====== Honest broker concept ====== PMA.core software acts as an honest broker between the [[supported_file_formats|various vendor-dependent file formats]] on one end, and a variety of different end-user applications on the other: {{:infrastructure_img_1.jpg?600|}} {{:infrastructure_img_2.jpg?600|}} {{:infrastructure_img_3.jpg?600|}} The end-user applications are typically referred to as "downstream" applications in this manual. They can be other member-components of our platform ([[https://www.pathomation.com/pma.view|PMA.view]] is an excellent viewer), but they may be completely custom-built by third-parties as well (in which case communication with PMA.core is conveniently facilitated through webservices). This type of broker-like interaction enables both downstream viewing and analysis. PMA.core allows adopters of WSI to build a context around each slide (on-slide graphical annotations and form-data) and manage this as needed. Read the [[https://www.pathomation.com/honest-broker|latest on our honest broker philosophy on our website]].