PKI is said to have an interoperability problem – what is it?
There are really two types of interoperability problems. The first comes from the fact that the X.509 standard, on which certificates are based, is open to interpretation and allows for different implementations. That means that developing software that can cope with all the possible options is difficult, and manufacturers usually cut corners to get a product to market. The second is that the major CA suppliers have not wished to let their products interoperate. They have taken the view that their products should dominate the market. This is rather like the telco’s back in the 1960’s. They tried to dominate markets through their control of the circuits and the handsets. Things have changed a lot in the telco market, but not so much in the PKI market.
