ΓÇ£ Standards are not only a technical question. They determine the technology thatwill implementthe Information Society, and consequentlythe wayin which industry, users, consumers, andadministrations will benefitfrom it.ΓÇ¥ (EC, 1996). This quote conveys two importantinsights thatare overlookedall too often. The first one is that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems simply would not work without underlying standards. The second one is that todayΓÇÖs ICT standards are tomorrowΓÇÖs technology. That is, those who lead the standardizationinitiatives todayare likelyto be inthe drivingseatwhen itcomes to the actual technology development and implementation.
