Conformity Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 6)

Editor’s Note New Challenges for Standards Development At least from a technology perspective, our country now has in Barack Obama its first true president of the 21st Century. Beyond his well-known attachment to his Blackberry e-mail device (likely to be a victim of the new President’s high security profile), the Obama administration has already made clear its intention to push aggressively for the adoption of policies on technology and innovation that can spur growth and economic development. Among his many commitments, President Obama has pledged to make investments in climate-friendly energy development and deployment, lessening our dependence on foreign oil and ensuring that future energy comes from renewable sources. Obama has also committed to lowering healthcare costs by investing in the further development and deployment of electronic health information systems, which a Rand Corporation study estimates could save up to $77 billion annually in healthcare cost. As we enter the second year of our national economic recession, these and other investments in technology will promote growth, create new jobs, and help America to regain its position in the world as leader of innovation. But the task of implementing such a broad range of new technology initiatives will be challenged on a number of fronts, not the least of which will be the need for the rapid development of a wide range of new information and communications technology standards. That’s the view of Andrew Updegrove, a Boston attorney and the founder of consortiuminfo.org, a web site that provides news and information on standards and standards-setting efforts. For Updegrove, the challenge comes in utilizing an existing standards development process that is “at best, loosely coordinated, frequently contentious, and almost completely independent of government influence or control.” Updegrove also finds problematic the preference here in the U.S. for “bottom up” standards development that is largely driven by industry instead of government priorities. In a recent editorial entitled “Technology, Innovation and the Challenge of the Missing Standards” (available at www.consortiuminfo.org/bulletins/oct08.php#editorial), Updegrove identifies five key tasks for the Obama Administration to address the standards development challenge, as follows: Conformity february 2009 © Artiso | Dreamstime.com 1. For each policy goal, access the interoperability and other standards-related requirements needed to achieve the goal. Perform a “gap analysis” to determine which standards are available, and which must be developed. Where a standard does not exist, develop a strategy for its rapid deployment within an existing standard setting organization, or in a new one created for that purpose. Where complex suites of integrated standards are required, create a public/private initiative to provide that solution. Finally, adopt and deploy a new standards policy across all Federal agencies to ensure the consistent and efficient deployment of new standards-based solutions. 2. 3. 4. 5. Updegrove has also outlined more specific recommendations regarding standards development in a separate article, “10 Standards Recommendations for the Obama Administration,” also available at www.consortiuminfo.org. In this column in November 2008, we wrote admiringly of the voluntary standards development efforts in the U.S. and around the world, and of the tens of thousands of technical professionals who volunteer their time and efforts in the development of new standards and the revision of existing ones. Nonetheless, future standards development efforts will play a key role in supporting the deployment of the innovative technologies that can drive economic growth. Given the stakes, we hope that President Obama, as well as participants in the standards development community, will consider the reasoned perspective proposed by Updegrove. Bill von Achen Managing Editor http://www.Dreamstime.com http://www.consortiuminfo.org http://www.consortiuminfo.org http://www.consortiuminfo.org/bulletins/oct08.php#editorial

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Conformity Magazine - February 2009 Contents Editor's Note FCC Clarifies Closed Captioning Requirements for DTV Receivers Commission Cracks Down (For the Fifth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer FDA Requests Comments on Global Harmonization Documents Australia Now Requires Solar Panel Testing and Certification EU Drafting New Directive on Toy Safety EU Commission Revises Standards List for EMC, R&TTE Directives Additional Standards Published For the EU's Medical Devices Directive EU Commission Publishes Additional Standards for Directives on Active Implantable, In Vitro Medical Devices EMC For the Functional Safety of Automobiles ESD Open Forum The ILAC Arrangement: Facilitating Trade Efficient Methodology for the EMI Analysis of Optical Transceivers Including PCBs and/or Flex Circuits The EuP Directive - Implementation, Design Requirements and Issues Chambers, Shielding, and Accessories Buyer's Guide CPSIA Lead Requirements Apply to Existing Inventory, Says CPSC CPSC Clarifies Certifcation Requirements Other CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews UL standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - February 2009

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