Building Economic Strength and Social Benefit: Openness as Collaborative Advantage

Sherrie Bolin, President & CEO The Bolin Group

8/22/2008
(Original Publish Date: 4/18/2007)

Standardization has traditionally served as a key collaborative mechanism. Approached correctly, it can facilitate cooperation in a way that benefits the majority of stakeholders. This has been especially evident in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, where interoperability is often critical. Without standardization, it would not be likely that we would have such "luxuries" as the Internet, wireless access, and the ability to share information across different platforms and formats. However, standardization has come under criticism in recent years. Some stakeholders, especially new entrants in the global market and those who don't own large amounts of intellectual property (IP), have opined that standardization is structured to meet the needs of past markets.