Under the Standards Association, the IEEE is a leading
developer of international standards that underpin
many of today's products and services, particularly
in telecommunications, information technology and
power generation (see addendum). It is increasingly
the central source for standardization in many emerging
technologies through the efforts of individual engineers
and corporations.
The IEEE's role as a developer of technical standards
has grown since it was formed in 1884. Today, it has
an active portfolio of about 1300 standards, both
completed and under development. Major IEEE standards
include:
The IEEE 802® wired and wireless networking
standards for telecommunications (e.g., IEEE 802.11™
for local area networks, aka Wi-Fi).
The IEEE 1394™ standard, commonly called
Firewire, for the serial buses that connect computer
systems and peripherals.
The 12 Color Books, which are industry-proven
standards tools for engineers involved in electrical
power production, distribution and utilization in
commercial and industrial power systems.
The National Electric Safety Code®, which
sets electrical construction standards.
IEEE 1512™ standards for efficient communications
in managing accidents, planned roadway closures,
disasters and other transportation-related events.
Software engineering standards, which are used
throughout industry to maximize software development
investments.
The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization,
a separate corporation closely affiliated with the
IEEE, offers an umbrella for consortia to engage in
the full range of projects typical of special industry
groups (writing specifications, interoperability testing,
marketing implementation and more). The availability
of both consensus and consortia styles within the
IEEE community gives industry the flexibility to move
back and forth between them, selecting the most effective
standards approach to match the status of a technology
and the needs of the market.
The Strategic Use of IEEE Standards
IEEE standards ensure that products and services
perform as intended. They also foster interoperability,
create uniform design, installation and testing methods,
and protect users and the environment, among many
other benefits.
The IEEE Standards Association is committed to standards
that provide key mechanisms for opening markets, stimulating
innovation, enabling competition, encouraging customer
confidence and optimizing industry business strategies.
This requires a flexible and ever-vigilant approach
to managing a standards program that fits today's
requirements. While many IEEE standards address mature
fields, the accelerating pace of technology has led
the IEEE-SA to forge strategic partnerships that help
move products to market quickly.
An International Presence
The IEEE-SA is a globally recognized standards-setting
body with a strong international culture. It draws
on the expertise of the IEEE's 41 societies and councils
and 375,000 members in more than 150 countries. The
IEEE-SA itself serves thousands of individual and
corporate members who voluntarily participate in standards
activities.
Strategic relationships with major International
Standards Bodies (SDOs) simplify the adoption of IEEE
standards targeted to an international audience. The
IEEE-SA satisfies all requirements set by the World
Trade Organization for international SDOs and offers
more paths to international standardization than most
other like organizations. For instance it:
Works through the national member bodies of major
international standards organizations. Examples
include the American National Standards Institute
and the British Standards Institution, both of which
provide a nation-based vehicle for submitting IEEE
standards to the International Electrotechnical
Union (IEC) and the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), to gain formal international
acceptance for these standards.
Has achieved official recognition from the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) as an international
standards developer, promoting recognition and referencing
of IEEE standards in ITU recommendations.
Formally liaises with ISO, IEC and other international
SDOs for joint standards development. As a result,
technical committees within the IEEE-SA and other
organizations collaborate to create international
standards, avoiding the significant costs associated
with redundant processes.
Has a dual-logo agreement with the IEC, which
opens a fast-track path for the direct adoption
of IEEE standards.
Offers global standards distribution, enabling
high-market-demand standards to become de-facto
international standards based on need and use.
The IEEE-SA Standards Process
The IEEE-SA offers a unique standards development
environment that creates consensus standards through
an open process based on the input of all interested
parties. "All" is defined at the outset,
depending on whether or not the project is individually
or corporately based. The process begins with a study
group that explores the need, scope, purpose and other
factors relevant to a proposed standard. A project
can be either a new standard, a revision of, or an
amendment to an existing standard.
The study group becomes a working group when a project
is approved to proceed by the IEEE-SA Standards Board.
Carefully monitored consensus-setting balloting begins
once a working group produces a stable draft standard.
Balloters can approve the draft, disapprove or abstain.
All comments are addressed, and draft standards are
recirculated as necessary. Consensus, which is not
unanimity, is crisply defined. The Board gives final
approval to a draft standard once it has confirmed
that the standard's sponsor has followed all set procedures
throughout the process.
This process differs from the route taken by consortia,
which generally involve a limited number of companies.
Most consortia form to address a specific standard
and begin by creating the structure and procedures
within which they will work. Consortia standards typically
lack consensus from all interested parties, which
can limit their acceptance.
A Supportive Environment
The IEEE-SA enables its individual and corporate
members* to create standards, recommended practices,
specifications, guides, reports and position papers
in as little as 12 to 24 months. IEEE-SA offers a
neutral meeting ground for the open exchange of information
needed for effective standards development. Its staff
of more that 50 professionals provides a full spectrum
of services that include:
Administrative and project management, e.g.,
help in forming working groups, meeting planning,
financial management, balloting support, and promotion
and marketing.
Internet-based tools, ranging from Web-page hosting
to balloting, making the development process efficient
and enabling working group members to participate
from anywhere in the world.
Strong legal foundation and the administration
of patent and intellectual property rules.
Writing and editing services for standards.
A proven structure for publishing and distributing
standards globally. IEEE standards products range
from single-documents to interactive CD-ROMs to
online subscription packages.
Clear paths to international standardization.
For further information on IEEE-SA, visit: http://standards.ieee.org/.
# # #
* Corporate members include corporations and other
for-profit enterprises, as well as not-for-profit
groups from academia, government and other sectors.
ADDENDUM
SELECTED IEEE-SA STANDARDS AREAS
IEEE 802® networking standards create personal,
local and metropolitan area networks (PAN, LAN and
MAN) for wired and wireless technologies.
IEEE 802.3™ standards address the operation
of wired Ethernet LANs at speeds to10 Gb/s.
IEEE 802.11™ standards create wireless LANs
for offices, warehouses, lounges, colleges, hotels
and elsewhere.
IEEE 802.15™ standards concern wireless PANs
that govern connectivity for computers, cell phones,
pagers and other fixed and mobile devices.
IEEE 802.16™ standards address fixed broadband
wireless access in municipal area networks.
The IEEE 1394™ standard, commonly called
Firewire, for the serial buses that connect computer
systems and peripherals.
The 12 Color Books that recommend practices
for industrial and commercial power systems.
Software engineering standards widely used
to maximize software development investments.
The National Electric Safety Code®, which
sets electrical construction standards.
Arc flash hazard calculations for high-voltage
equipment
Transportation safety
The IEEE 1512™ standards family for efficient
communications in managing accidents, planned roadway
closures, disasters and other transportation-related
events.
Marine electrical system
Rail safety
Other standards areas within IEEE-SA include:
Broadband communication over power lines
Event data recorders for motor vehicles
Health informatics for point-of-care medical device
communications
Instrumentation buses
Interconnection standards for distributed energy
resources
Measurement of electromagnetic frequency radiation
in humans
Learning system architecture
Mobile batteries for laptop computers and other
devices
