The impact of ICT standards: Three views

Knut Blind, University of Berlin

4/24/2008
(Original Publish Date: 3/1/2006)

This paper presents three different methodological approaches to assess the impacts of ICT standards, ranging from very specific impacts of single standards to general impacts of the whole stock of ICT standards on growth in the ICT sector. We start with a case study on e-business standard, then present the results of a survey among stakeholders of European and international standardisation organisations covering the ICT area. Finally, we conclude with the presentation of an econometric model determining the contribution of the stock of ICT standards to the growth in the German and British ICT sectors. This overview not only provides new insights into methodological options, but also provides a comprehensive picture of impact dimensions, ranging from single impacts of a specific ICT standard in a single company to a general economic impact of the whole stock of ICT standards at the sector level. The paper concludes with a comprehensive picture of various impact dimensions of ICT standards, as well as an evaluation of the applied assessment methodologies. This might be the basis for further progress in the assessment of the impacts of ICT standards.