Attributes and Dynamic Development Phases of Informal ICT Standards Consortia

Tim Christoph Pohlmann, Berlin University of Technology, Chair of Innovation Economics

7/02/2010
(Original Publish Date: 7/1/2010)

Theoretical and empirical analyses about informal consortia are not yet able to entirely illustrate the informal standard setting landscape. This paper tries to provide a broad and comprehensive picture of informal standards consortia and their dynamic development in the past ten years. Analyses show that consortia have distinct characteristics which help to position and explain their existence in the standard setting context. Furthermore the observation of consortia survival identifies relationships between the formation, termination and merger of consortia and market development. The paper is thus able to reveal unique consortia features such as flexibility in formation and speed of reaction to market needs. Formal standardization is in contrast an often protracted process of development and negotiation. Involvement in informal standard setting is less bureaucratic and allows, in respect to the tiered membership structures, a strategic influence from participating firms. These main insights justify a distinct research on the role of informal standard setting in the ICT industry.