History and impact of computer standards

A computer trade publication recently devoted a column in one of its issues to complaints about the uselessness of standards developing organizations and, by extension, of standards. Despite those complaints, the author of the column probably saved a great deal of time and effort by composing it on a computer system made possible only through standards. Without such standards, the author probably would have been using a manual typewriter with a proprietary keyboard, paper, and ribbon. There are many other examples of how important standards are to the computer industry and to many other industries. For example, various sources estimate that US industry spends between $17 billion and $30 billion each year on standards. The computer industry contributes its share to that total. In fact, standards are especially important to a young and quickly changing industry like the computer industry. They stabilize technology and encourage investment