The authors note the likely future importance of a global information infrastructure and the need for standards in such an infrastructure, and they ask whether US national standards or international standards best serve US commerce. The paper provides a succinct summary of the different types of standards, mentions the multitude of different standard-making bodies, and outlines the standard-making process. The authors conclude that one of the chief problems in the past, that of getting “consensus” standards into operation with a fast-changing technology, is being overcome by the international standard-making bodies, and that the US is in a position to benefit from whatever standards prevail.

The authors write from the perspective of many years of service in helping to provide standards for the benefit of US industry. The paper is not at all technical and provides the interested reader with a useful overview.