Information Technology Standards: What Determines Success?

Increasingly, researchers, administrators, service providers, and organizations depend on the availability of computer-based systems and data in electronic form to do their work. The United States government alone spends nearly $20 billion a year to acquire, maintain, and operate information technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The enormous investment in electronic databases motivates organizations to seek ways to preserve their investments in data and applications software when systems are replaced. Where circumstances preclude co-location of related data collections, remote access to distributed, possibly dissimilar databases is often required. These are just a couple of examples of the forces that have created today’s high levels of interest in information technology standards. Standards are developed in response to a common, recurring problem. They can be developed through a consensus process involving those whose interests will be affected by a given standard or can be established by regulation or law. Regardless of their original motivation (for instance, improved interoperability, reliability, quality, ease of use), standards may have a significant impact on domestic commerce and international trade.