standards
235 ResultsDictionary
standards
Standards make up the most important issue in the computer field. As an unregulated industry, we have wound up with thousands of data formats and languages, but few standards that are universally...
Dictionary
Definition: standards
Standards make up the most important issue in the computer field. As an unregulated industry, we have wound up with thousands of data formats and languages, but few standards that are universally used. This subject is as heated as politics and religion to vendors and industry planners. In order to truly understand this industry, it is essential to understand the categories for which standards are created.
No matter how much the industry talks about compatibility, new formats and languages appear routinely. The standards makers are always trying to cast a standard in concrete, while the innovators are trying to create a new one. Even when standards are created, they are violated as soon as one vendor adds a proprietary extension.
The Future
After 50 some years of computing, we have managed to create thousands of languages, formats and interfaces. While many become bona fide standards endorsed by recognized standards organizations such as ANSI and the IEEE, some of the most widely used are de facto standards. Intel and Microsoft products are the most obvious examples.
Although the Internet has helped immensely by creating global standards, we have already gone through several versions of software for rendering Web pages. E-mail demands new standards because 90% of it is spam.
As we forge ahead, there is a point where we can no longer cling to the old designs for compatibility. At that time, the new has to break from the past. The previous infrastructure only holds us back, no different than constructing a new building on top of a weak foundation. It seems to be the way of things. See standards bodies.
Standards Categories
These are the major categories of electronic systems that require standards. Developing information systems in today's environment often seems like the Tower of Babel.
THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.
© 1981-2010 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.
Sponsored White Papers, Webcasts & Resources
-
Strategies for Deploying Blade Servers in Existing Data Centers
Blade servers are powerful, perhaps too powerful. This white paper describes the best approaches to blade deployment while keeping cooling and power considerations in mind.
-
NSTIC doc outlines transition to privately led ID effort
The government's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace takes its most important step to date by releasing recommendations for turning the effort over to the private sector.
-
The Open Group releases SOA and cloud computing standards, updates OSIMM
Each of the three standards is vendor-neutral and helps an organization of any size to design and implement the proper SOA and cloud solutions for its business objectives.
-
At last: standard for cloud Infrastructure as a Service launched
The Open Group releases two new industry standards intended to more effectively integrate fundamental elements of SOA and cloud computing into a solution or enterprise architecture.
-
Consistent standards for defining 'social business'
The W3C are getting more involved with defining standards around 'social business' - this is a very good thing IMO
-
Five reasons your healthcare integration strategy is going to fail
When your integration strategy fails, there will be a start-up with only a handful of employees and even less money waiting in the wings to take over your market share.
-
-
Groupon investigated by UK advertising authorities
Groupon is being investigated by the UK's Office of Fair Trading after breaching the Advertising Standards Agency code
-
The success of social business depends on standards
The first step to becoming a social business is to implement a company-wide social network built on open standards.
-
Acid3 browser test gets an overhaul
Two browser experts have pared back Acid3, a test that browser standards fans held up to spotlight Internet Explorer's shortcomings, so that it will not hold back development of those standards.
-
The green credentials of the common refrigerator
Thanks to industry innovation and a supportive regulatory climate, by 2014, a new refrigerator will use just one-fifth the power a fridge needed in the mid-1970s.
-
Google defends mobile privacy standards at Senate hearing
There's been a huge uproar over regarding location-based services and tracking over the last two weeks. Questions regarding privacy have become so pertinent that some of the biggest tech companies...
-
Microsoft confirms Windows Phone 7 'NoDo' delay; says 'Mango' not affected
Earlier this week, Microsoft's French public relations site acknowledged that Microsoft had decided to delay the first major Windows Phone 7 update. On March 10, the WP7 team confirmed that "NoDo"...
-
Explore the role and impact of the Open Trusted Technology Forum to help ensure secure IT products in global supply chains
This is really not about adding some security band-aid onto a technology or a product. It's really about the fundamental attributes or assurance of the product or technology that’s being produced.
-
Alfresco CMS becomes more social
Alfresco has embedded social networking capabilities into its open source content management system. Alfresco Enterprise 3.4's redesigned Share interface adds status updates -- like those of...
-
Chrome users are the latest casualty in Google's crusade against Apple
Google is removing native support for Apple's favorite video format in their popular Chrome browser. They say they're doing us all a favor to support openness, but what's the real reason?
-
Does your datacenter pollute?
Diesel backup generators are the target for an over-zealous group looking to throw a wrench in Microsoft's plans.
-
Open Data Center Alliance: Lap Dog or Watch Dog?
What kind of impact will the Open Data Center Alliance have on vendors and customers? Richard Fichera takes a closer look.
-
A word about standards, or lack thereof
The Chunnel: a fine example of standards resolution?
-
Open Data Center Alliance: User Group for Cloud Services
Can a user group drive cloud vendors to settle on a single set of standards, regardless of their buying power?
-
Best methods for navigating the POS security standard minefield
Given the ever-present threat of card fraud, it's critical to implement the right security standards when it comes to protecting the payment transaction lifecycle.
-
Can Red Hat beat Microsoft in the cloud?
The cloud strategy puts Red Hat on a collision course with Microsoft.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Facebook Activity
