Ken Krechmer

Open Standards Requirements

An open society, if it utilizes communications systems, requires open standards. The personal computer revolution and the Internet have resulted in a vast new wave of Internet users. These new users have a material interest in the technical standards that proscribe their communications. These new users make new demands on the standardization processes, often with the rallying cry, “Open Standards.†As is often the case, a rallying cry means many different things to different people. This article explores the different requirements suggested by the term Open Standards. Perhaps when everyone agrees on what requirements open standards serve, it will be possible to achieve them and maintain the open society that many crave.

The Meaning of Open Standards

This paper develops the argument that many Information Technology standardization processes are in transition from being controlled by standards creators to being controlled by standards implementers. The users of standardized implementations also have rights that they wish addressed. Ten basic rights of standards creators, implementers and users are identified and quantified. Each of these ten rights represents an aspect of Open Standards. Only when all ten rights are supported will standards be open to all.

Teaching Standards to Engineers

This article focuses on the training needed by technical experts, and explores the type of academic course work as well as training that they need in the field of standards and standardization.

Standardization and Innovation Policies in the Information Age

In the information age, governmental policies in support of innovation are having a growing impact on trade and free market coordination. A balance between innovation and coordination is often achieved by market-sensitive standardization. Governmental policies that interfere with the balance that market-sensitive standardization can achieve are not usually successful. But governmental policies that recognize the changes occurring in the information age and support corresponding changes in innovation and standardization policies are needed.

Standards, information and communications: a conceptual basis for a mathematical understanding of technical standards

This paper develops a conceptual basis for a mathematical understanding of technical standards using information theory. Recognizing that a comparison is basic for communications, this paper proposes that commonality is basic to any comparison, and describes how technical standards function to provide commonality. A taxonomy of technical standards is offered which identifies how technical standards are used to convert information to communications.

Standardization: A primer

Recognition is growing of the importance of including standardization in an academic education. Standardization committees create a defined order applied to a specific application, e.g., a safety standard, a measurement standard, a telephone jack, a WiFi signal, a quality standard, a process standard, lumber size. This standardization activity is certainly necessary, but theoretically the details of any standard are largely arbitrary, which reduces any academic interest in standardization. This widespread view is simplistic and needs to change. Creating and maintaining a standard has significant technical and economic effects, even when the details of the standard are arbitrary. Teaching this basic theory of standards and its impact is missing from the existing academic curriculum. This primer develops and presents this theory with a focus on current issues related to interoperation.