Integration and interconnection of medical devices among each other and to medical IT systems become more and more indispensable. Currently, there are only proprietary and closed solutions for integrated operating rooms available on the market. However, there is a high need for standardized, manufacturer-independent interconnection. The German flagship project OR.NET addressed this issue and developed mechanisms for interoperable medical device connectivity based on the idea of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Currently, the results are in the process of standardization as "IEEE 11073 SDC (Service-oriented Device Connectivity)", been a new part of the established IEEE 11073 standard family.

Interoperability triggers an evolution from isolated medical devices to networked medical device systems. This changes many issues in the process of testing, approval, and certification as well as for the risk management of these devices. The MoVE project addressed these challenges by the development of a comprehensive and modular test and certification platform for the development and approval process of networked medical devices using IEEE 11073 SDC. This includes a simulation environment scalable to complex device ensembles and facilitating comprehensive test scenarios.