Information systems built on common hardware, software, and network standards that promote interoperability and easy access for end users and their connected computers are referred to as what?

Introduction / Context:
Enterprises prefer architectures that avoid vendor lock-in and allow different components to work together. Systems designed around widely accepted standards for hardware, operating systems, middleware, and networking are known for interoperability and ease of integration for end users and administrators.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Emphasis on common, widely adopted standards.
• Goal is interoperability and straightforward user access.
• Term sought is the overarching architectural approach, not a single protocol.

Concept / Approach:
“Open systems” describes environments that adhere to open, published standards and interfaces so that multi-vendor components interoperate. Examples include POSIX for operating systems, TCP/IP for networking, and standard data formats and APIs. This goes beyond naming a single protocol (like TCP/IP) or a device (like an internetwork processor).

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Procurement guidelines often require open standards compliance to ensure portability and integration. Frameworks referencing OSI, POSIX, and TCP/IP stacks illustrate open systems in practice across vendors.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• TCP/IP: a networking suite, not the full systems approach.
• Protocol: generic term, not the specific architectural concept.
• Internetwork processor: a device category (e.g., routers), not a system strategy.
• Standards-based architecture: close in spirit but the established term is “open systems.”

Common Pitfalls:
Equating “one standard” with “open systems” overall; ignoring that openness spans platforms, data formats, and interfaces, not just network protocols.

Final Answer:
Open systems