Shaping User-side Innovation Through Standardisation

Kai Jakobs, Aachen University Computer Science Department, Informatik IV

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 2006)

This paper looks at the relations that exist between standardisation and user-side innovation, and how the former may shape the latter. The necessary background information will be followed by a brief discussion on how technology and standards are shaped by their respective environment. Subsequently, the impact of standardisation on user-side innovation will be discussed. The observation that the context-specific nature of user requirements represents an impediment to a meaningful participation of users in standards setting will then be discussed, and some conclusions will be provided.