Which quality ensures that communication systems can work together effectively?

The ability of different communication systems to work together effectively is defined by interoperability. This quality indicates that diverse systems, technologies, and protocols can communicate, exchange information, and perform coordinated actions despite differing origins or specifications. Interoperability is crucial in environments where various agencies or organizations need to collaborate, ensuring seamless data sharing and operational compatibility.

The other qualities, while important in their own right, do not specifically pertain to the collaborative aspect of communication systems. Survivability relates to a system's capacity to maintain functionality in adverse conditions, reliability concerns the consistency and dependability of performance over time, and timeliness focuses on the promptness of communication delivery. However, none of these directly address the ability of different systems to effectively interact and function as a cohesive unit.