(Windows Open System Architecture) An earlier umbrella term for a variety of programming interfaces from Microsoft designed to provide application interoperability across the Windows environment. WOSA provides a common denominator for front-end Windows applications to access back-end services. For example, any WOSA-compliant query program from one vendor can gain access to any WOSA-compliant DBMS from any other vendor. See SPI.

   WOSA Interface       Provides Access To

   ODBC                 Databases (DBMSs)
   MAPI                 Messaging systems
   TAPI                 Telephone network services
   LSAPI                Software licensing
   Windows SNA          IBM SNA networks
   Windows Sockets      Internet, TCP/IP networks
   Microsoft RPC        Run remote procedures
   Financial Services   Banking services
   WOSA/XRT             News, stock market, etc.