Standards Today A Journal of News, Ideas and Analysis
November – December 2010Vol IX No 4 Re-Balancing The Role Of Government In Standards Development EDITOR'S NOTE: The Pendulum Swings Both Ways A perfect balance seldom lasts long in nature, let alone at the intersection of politics and commerce. Still, when the pendulum is found to be too far off center, it's time for it to start swinging back. Download PDF EDITORIAL: It's Time to Forge a New Public-Private Partnership in U.S. Standards Development Much of the private sector in the U.S. has traditionally viewed any government participation in standards development above the working group level with concern. A new Request for Information from NIST invites the private sector to embrace a new level of collaboration, and that invitation should be accepted. Download PDF FEATURE ARTICLE: Re-Examining Public and Private Roles Under the NTTAA Since the passage of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, government has by law taken a back seat to the private sector in standards development. For years, the national interest has been well-served by the "bottom up" standards development process mandated by the NTTAA. The advent of globalization and the need to implement policies dependent on the development of complex, cross-sectoral standards profiles, however, indicates that the public-private partnership institutionalized by the NTTAA needs to be rebalanced. Download PDF AT CONSORTIUMINFO.ORG: Have you Read the News? If you've never visited the Standards News Portal at ConsortiumInfo.org, you should. It's categorized, updated daily, and this month the archive of posted articles passed the 6,000 mark. Download PDF STANDARDS BLOG: EC Takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back in Openness In 2004, the EU issued an "Enterprise Interoperability Framework" that included the most expansive definition of open standards ever seen in a government recommendation. Now it has issued a new version of the EIF with strong support for open source software, but a dramatically more conservative approach to open standards. Download PDF THE ALEXANDRIA PROJECT: Chapter 4: Beware of Greeks Bearing Trapdoors In this installment of my now-completed technology cybersecurity thriller, our hero probes the identity of the mysterious hackers that have penetrated the defenses of the Library of Congress. Download PDF CONSIDER THIS: #65: Measuring in the New Year Despite our inexorable march into a digital future, one hardy (and very analog) survivor soldiers on — ten yards at a time. Download PDF IMPORTANT NOTICES TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM OUR SUBSCRIPTION LIST: Please reply to this e-mail with the word REMOVE in the subject line. ADVERTISING/SOLICITATION: This email may constitute "advertising" or "solicitation" under applicable laws (including the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 and rules regulating attorney conduct). This email does not constitute the rendering of legal advice by Gesmer Updegrove LLP or its attorneys. GENERAL INFORMATION: The Consortium Standards Bulletin is a source of news, ideas and analysis relevant to those that develop and use standards. For the latest standards news, updated on a daily basis, use the RSS feed at, or bookmark: http://www.consortiuminfo.org/news/ For more information about ConsortiumInfo.org, click http://www.consortiuminfo.org/presscenter/ ConsortiumInfo.org is sponsored by Gesmer Updegrove LLP. Please access the GU Web site at http://www.gesmer.com/practice_areas/consortium.php to learn about the firm's consortium and standards practice. TO RECEIVE FUTURE ISSUES OF THIS FREE JOURNAL: Please register at: http://www.consortiuminfo.org/subscribe/, or send an email to: [email protected] with the word REGISTER in the subject line. Gesmer Updegrove LLP 40 Broad Street Boston, MA 02109 ph: 617-350-6800 fax: 617-350-6878 http://www.gesmer.com Copyright 2010 Andrew Updegrove. All rights reserved.
