides a mailing list for each workgroup's internal use and strongly encourages that all group communication be accomplished via this mailing list.  An archive of e-mails sent to the mailing list for each workgroup is maintained on the private collaboration website.

How do I get access to the workgroup collaboration website?

The collaboration website is located at https://www.opengroup.org/htng.  Please note that there is no public link from the main page of The Open Group's website; you must use this URL.  Your HTNG login credentials will not work on The Open Group's home page.

Logon credentials should have been sent to each individual member, and to the primary member for each corporate member, when the initial membership invoice was paid.  If your company is a corporate member of HTNG and you need credentials, please submit a request here.  If you do not remember your logon ID, you can find out by e-mailing a request to the HTNG Membership Department. 

If you forget your password, you can use the "Forgot Password" link on the collaboration site.

Does it cost anything to participate in a workgroup?

Most workgroups carry nominal annual support fees to help defray the costs of face-to-face meetings.  Support fees cover the attendance of one person at each face-to-face meeting; additional attendees from one company are subject to an additional per-meeting fee.  For details, click here. 

Should I apply to participate in a workgroup, or just watch?

You should apply to participate if you believe that your company can represent an important aspect of the problem and/or solution, and if you are willing to provide resources to the degree outlined in the workgroup's charter.

Observing the progress of a workgroup is also a valid option for many members.  However, you need not be a passive observer - you can still provide input and work with companies that are participating.  If you are a technology vendor, you implement solutions designed by the workgroup in parallel with the participants, and if you do, you can participate on an equal basis in any HTNG-sponsored marketing activities, demonstrations, or similar events.

How are new workgroups formed?

Any HTNG member or group of members can propose a workgroup by drafting a charter and submitting it to HTNG at workgroups@htng.org.  Proposals are evaluated by a subcommittee appointed by the Board of Directors at its next meeting.  The subcommittee may accept the charter, defer consideration, reject the charter, or work with the proposing member(s) to refine the charter in order to make it acceptable.

Once the charter is approved, the subcommittee will work with the proposer(s) and HTNG management to identify companies that intend to participate.  These companies will be identified when the workgroup is announced to members and the general public, in order to provide other prospective participants with some assurance that the workgroup will have critical mass.

Financial sponsorships may be solicited or proposals accepted.  These are not required, but because of HTNG's limited resources, workgroup proposals that have sponsorship funding can be launched more quickly.  Sponsors may be awarded certain rights to permanent publicity on workgroup deliverables, but otherwise participate as equal partners with other workgroup members.

An open signup period follows.  The length of the open signup period may vary but will typically be 30-45 days.

At the end of the open signup period, participants are announced and a pre-planning conference call is held.  The participants select the date and location of their first meeting at this time.

When and where do workgroups meet?

This decision is left up to the workgroup.  Typically, workgroups hold face-to-face meetings every 3-4 months, with more frequent teleconferences, often at the team level, in between.  The Property Web Services, Property/Distribution Solution, and Architecture Workgroups hold their face-to-face meetings in North America.  The Distribution Content Management Workgroup holds the majority of its face-to-face meetings in Europe, but has also met in North America.  The In-Room Technology Workgroup has historically held its meetings in North America, but will begin holding one annual meeting for all members, plus some number of regional meetings for participants who prefer European locations, starting in October 2007.

How long do workgroups last?

Workgroups are normally chartered for periods of 12 to 18 months; some workgroups may have shorter lifetimes, and workgroup lifetimes may be extended if needed. 

What do workgroups deliver?

Workgroups are expected to produce deliverables as defined in their charters.  In most cases, deliverables will consist of software or hardware that interoperates successfully with other products.  Intermediate deliverables will typically include specifications.

It is not necessary that each participant in a workgroup, or other HTNG members who are following along with and implementing to the specifications of a workgroup, deliver exactly the same functionality; however the workgroup may specify a minimal level of functionality that is required to be considered compliant, and may ratify this decision by making the specification part of the HTNG branding and certification program.  Individual groups of vendors are encouraged to build additional capabilities into their specific offerings.

Do workgroups establish standards?

HTNG's focus is solution sets, not standards.  However, HTNG's workgroups may select standards, work with standards bodies to modify standards or, if necessary, create standards where no usable ones exist. 

Will HTNG certify compliance with specifications developed by workgroups?

Yes.  HTNG workgroups can submit completed specifications and compliance criteria to the HTNG Certification program.  For approved specifications, vendors can certify their compliant products and will be eligible for using the "HTNG Certified" logo.  Visit the certification site for details.

How does HTNG support vendors who produce solution sets in conjunction with a workgroup?

While the format may vary from workgroup to workgroup depending on the types of deliverables, HTNG is conceptually committed to providing equal access to all vendors who want to, and are able to, participate in joint demonstrations, marketing campaigns, case studies, events, conference presentations, and other marketing activities.

HTNG will provide logistical support to efforts that it believes are of general industry interest and/or that further HTNG's mission.  HTNG may also provide funding support to such efforts, provided that all similarly situated HTNG members are given the opportunity to participate equally. 

Who owns the specifications developed by HTNG workgroups?

HTNG owns the specifications.  Specifications are available for member use until the workgroup that produced them is disbanded, or until the specifications are submitted to the HTNG certification program.  At that point, HTNG contributes them to the public domain under a freely available license. 

Companies that contribute intellectual property that they know is, may be, or may become encumbered, for example by patents, must disclose the actual or potential encumbrance at the time of contribution.

If I participate in a workgroup, do I have to contribute information about things my company considers proprietary?

No. Each company must evaluate the benefit of wider adoption of some particular solution, versus the potential loss of competitive advantage from sharing information.  You may choose to share certain fundamental approaches with the entire workgroup, but reserve some more sophisticated elements for your company and/or its chosen partners.  The portions that you share may become part of the HTNG solution set, while the portions you withhold remain your intellectual property.

Do workgroup participants sign non-disclosure agreements?

Not within the context of the workgroup.  All topics discussed within the workgroup are considered open to all HTNG members, and can be expected to eventually be released to the public domain.

Workgroup participants are welcome to enter into non-disclosure agreements with each other, outside the context of HTNG and the workgroup.  This may be appropriate, for example, if certain participants want to develop extensions to the base workgroup solution, but do not want to share those extensions with other participants, who may be competitors.  However, while those extensions may be built on top of the workgroup's efforts, they are not considered to be part of that effort.