Microsoft is creating a council with other technology vendors in an effort to sort out product interoperability problems. Called the <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6134902.html?tag=nl.r23660">Interop Vendor Alliance,</A> the initiative is scheduled to be announced by senior company executive Bob Muglia at a Microsoft customer conference in Barcelona. The goal of the committee, which will have about 25 members initially, is to make existing software work well together, Microsoft executives said.