The Cabinet Office has unveiled a second consultation into the use of open standards in government.

The consultation, entitled Open standards: open opportunities flexibility and efficiency in government IT, will run for 12 weeks and is hosted on the Cabinet Office's website.

The consultation, announced by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, is aimed at informing the definition of open standards in the context of government IT. It will also focus on the meaning of mandation and the effects compulsory standards may have on government departments, delivery partners and supply chains, as well as international alignment and cross-border interoperability.